Weymouth Bell

[Ted Steele]

Thanks David for your reply which, while it preempts my full message 
answers some of the questions that I was going to ask.

I was going to add this.

"Presumably RP is Richard Purdue, who has other bells in the area, 
including one of the same date at Piddlehinton, according to the 
National Bells Register.

A simple foray into Google reveals that the Old Town Hall in Weymouth 
used to have a bell in its turret that was reputed to have come from a 
church in Radipole, a village now part of Weymouth. This allegedly bore 
the initials RP and the date 1633. St Ann's is the oldest church in 
Radipole and it has a bell-cote for three bells. St Aldhelm's was built 
in 1941 to meet the need for a new building closer to the new centre of 
population; it had a bell which was removed because it was unsafe and 
which is said to be "in safe keeping".  According to the NBR St Ann's 
has one bell of 1856 by Robert Bowen and St Anselm has one of 1939 by M & S.

The museum bell is 25 inches in diameter and 23 1/2 to the base of the 
cannons.

I imagine that Christopher Dalton's Church Bells of Dorset will mention 
this bell but I don't have access to it."

So, if it was in the Old Town Hall was it always there? or was it from 
Radipole as appears to have been suggested. The Old Town Hall is 17th 
century so it could have always had the bell.; also it has changed use 
and ownership which would have justified removing it. But what of the 
claim that the town hall bell came from Radipole? And what became of the 
Radipole bells? How did this bell come to be in the museum?

I have not yet found how to make pictures available online but could 
email to anyone interested.

I would be interested to hear of anything that list members can add to 
the details. I have found out about this bell.

What do list members think of keeping bells in museums when they remain 
fit for use (which I am not saying that this one is)?

Ted Steele