[Bell Historians] Old bell at Lanhydrock

[Neil Skelton]

According to Arthur C. Cannon C.B. of Cornwall 1979 p.31. Also an ancient 
service bell, recast in the 14th century, 23. 7/8 inches (inaccessible) . 
Inscription "ATHELSTAN SUMPTA ANIMA SUA (reversed?)

Neil Skelton



-----Original Message----- 
From: Richard Smith
Sent: Monday, May 2, 2022 11:53 PM
To: Bell Historians Mailing List
Subject: [Bell Historians] Old bell at Lanhydrock


Does anyone anything about the old bell at Lanhydrock?  Dove
lists its diameter as 23.88" and says it was cast c1599
(which would typically mean 16th century) by an unknown
founder.

Dunkin's 1878 'Church Bells of Cornwall' says [p49]: 'The
single bell which hangs in the tower of this church,
evidently bears an inscription around the haunch, but owing
to the corroded state of the metal, the characters have not
been deciphered.  The diameter at the mouth is 23¾ inches.'
It seems pretty clear this is the same bell.  Dunkin
mentions no other bells, and the present ring were not yet
cast.

I have just been reading a 1901 paper 'Bells and Bell Tones'
by W W Starmer and he says 'The oldest bell in England
appears to be that lately removed from Lauhydrock [sic]
Church, Cornwall, on which is the inscription : "The gift of
Athelstan for his soul."'  Starmer was not interested in
bell archæology, so I'm sure his information is secondhand,
though he does not cite a source for the information.

'Lauhydrock' is evidently a typo for Lanhydrock, and it's
hard to see how this bell could be anything other than the
one bell Dunkin records.  If the Athelstan in question is
the English king, the inscription (if not the bell) must
date to the early 10th century; but even if another man is
meant, it's hard to see the inscription could be later than
11th century as these Saxon names died out rapidly following
the Norman Conquest.

Has anyone investigated this?

RAS





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