[Bell Historians] Castletown, Isle of Man

[Ted Steele]

Peter Rivet wrote:
>
> 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


















Thanks for this and also to George Dawson for details of the founder. 
Having searched
a bit I see there are indeed a number of bells by Ashton. The picture I 
have makes the
small plaque just visible but nothing can be seen on it.

Ted