[Bell Historians] Gillett and Johnston records

[pickford5040 at gmail.com]

The tuning books are at Croydon Library/Archives, along with just a few
other records (nothing very useful, to be honest). These were in the custody
of a successor company - Cope Allman - until Alan Buswell persuaded them to
deposit them at Croydon. Alan has done sterling work with these records for
many decades now - and has a database with all the main details (weights,
diameters, tuning figures etc).

 

The order books and quite a lot of other clockmaking records - job files,
photographs - are with the current G&J clockmaking firms. There is limited
access by arrangement. I have used them from time to time, but not for quite
a while. 

 

I doubt, though, if the surviving records represent much more than (say) 5%
of what once existed - and the great bulk of a once great company archive
has almost certainly been lost

 

As I recall there's a large scale drawing of Bow tower in the ringing room
at Edinburgh Cathedral with an inset drawing showing the plan of the frame.

 

Chris Pickford

 

From: Bell-historians <bell-historians-bounces at lists.ringingworld.co.uk> On
Behalf Of oliver Lee via Bell-historians
Sent: 11 March 2026 23:14
To: 'Bell Historians' <bell-historians at lists.ringingworld.co.uk>
Cc: oliver Lee <oliverbellringer at outlook.com>
Subject: [Bell Historians] Gillett and Johnston records

 

Recently I have taken an interest in the old pre war 12 at St Mary Le Bow
and as these where mostly recast by Gillett and Johnston in 1933 if was
wondering if any of their original records survive?, I know that their
tuning books are still in Existence but I have never heard anyone say
anything else about their other records although I can only assume that they
survive in some form or another and I think I can remember my friend Kye
leaver saying that he had seen some records in the croydon Library that
included some frame plans!. I would be very interested if anyone else can
add to this 

Regards

Oliver lee

P/s does anyone happen to have a copy of the Old frame at Bow to hand? I'm
convinced that the modern frame is a carbon copy replica of it!

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