[Bell Historians] Re Female Bellfounders

[John David]

Hi All.

Hope this may be relevant, as it has not been mentioned so far and may indicate further female founders

Extract (my translation) from a letter I received in 1992 from M. Henri Brossier of Vire, knowlegeable on Normandy bells, regarding the 1913 bells of St Peter Port cast by the foundry at Villedieu

John David
Guernsey

M Adolphe Havard, last descendant of this family, died in March 1923, leaving only three daughters. The second, Juliette, had married in July 1900 a polytechnicien, M Leon Corneille, who had been in association with her father, and, on the death of the latter continued to direct the foundry. M and MMe Corneille had only two daughters, who did not marry. M Corneille died in his turn in 1934 His wife burnt (Hèlas ) all the family archives. She [let] the foundry to a director, M Peeters He had to retire in 1944 because he was reproached with collaborating with the Germans. Mlle Corneille, the younger, took back the foundry, helped by a new director, then on her own when he left. In 1982, now aged 78, she ceded the foundry to M and MMe Bergamo who were the actual managers

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