[Bell Historians] From Essex to New Hampshire.

[Ted Steele]

Peter Rivet wrote:
>
> 
>
> These structures may be related very loosely to the "klokkenstoelen" 
> (literally bell chairs) found in Friesland, in the NE of the 
> Netherlands.  This may seem a bit far fetched but Fries is the closest 
> language to English.  Until the late middle ages the two were close 
> enough to be mutually understandable, in much the same way as Scots 
> and Irish Gaelic. 
>  
> See http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klokkenstoelen_in_Friesland 
> <http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klokkenstoelen_in_Friesland> for details 
> - it's in Dutch but there's a set of photos at the end.
>  
> Peter Rivet










Perhaps so; but to me the Friesland pictures are more reminiscent of the 
towers I saw in Sweden. The main difference seems to me to be that the 
English cages are clearly intended to be at ground level while the Dutch 
and Swedish exist to elevate the bells and function as a tower. Also the 
English examples were apparently intended to be temporary, at least East 
Bergholt and Wrabness, I am not sure about Wix. I have read that the 
foundations of a bell cage were found at Rivenhall, also in Essex and 
they dated from 14th-15th century before the tower was built. Perhaps 
this was a more general practice in the absence of towers, either fallen 
down or not yet built.

Thanks for interesting responses to my enquiry. I see from closer 
examination of the Wrabness picture that the bell is J Warner, 1854. 
Since  the cage is 17th century I wonder what became of the previous 
bell(s) to occupy it?

Ted