[Bell Historians] G & J

Tue Oct 26 15:07:00 BST 2004

Hi
I don't normally contribute to this group - and I'm not Robert - but I have 
always been interested in the Westcroft Park bells and tower. The tower 
still stands today and appears to be in good condition. I go and look at it 
occasionally. It can be seen through the ornamental gates standing in a 
very well kept garden. It is rumoured that the house is now in the hands 
of an Arab sheik, but then such a rumour is attached to every large house 
in this area because of the racing and the polo nearby.

Jackie Roberts
(Acting Ed)

At 11:36 26/10/2004, you wrote:
>I'm presuming that Chris Pickford has been away from his PC for a while, 
>in which case I hope he will forgive me for reproducing an extract from 
>his notes:
>
>
>Chobham, Westcroft Park (Surrey - just outside M25)<?xml:namespace prefix 
>= o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
>
>[Carillon in tower on Lord Cowdray's estate, 28 bells (?) by Gillett & 
>Johnston, 1932?]
>
>Croydon Foundry records: Carillon of 23 bells, cast Oct.-Dec.1932
>
>23. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1932 4631 
>43½" 15-0-26 
>F sharp
>
>22. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1932 4630 39 
>" 11-0-17 G sharp
>
>21. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1932 4629 
>35" 7-3-0 A sharp
>
>20. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1932 4628 
>33" 6-2-13 B
>
>19. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1932 4627 
>31½" 5-3-14 C
>
>18. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1932 4626 
>30" 5-0-17 C 
>sharp
>
>17. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1932 4625 
>28½" 4-2-3 D
>
>16. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1932 4624 
>27" 4-0-3 D sharp
>
>15. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1932 4623 
>26" 3-2-4 E
>
>14. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1932 4622 24 
>" 3-0-10 F
>
>13. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1932 4681 
>23½" 2-2-27 
>F sharp
>
>12. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1932 4620 
>22¼" 2-1-8 G
>
>11. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1932 4619 
>21" 1-3-18 G 
>sharp
>
>10. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1932 4618 
>20" 1-2-15 A
>
> 9. Gillett & Johnston, 
> 1932 4617 
> 19" 1-1-20 
> A sharp
>
> 8. Gillett & Johnston, 
> 1932 4616 
> 18" 1-0-20 B
>
> 7. Gillett & Johnston, 
> 1932 4615 
> 16¾" 1-0-8 C
>
> 6. Gillett & Johnston, 
> 1932 4690 
> 1515/16" 0-3-10 
> C sharp
>
> 5. Gillett & Johnston, 
> 1932 4613 
> 1515/16" 0-2-27 D
>
> 4. Gillett & Johnston, 
> 1932 4612 
> 14½" 0-2-15 
> D sharp
>
> 3. Gillett & Johnston, 
> 1932 4611 
> 13¾" 0-2-6 E
>
> 2. Gillett & Johnston, 
> 1932 4676 
> 13¼" 0-2-4 F
>
> 1. Gillett & Johnston, 
> 1932 4703 
> 12 
> " 0-1-21 F sharp
>
>Gillett & Johnston purchased most of the bells from this carillon in 
>December 1945. Three bells (nos.15, 17 and 19) afterwards became the back 
>three of the light chime of six bells at Gidea Park (Essex), installed in 
>August 1947
>
>"Dove" 1st.ed. (1950) lists a carillon of 23 bells, 15-0-26 in F sharp; 
>2nd.ed. (1956) refers (p.188) to the removal of the bells - "on the death 
>of the owner of Westcroft Park, Surrey, all the bells except those 
>required for the clock chimes were disposed of".
>
>Gillett & Johnston catalogue, October 1928: "Carillons" - Chobham, 
>Westcroft Park (1923) 18 bells, 9 cwt
>
>Croydon Foundry records vol.3 pp.101-5: Bells for Chobham, 7-29 Nov.1922
>
>18. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1922 535 
>36½" 9-0-14 A
>
>17. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1922 512 32 
>" 6-3-17 B
>
>16. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1922 58 29" 
> 4-1-18 C sharp
>
>15. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1922 57 28" 
> 4-0-23 D
>
>14. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1922 56 27" 
> 3-3-1 D sharp
>
>13. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1922 55 25" 
> 2-3-25 E
>
>12. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1922 54 23" 
> 2-1-3 F
>
>11. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1922 52 22" 
> 2-0-7 F sharp
>
>10. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1922 51 21" 
> 1-3-0 G
>
>9. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1922 151 20" 
> 1-2-4 G sharp
>
