[Bell Historians] Gillett and Johnston records

[Michael A Williams]

There are tower plans as a set of blueprints, produced by G&J and dating
from 1933, in the ASCY Library. I've not studied them in any great detail
but I can look at them when I am next there to see if they may be of
interest.

Michael
(ASCY Librarian)

On Thu, 12 Mar 2026 at 06:57, Chris Pickford via Bell-historians <
bell-historians at lists.ringingworld.co.uk> wrote:

> 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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