[Bell Historians] engraved bells

[David Cawley]

I rather think that this topic can go on ad infinitum! For my own pennyworth 
I note a couple of instances in Jersey where a gap was left in the 
inscription bands of 18thC Whitechapel bells for their weight to be put in: 
"Et Je Peze............................." In one case, St Martin de 
Grouville, the weight was duly incised; at another, St Martin leVieux, it 
was not - all the odder as the exact weight is known from the parish 
records. By contrast, in Jersey also, a chime of eight Taylor bells was in 
1993 installed at St Luke's Church, Rue du Fort, just outside St Helier. 
The back six (1911) came from Pelton, Co Durham, and the original dedicatory 
inscription on the tenor was excised and new lettering applied (no doubt 
someone will tell us how) to give a new inscription in relief on the waist! 
Ironically, the original inscription still exists, here in Leicester, on the 
bell of St George's Serbian Orthodox Church; it was the first intended 
Pelton tenor but came out too sharp, and was supplied to replace the 
fire-destroyed six there in emergency.

Two engraved bells which stay in my mind are the single and eminently 
ringable bell at Deal RC Church (Mears 1925) which was again a stock bell 
and now has incised in the most beuatiful gothic capitals SANCTE THOMA ORA 
PRO NOBIS; and from the same foundry the former single bell at St Martin at 
Palace, Norwich where the Vicar's name was incised in gothic letters which 
were painted in gilt in l'Estrange's day (1874); this bell has been recast 
elsewhere.

Happy New Year

David Cawley
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Bagley" <david at ...>
To: <bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, December 30, 2005 4:56 PM
Subject: Re: [Bell Historians] engraved bells


> The light unringable 4 cast by John Rudhall in 1820 at Alfrick, Worcs, are
> all incised with the names of the donors. Other than the engraving, there 
> is
> no other inscription on the bells.
>
> David.
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