>8. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1922 53 19" 
> 1-1-15 A
>
>7. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1922 48 18" 
> 1-0-16 A sharp
>
>6. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1922 136 17" 
> 0-3-27 B
>
>5. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1922 45 16½" 
> 0-3-18 C
>
>4. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1922 44 16" 
> 0-3-12 C sharp
>
>3. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1922 141 
>15¼" 0-3-0 D
>
>2. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1922 42 14½" 
> 0-2-22 D sharp
>
>1. Gillett & Johnston, 
>1922 41 13 
>" 0-2-1 E
>
>Later taken back - no.17 to Swaton S.O. 6701; no.14 to Newfoundland S.O. 
>6737; no.13 and no.4 to F. Sheffield & Sons Ltd; no.10 to Saughton Hall
>
>Correspondence between Alan Buswell and Michael Boyd, following enquiries 
>about the Westcroft Park Carillon from Mr. P. Roy Collins of Farnham, 1996 
>- Westcroft Park was the home of Mr. H.O. Serpell, a biscuit manufacturer 
>with a factory at Reading. There were 23 bells with Guildford clock 
>chimes, and on which the bailiff (Mr. Percy Rolph) and his daughter (Gwen) 
>gave concerts on Sunday afternoons. They had been to Belgium to learn how 
>to play the instrument. When Mr. Serpell died the bells were sold except 
>for the fourth, on which the clock still strikes. Mr. Serpell's daughter 
>is believed to have married into the Johnston family. Serpell had divorced 
>his first wife under the mental health act and married his secretary. When 
>he died Mrs. Serpell broke up the carillon and let the house and gardens 
>go to pot. Part of the farm was sold to Lord Trefgarne who built a large 
>house called Pembroke Lodge. The bell tower is still [1996] standing. The 
>estate was sold to Sir Raymond Brown when Mrs. Serpell died. [Information 
>from this correspondence was published in the British Carillon Society 
>newsletter no.42, Sept.1996]
>
>
>Andrew Bull
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: David Cawley [mailto:dcawley at w...]
>Sent: 25 October 2004 22:15
>To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com
>Subject: Re: [Bell Historians] G & J
>
>It is the former carillon tower at Westcroft Park, Surrey. Don't know 
>anything about the bells other than that they were by G&J and according to 
>Dove were disposed of when the owner of the park died. Presumably there 
>were 23 at least to qualify numerically as a carillon; but how were they 
>played.
>
>DLC
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <mailto:colin at p...>Colin Turner
>To: <mailto:bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com>bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com
>Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 10:35 PM
>Subject: [Bell Historians] G & J
>
>Whilst browsing through a Gillett & Johnston catalogue I notice a
>picture described as "A Bell Tower on a Country Estate".
>Does anyone know where this is, or is it simply an artists impression of
>what might be done?
>
>--
>Colin Turner
>
>
>
>
>This email originated externally and has been scanned by MessageLabs
>
>
>______________________________
>This email has been scanned for all viruses by the MessageLabs SkyScan
>service. For more information on a proactive anti-virus service working
>around the clock, around the globe, visit http://www.messagelabs.com
>
>Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
>ADVERTISEMENT
><http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=129t8t7mu/M=315388.5526708.6599542.3001176/D=groups/S=1707285820:HM/EXP=1098873410/A=2372354/R=0/SIG=12id813k2/*https://www.orchardbank.com/hcs/hcsapplication?pf=PLApply&media=EMYHNL40F21004SS>
>click here
>
>[]
>
>
>
>----------
>Yahoo! Groups Links
> * To visit your group on the web, go to:
> * 
> <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bellhistorians/>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bellhistorians/ 
>
> *
> * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> * 
> <mailto:bellhistorians-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe>bellhistorians-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com 
>
> *
> * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the 
> <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>Yahoo! Terms of Service.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.ringingworld.co.uk/pipermail/bell-historians/attachments/20041026/14c6deb9/attachment.html>