[Bell Historians] Cardinal Wolsey - did he provide bells?

[Anne Willis]

The 4th was cast (Walters thought 1400-1450) by a Bristol founder with an
English inscription: In the name of the trinite Lavrns bel cal me. The
dedication of church is St Laurence. Walters in Church Bells of Wilts
states: Said to have been given by Cardinal Wolsey (sic). I understand
Cardinal Wolsey lived from about 1465/1475 to 1530.

Does anyone have any evidence that Cardinal Wolsey gave any bells anywhere?
Where & when? Do the bells exist?


I found a letter of August 1901 requesting funds for restoration for
Hilmarton. It notes the inscriptions of the bells and for the fourth states
'. dedicated to the Holy Trinity. According to a note left by the late
Canon Goddard is said to have been given by Cardinal Wolsey'.

I have no idea of the source of Goddard's comment. He was President of
Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society and contributed a great
deal to the Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine, but he does not seem to have
written anything on Hilmarton church. The reference is not in Lukis, or in
either of the two editions of Aubrey's Wiltshire Collections in Devizes
museum library (Jackson and an earlier edition by 'MH'). There may just be
an annotation by Jackson, but I didn't look closely. It could be that
Goddard had access to the manuscript of 'Wiltshire Collections'.

The VCH is vague on the patronage of Hilmarton in the 15th and 16th
centuries, and having waded through Phillipps' Wiltshire Institutions for
those centuries I can see why; there's no mention of the place during those
times. So no clue there as to whether Wolsey had any connection with the
church.

Sorry to be so unhelpful.


Anne