[Bell Historians] Canewdon John Waylett bell.

[Anne Willis]

>Further detailed examination of the 1707 Canewdon churchwarden's bills
>has reviled another document from John Waylett. It is an invoice for
>£3 for bell metal and 10s 2d for rope(s), this was in addition to the
>£20 to re-cast the tenor bell.
>Does anyone know approximately how much bell metal £3 would have
>purchased in 1707? 

>I think that I have also identified the origins of the name `WETHR
>IENNENS' cast into the Waylett bell. `Withers Jennings' is listed as a
>yeoman, in this case a small prosperous farmer, in Canewdon in 1706.
>Apparently Waylett did not have a J in any of the fonts he used on any
>of his bells. I will need to look at the rates lists (that also exist
>from this time) to establish if Mr Jennings was illiterate as a
>signature from each person was required, those that could not write
>just used an X. This may also explain the unusual spelling of this name.

>Brian Meldon




In 1735 William Cockey of Frome cast two new trebles for Holy Trinity
Bradford (on Avon), and charged 13d per pound of bell metal; viz

A new Treble Bell waid 813 [pounds] at 13 [d per pound]£44/0/9
A new Second 845 [pounds] at [the same] £45/15/5


I would suggest that the £3 charged for bell metal for your tenor was
largely to make good any lost metal.



'I' instead of 'J' was very common, probably until the 19th century, and it
would not have been considered unusual to spell a name beginning with 'J'
that way. There's an interesting book on the History of the Alphabet; sorry,
but I can't remember the author.

Be careful where literacy is concerned.  Reading and writing tended to be
taught separately, not together as it has been for the last 100 years or so.
Many people could read, but didn't bother about the writing, though they may
have mastered their signature.  Why should they?; there were plenty of
'professional writers' around who could do the job for you.


Anne