[Bell Historians] GREENOCK - A PATINATED BRONZE CHURCH BELL - for sale

['Anne Willis' zen16073@zen.co.uk [bellhistorians]]

Dalton only lists bells by Roger Purdue I, (1601-1640) who seldom put his initials on bells, generally being content with just the date.  Presumably he did not wish to be confused with his less prolific brother Richard.  (Roger cast at least 64 bells between 1601 and 1642)

 

There are more details on Roger Purdue II in Walters Church Bells of Wiltshire.  According to Walters Roger II worked with his brother William Purdue II in Bristol until William settled in Limerick around 1669. Walters quotes Lukis in that Roger probably finished an order for William when he cast six bells for St Canice’s Cathedral Kilkenny in 1674.  Roger returned to Bristol, but maybe the Greenock bell was cast by Roger at the Limerick foundry.

 

 

Anne Willis

 

 

 

From: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com [mailto:bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com] 
Sent: 22 July 2017 18:57
To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [Bell Historians] GREENOCK - A PATINATED BRONZE CHURCH BELL - for sale

 

  

This bell doesn’t look like a Whitechapel bell to me – wrong lettering (although it’s a pity the online photos don’t show the 3-bell mark). RP isn’t Richard Phelps, of course (his tenure at Whitechapel was 1700-1738)

 

The bell is, however, mentioned in Clouston’s “Church Bells of Renfrewshire and Dunbartonshire” survey (PSAS Vol.LXXXII, seventh series Vol.X) of 1950 under West Kirk, Greenock (p.157) and the letters RP and the 3-bell mark are illustrated (p.149). It’s quite a small bell (17.75”). Clouston thought (pp.151 and 157) that the bell was probably cast by Roger Purdue of Bristol (fl.1644-1688)

 

The Greenock bell doesn’t seem to be listed (I’ve only taken a very hasty look) in Chris Dalton’s “comprehensive” lists of Purdue bells in his Dorset book, but we can’t tell if he disagreed with Clouston’s attribution or if he was unaware of the suggestion that this was a Purdue bell. I’ve not studied Purdue bells enough to comment on whether this might be one.

 

It’s rather alarming, though, that such a bell – with its local historic associations (as noted by Clouston) – has found its way into the saleroom. 

 

Chris Pickford



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