[Bell Historians] Re: Telegraph letter

[Peter Rivet]

Yes, there were several different Harrisons but as I understand it they came
from the same Yorkshire/North Lincolnshire family.  The bellfounding branch
produced some sound bells but my impression is that tuning wasn't always
their strong point.  George Dawson notes in his Derbyshire study that James
Harrison III produced some which had "unusual tonal qualities" because of
their squat shape.  Going on his ring of eight at Castleton I think this is
a somewhat generous assessment.

If Charles Lucy is willing to commission a set of bells tuned according to
his principles, fine: I shall be very interested to hear what they sound
like.  But a large proportion of a bellfounder's work is, as it always has
been, augmenting rings or recasting single bells within an existing set and
for this they need to be a good match for what is already there.

Like all of us on this list I hope very much that somebody will come forward
with a business plan that will provide Taylors with an assured future.
Unfortunately I can't see marketing a new and untried tuning system doing
this.

Peter Rivet

"Various bell people have claimed to have built or used Harrison's bells,
yet in reality they usually seem to confuse their Harrisons."

           
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