FW: Unusual initial cross

[David Bryant]

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From: michael baron [mailto:mike.baron at mml0N6_G9Ag6Rdf_ckXfpwaniVDb635GWx0yTUAwLfy4sRNzPT0IWEjRrbU8WlUxL-l6PD2RB8yivMiHxqiw8Q.yahoo.invalid] 
Sent: 15 March 2007 00:29
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Subject: Unusual initial cross

 

I am researching the origin of a local, medieval (probably 14th Century)
bell by looking for similarities in the bell's inscription with published
details of the inscriptions on other bells.

 

Up to now, I have trawled through some 14 different 'Church Bells of (County
X)' books, without finding a match for the initial cross in the inscription
on our bell. Our initial cross is in the form of a heraldic 'cross formee'
or 'cross pattee', but most like a military German Iron Cross. While this
shape is common in 14th Century bell inscriptions and in mint marks on 14th
Century English 'Edwards' coinage, where the version of the cross on our
bell differs from all similar crosses I have seen so far, is that the flat
ends of all four of the cross's arms have a row of three balls or circles
beween the cross ends & the perimeter of the cross's rectangular stamp. This
makes a total of 12 circles, or balls, which could conceivably represent the
12 apostles. The only other representation of a cross surrounded by 12 balls
that I have seen, is the Cross of Toulouse, France. In this case, the form
of the cross is similar, though not as pronounced as the German Iron Cross,
but the ends of the arms are not flat, as in our bell inscription, but are
pointed (more like an arrow head). Please note, that the three balls at each
end  of our cross's four arms, are not arranged in a triangular
configuration, as is usual in a cross botonnee, or trefoil cross. Between
each ball and the flat ends of the cross, there is a hint of a thin 'stalk'
joining each ball to the flat cross ends. This may just be the result of a
fine bell founding groove, to allow the molten bell metal to run from the
cross into the hemispherical 'balls'. Is it possible that we have a French
bell and not an English bell, as thought previously. Following our initial
cross, the rest of the bells inscription reads 'AVE MARIA GRACIA' in
Lombardic Capitals on individual letter stamps, with 'Royal Head' word stops
between the AVE & MARIA and between the MARIA & GRACIA. Both the 'G' and the
'R' in GRACIA were cast upside-down. There are three moulding wires both
above and below the inscription on our bell. The bell weighs 70 lbs and the
'mouth' is about 14.5 inches in diameter.

 

I have been in contact with both the Rev. David Cawley (who, with Ranald
Clouston,  saw our bell in the 1960s) and with Dr. John Eisel , but remain
unconvinced by a diagnosis made some 40 years ago, that our bell was founded
by one of the Ruffords of Toddington, Bedfordshire. My scepticism is the
result of noting that all the published illustrations I have seen of the
initial crosses on surviving Rufford bells are totally different to that on
our bell, while the Lombardic letterings on Rufford bells are far cruder
than the fine lettering on our bell.

 

I would be most grateful if any of your bell historians can throw light on
the origin of our bell, and in particular, on our most unusual initial
cross. 

 

Dr. J. Michael Baron, Eastry, Kent.


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