[Bell Historians] Joanna Hille [1 Attachment]

['Chris Pickford' c.j.pickford.t21@btinternet.com [bellhistorians]]

Nick Davies did indeed write about this, and the key paragraph from the version of his Faversham paper that I have is this:

 

A particularly interesting reference from 1441 is an agreement still preserved in the County archives office between the Town of Faversham and Joanna Hille of London for five new bells with the largest (tenor) weighing over 34 cwt (1728 kg) and a total weight of metal of over 5 tons (5080 kg).  The Deed of Warranty (unusually written in English at this early date) guaranteed the bells for a year and a day to be hoolewell sownying and of good accorde.  Joanna was the widow of Richard Hille, a celebrated London founder, and she took over the business on his death the year before;  a fine bell cast by her still exists in the tower at Staple (near Sandwich), bearing the Hille trade shield surmounted by a Lozenge to denote her widowhood. Eighteen years later she was called back by the Town to recast the largest bell at a cost of 26 shillings per cwt, and by this time she was in a second period of widowhood from another London bellfounder, John Sturdy.  There is no indication of where these bells were intended to be hung, although the bond for the recast bell was made with the Mayor, William Thornbury (Vicar) and 3 churchwardens.  …

 

But he did not know of the research by Caroline Baron which proves conclusively that Johanna Hille and Johanna Sturdy were NOT  the same person. Johanna Hille died in 1441

 

The key points from the article are in the attached notes (after the transcriptions of the two documents)

 

Chris Pickford

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