[Bell Historians] Castletown, Isle of Man

[Peter Rivet]

Ranald Clouston in his booklet on Manx Bells (1986) comments that it is the
oldest inscribed bell discovered on the island.  He gives the inscription as

Iames Earl of Derby 1729

and on the waist below the border a plaque with:

Luke     Ashton
      (bell)
Fecit    Wigan

The use of lower case inscriptions is a feature of Luke Ashton's bells.
There are a few examples of Wigan made bells in rings but they are more
often found on their own.  They are quite widely distributed though, well
outside Lancashire.   There is a Ralph Ashton I bell of 1708 at Killarney, a
Luke Ashton bell of 1750 at Penninghame in Kirkcudbrightshire and what
appears to be a Ralph Ashton II bell of 1754 at Dalry in Ayrshire.

Peter Rivet

  -----Original Message-----
  From: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com
[mailto:bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com]On Behalf Of George Dawson
  Sent: 31 July 2008 17:48
  To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com
  Subject: [Bell Historians] Castletown, Isle of Man



  Cast by Luke Ashton of Wigan in 1729, it is 22.25" diameter.

  GAD



  From: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com
[mailto:bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Ted Steele
  Sent: 31 July 2008 13:40
  To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com
  Subject: [Bell Historians] Castletown, Isle of Man



  On holiday in the Isle of Man I saw several bells of interest and, with
  one exception I have since found out all I wished to know about them
  from the National Bell Register. The bell that hangs in the clock-tower
  of Castle Rushen in Castletown is marked simply Earl of Derby 1729; the
  other side seems to have simple ornament and no further inscription is
  visible. The castle was the seat of the earls of Derby in their capacity
  as Lords of Mann so presumably provided this bell and I have read that
  the date is regarded also as the date of the clock-tower itself. Can
  anyone tell me any more about this bell please?

  Ted



  
           
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