John Harris

[Anne Willis]

I get the impression from the notebooks I have found that Harris was active
into the late 19th century.  If I have got the right John Harris he was born
in Tring on Christmas Day 1842, the son of a bank clerk.  In the 1861 census
he was a bank clerk at Tring and living with his family; in 1871 he is
described as an architect and surveyor living in St Albans.  By 1881 he is
still in St Albans and is described as a Civil Engineer, but ICE has no
record of him.  In 1891 he was still a Civil Engineer and a lodger in
Prospect Road, St Albans.  I couldn't find him for certain in the 1901
census, and have no idea when he married or if he had a family.  

 

He also claimed to be secretary the British Archaeological Society, but
again there is no record of this as all pre-1940 records of the BAA were
destroyed in the blitz, and he was never an FSA, like many BAA secretaries.

 

It is quite easy to trace his travels from the notebook, but there is
absolutely no indication of why he was so doing.  I do wonder if he was
working for Warners who I think originated from Tring.  He was almost
certainly responsible for the Hertfordshire-made frames in Dorset; (Buckland
Newton, Motcombe and Kington Magna I think).

 

I would dearly love to have a facsimile made of the notebooks, but it would
be very difficult as there is so much ephemera in them, including lots of
newspaper cuttings and a page from 'the Builder' of the frame at Worcester
(sorry, can't remember the date).  They have some lovely things in them; the
frame diagrams are gorgeous, and there are also details of organs.  There's
also some rubbings of bells, some no longer in existence. 

 

If you want to see his architecture go to Goldhill Baptist Church, Chalfont
St Peter.  It would be interesting to see who the bell is by.

 

I have an indifferent photo of the Tisbury bell.  I will try and get
another.

 

Harris is elusive and as soon as I pin down something he slips away.  You do
get people like this.  Perhaps the oddest thing is that he was not a ringer.

 

Enough; it's our tower dinner tonight, and I have to prompt at the venue.
I'll try and do something more detailed for the RW sometime, but in the
meantime if anyone does have any further information, I would love to hear
from you.

 

 

Anne

 

 

 

  _____  

From: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com [mailto:bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of Bickerton, Roderic (SELEX GALILEO, UK)
Sent: 15 December 2008 17:24
To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [Bell Historians] CD of Worcester Cathedral Bells

 

I had an interesting conversation with G Dodds of St Albans.

There would appear to be no connection between Grimthorpe and John Harris
because John Harris was active from some time in the 1840's until possibly
the 1860's, and Grimthorpe started just after John Harris finished. Geoff
also told me about the 2 bells John Harris had cast in St Albans, by an
agricultural parts manufacture, one of which he believes still exists
(Tisbury) and thinks was photographed by Anne. 

  _____  

From: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com [mailto:bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of Anne Willis
Sent: 15 December 2008 16:04
To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [Bell Historians] CD of Worcester Cathedral Bells


*** WARNING ***

This mail has originated outside your organization,
either from an external partner or the Global Internet. 
Keep this in mind if you answer this message. 



>Mark Regan

> ...I've just published this cd which includes a recreation by Bill Hibbert
>of the Grimthorpe twelve.
 

Is that the twelve illustrated in 'The Builder'?

Anne

It is; and they are as awful as St Paul's Cathedral

Mark

Which makes me wonder again if there was any connection between Grimthorpe
and John Harris of St Albans,  collector of bell history.

Anne


SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems Limited
Registered Office: Sigma House, Christopher Martin Road, Basildon, Essex
SS14 3EL
A company registered in England Wales. Company no. 02426132
********************************************************************
This email and any attachments are confidential to the intended
recipient and may also be privileged. If you are not the intended
recipient please delete it from your system and notify the sender.
You should not copy it or use it for any purpose nor disclose or
distribute its contents to any other person.
********************************************************************

 

           
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.ringingworld.co.uk/pipermail/bell-historians/attachments/20081215/09b8139f/attachment.html>