[Bell Historians] Bell Hanger, Chepstow.

[Carl S Zimmerman]

At 21:17 +0100 08/04/22, John Ketteringham wrote in part:

>
>%   %   %   TRADESMEN DESCRIBED AS ÎBELLHANGERSâ   %   %   %
>
>The various Trades Directories for the nineteenth century include a 
>considerable number of tradesmen who are listed as bellhangers under 
>the general heading of Whitesmith, Locksmiths and Bellhangers.


In the American trade directories of the period which I have seen, 
the common category is "Locksmiths & Bell Hangers".  I presume that 
both tasks involve working with small cast brass parts, as well as 
installation and maintenance at customers' residences or places of 
business, and so a person who had expertise at one of the tasks could 
readily gain expertise in the other.  This category was distinct from 
"Bell & Brass Foundries" (which produced not only bronze bells but 
brass castings of all types) and "Brass Finishers" (who presumably 
converted raw brass castings into the polished final product).

Over here, the term "whitesmith" was much less common than 
"tinsmith", and neither one seems to have been particularly 
associated with "locksmiths".  The tinsmith worked more in sheet 
metal than in cast metal, I believe.