[Bell Historians] Casting dates

[David Bryant]

I believe that the Rudhalls were the first founders who worked on a large 
enough scale to routinely make use of 'stock' bells, so not all bells in a 
ring may have been specifically cast.

They would also replace bells after installation if necessary - e.g. 8/12 at 
Painswick, replaced the year after the bells were installed. It is possible 
that if some of your bells were installed in 1857 they were stock bells cast 
the previous year, or for some reason were dated a year earlier than they 
were actually cast - without further evidence, it is only possible to 
surmise.

Are the bells mentioned in any of the Rudhall catalogues?

David