[Bell Historians] Tetbury, Gloucestershire

[c.j.pickford at talk21.com]

So far as I can see - and it confirms my recollections - Taylors have never
done any major work at Tetbury. There's nothing in the index at all, but
that wouldn't rule out the possibility of minor "in tower" work in 1965 when
something took place there. 

 

The "rehung 1891" might be a bit adrift too. Christopher Dalton's notes
mention a photo of the completed rebuilding of the tower and spire dated
1893, and "Pevsner" (David Verey revised Alan Brooks 1999) dates the work to
1890-93.

 

Looking at the photo, the frame and fittings aren't by Taylors but do look
like a complete job of 1891/3 - and the ball bearings look like Mears.
Possibly an L&J job, or maybe Doble or Sully. A bit of newspaper research
might yield an answer, but I shan't have time today*. None of this suggests
the likelihood of any retuning though - 1891/3 (and the firms who may have
done the work) is too early for the now "standard practice" of taking bells
away for rehanging and tuning (where required / permitted) at the same time.


 

Dalton's notes are sketchy (I don't think he actually looked upstairs) but
he does say "quite out of tune". In his earlier notes "fine oldish eight.
Old style but not too old style. Bit echoey". More or less what I recall too

 

* Quick look. Nothing in Bell News index. Newspaper reports refer to still
silent bells, Christmas 1893. First rung again 20 Dec 1893 after a four year
silence. No sign of any mention of the bellhangers

 

Chris Pickford

Kinver (UK)

e-mail:  <mailto:pickford5040 at gmail.com> pickford5040 at gmail.com 

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