[Bell Historians] Founder: Bowen of London

[Ted Steele]

On 04/05/2024 22:17, daviesbob via Bell-historians wrote:
.... Any information on the Bowen Foundry would be greatly appreciated.

I am a bit surprised that the answers to this enquiry have not included 
reference to the Bell Historians list archive, a link to which pops up 
with a Google search for “Bowen bell founder London”. The topic was 
discussed in 2009 and this is the complete thread.

Peter Dyson raised the subject; /“Last Sunday I went to look at a single 
bell at Altrincham (Cheshire) St George, to advise on a 'broken rope'. 
The bell is 26.25" dia and had 6 canons, of which one is broken off. The 
only inscription is:/

/BOWEN FOUNDERS LONDON 1858/

/David Struckett's Dictionary list says he was casting in Clerkenwell 
between 1846 and 1890. A quick glance through GAD's NBR shows 2 bells in 
the Diocese of London./

/Has there been any more been published on the foundry, please?”/

Not much was said in reply but John Ketteringham wrote:

/“This is from Lincolnshire Bells and Bell founders.A second edition of 
this book is being published later this year! The firm of Bowen & Co. 
advertised as the Phoenix Church Bell Foundry of Dorrington Street, 
Mount Pleasant, London and cast a number of bells during the period 1846 
to circa 1890. Most of this firm’s bells are small and there are two of 
their products in Lincolnshire, both of which are undated.The first is 
at Barrowby school which was built in 1851 and the second is at the 
Catholic Church of Our Lady and St Peter, Woodhall Spa. This church was 
built in 1896 and presumably the bell was cast at about that time./

/Source : Information communicated by Christopher J. Pickford”./

David Cawley wrote: /“CJP is the authority on these bells by Bowen - it 
would be interesting to have a list, with particulars of his bells -also 
those of his contemporaries Barrett and Osborne (the London one, with an 
'e')”/

CJP Obliged with:

/“Here's a list for Bowen - not sure I've added all known bells, so E&OE/

/1858 Bowen London Altrincham St.George Cheshire1/1 26.1253-2-x AJG /

/1851 Bowen London Barrowby School Lincs1/1 130-1-x A Undated (School 
1851) Ketteringham /

/1846 Bowen London Brentford St.George Middx Scrapped 1/1 202-0-x A 
Scrapped in 1913 Walters Ms /

/1851 Bowen London Campden Town St.Paul Middx1/1Undated (church 1851) 
Walters Ms /

/1848 Bowen London Duncton St.Anthony & St.George Sussex1/1 120-1-x 
AElphick /

/1854 Bowen London High Wycombe St.Andrew Bucks Recast 1/1 21.251-2-27 L 
Recast for St.Andrew's, Hatter's Lane, by JT&Co 1960 JT&Co /

/1848 Bowen London Holnest Holnest Park Dorset1/1 18.751-2-x A Probably 
1848 Dalton /

/1855 Bowen London Ilsington St.Jude, Mildmay Park Middx1/1 25.8753-2-x 
A Inventiry says 1885 (but 1855 more likely) GPE inventory /

/1859 Bowen London Lemsford St.John the Evangelist Herts Recast 1/1 
23"2-3-x A Undated (probably 1859). Recast 1977 RW 1977 p.1100 /

/1858 Bowen London Llowes St.Meilig & St.Llywes Wales (Radnor) 1/3 
24.6253-0-x ASharpe, CJND /

/1858 Bowen London Llowes St.Meilig & St.Llywes Wales (Radnor) 2/3 
26.1253-2-x ASharpe, CJND /

/1858 Bowen London Llowes St.Meilig & St.Llywes Wales (Radnor) 3/3 
29.54-2-x ASharpe, CJND /

/1856 Bowen London London St.Matthew, Oakley Square Middx1/1 33Walters Ms /

/1856 Bowen London Radipole St.Ann Dorset1/1 243-0-x ADalton /

/1854 Bowen London Sandhurst St.Michael Berks Scrapped 1/2 161-0-x G 
Replaced in 1880 when ring installed Sharpe /

/1854 Bowen London Sandhurst St.Michael Berks Scrapped 2/2 181-2-x G 
Replaced in 1880 when ring installed Sharpe /

/1850 Bowen London Skewen St.John Wales (Glamorgan) 1/1 284-2-x A 
Undated - church 1850 Wright /

/1890 Bowen London Strachan Established Church Scotland 
(Kincardineshire) 1/1 19"1-3-x A [no details in Eeles] Clouston Ms, Eeles /

/dnk Bowen London Woodhall Spa Our Lady & St.Peter (RC) Lincs1/1 150-3-x 
AKetteringham /

/ I don't have details of the Barrett & Osborne bells in electronic 
form. CP“/

he thread closed with Peter Dyson’s comments:

/“Thanks very much for the replies on this topic, especially Chris. 
Doing a little bit of analysis shows:/

/ 9 known bells remaining in England/

/4 known bells remaining in Wales/

/1 known bell remaining in Scotland./

/ Yet a search on the CofE Churchcare database of listed bells shows 
only 1 of these, as "very rare"./

/ As Historians, shouldn't we be recommending that the other 8 be added, 
or is this a problem that the database hasn't yet been reconciled at a 
national level?”/

The same Google search reveals an article from the Bridgewater Heritage 
Group which begins:/“John Bowen (1785-1854) was born in Bridgwater, 
Somerset. He ‘was taken from school’ at the age of 11, but subsequently 
took every opportunity for self-education. He was apprenticed to Thomas 
Pyke, brazier and bell-founder in 1799 but became restless and left to 
seek adventure, eventually joining the Navy. After being shipwrecked he 
returned to Bridgwater and resumed his apprenticeship with Pyke. He 
moved to London in 1805, and in 1806 he started work with George? 
Robinson, a lighthouse contractor.”/

There is no further reference to bells but I wonder if this was a 
relative of the Bowen in question?

Ted
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