[Bell Historians] Small bell dated 1822

[georgebellringer at gmail.com]

My compter will not open a heic .

G

 

From: Bell-historians On Behalf Of Carl S Zimmerman via Bell-historians
Sent: 23 November 2025 00:05
To: Bell Historians <bell-historians at lists.ringingworld.co.uk>
Cc: Carl S Zimmerman <csz_stl at swbell.net>
Subject: [Bell Historians] Small bell dated 1822

 

Attached are four photos of a 10.5-inch diameter bronze bell that was
reportedly fished out of the Columbia River in the western USA about 60
years ago.  No further provenance is known.  It bears the date of 1822, but
no other inscription.  It has a tang and a cast-in clapper staple, but the
clapper is missing.  Since the first steamboat arrived on the Columbia River
in 1835, and regular steamboat traffic did not develop until the 1850s, it
seems unlikely that this was a ship's bell.  My guess is that it was part of
the cargo of a wrecked steamboat, in the process of being recycled from its
original use elsewhere.  But where that might have been I have no clue.

 

Does the style of the bell or its date fit with what is known of any of the
British bellfoundries of that era?

 

Carl Scott Zimmerman, Campanologist 
Saint Louis, Missouri, USA -
 - 19th c. home of at least 37 bell founders or resellers 
Tel. +1-314-821-8437 
Webmaster for  <http://www.TowerBells.org> www.TowerBells.org
 * Avocation: tower bells
 * Recreation: handbells

 * Mission: church bells

Webmaster for  <http://www.TSCChapter134.org> www.TSCChapter134.org

Treasurer, World Carillon Federation

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