[Bell Historians] Re: Morriston

[David Cawley]

Llewellins and James were indeed heavily bombed during the war and their impressive works in Castle Green were reduced to a fraction of what had been there. The business dwindled down to little more than a scrap metal merchant in Bedminster and closed c1960. 

Between 1914 and 1940 they cast no more than two dozen bells that I know of, only three or four of them after 1930  In 1955 they did a small job in Bristol, taking an 1886  bell of theirs from St Lawrence, Easton, and hanging it 'dead' at St Andrew, Hartcliffe, where it remains (Mears subsequently rehung it)

There were some papers of theirs with the late Ernest Tyler, who worked at Castle Green and some photographs at Kingsweston House (the latter under Bristol Museums Service). I failed to see the former before his death and don't know what became of his papers, and the latter could not be produced when I was there.

I am fairly certain that the massive blaze which effectively destroyed all but a fraction of the Castle Green foundry destroyed their records as well.

Richard Bowden has some interesting related material and has of course published some of his researches in The Ringing World.

Here's the Church Wardens' testimonial from Morriston, 30th June 1879:
Dear Sirs, We are pleased to inform you that the peal of bells you have supplied us with for St John's Church gives general satisfaction. Their tone is much admired by everyone, and the Sketty ringers (the most noted in our neighbourhood) speak highly of the manner in which your foreman has hung them.

DLC





  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Andrew Bull 
  To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2008 3:58 PM
  Subject: Re: [Bell Historians] Re: Morriston



  Hi Andrew,

  Have you tried asking Alwyn Lewis? He would probably know something about the bells if anyone would.

  I don't know of any L&J records extant - I think the premises were bombed in the war. However, I expect that one of the bell foundries will have ended up scrapping them, and would have weighed them before so doing.

  Andrew Bull

  a40320uk <andrwgil at VAj_RiPblv8Eu-1iF1qbIau0-apETYanjHUe-XizJa1DAYOTFXGwWTipJ_r4j1ZB1mqRTbJCuofTTQ.yahoo.invalid> wrote:
    Many thanks to all those who have responded so far. A couple of key 
    questions remain unanswered

    1. Who acquired them and what happened to them when they left Morriston

    2. Are their weights recorded anywhere (Forgive my ignorance but do any 
    Llwellins and James records still exist?)

    Ill keep digging

    Andrew Giles






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