Antique Metalware

[philholtsdgr]

W.r.t. the Aldbourne foundry, the quantity of bells extant, suggests 
that the general coppersmith and brazier work was probably seen as 
necessary to ensure a steady cashflow into the business. One suspects 
that with the ornate style often used on Aldbourne bells, especially 
those of the Cors, their preference was bell-founding. Certainly an 
advertisement from the Marlborough Journal of 6th June 1772 referred to 
the Bell-foundry at Aldbourne Wilts, where "Church Bells are cast in a 
most elegant and as musical a manner as in any part of the Kingdom, the 
Founder having made the Theory of Sounds as well as the nature of metal 
his Chief Study; also hangs the same, finding all materials in a 
complete and concise manner; And also Hand-bells prepared and strictly 
in Tune in any Key. Horse-bells, Clock and Room Bells, the neatest of 
their several Kinds. Likewise Mill Brasses cast and sold at the lowest 
Prices". (quoted in HBW's Church Bells of Wiltshire)
Interestingly, what I assume is a later branch of the Cockey 
family of Frome, produced various iron castings ranging from manhole-
cover and drainpipes to gateposts and grave-markers, examples of which 
are still fairly common in North Somerset and West Wiltshire
Phil Lucas