The Church Bells of Devon with a list of those in Cornwall BY Rev. H. T. Ellacombe File 01 – Preface, Dedication, Introduction, Appendices A and B Pages 1 to 89 This document is provided for you by The Whiting Society of Ringers visit www.whitingsociety.org.uk for the full range of publications and articles about bells and change ringing THE CHURCH BELLS OF DEVON: A LI~T Of THOSE IN CORNWALL. ~ HY THE REV. H. T. ELLACOliBE, M.A., F.S.A. OF OIIIEL COLLEGE, OUORD; REcrOJI. OF CLnT 8T. OBOllOE, .L"iD UOllrF.STIC CIIAI'LAJ~ TO THE E.I.RL OF IIAIUU~GTO.S. "lJax damantis-Dirigit& biam Dam(ni." EXETER: PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR BY WILLIAM POLLARD, NORTH STREET. 1872. PREFACE. 'fhe following account of the Church Bells and Be11 Founders of Devonshire was undertaken for the Exeter Diocesan Architectural Society, and haviug been distributed to the ~lemb~rs, it now forms a portiou of the Seventh Volnme of the Transactions. '!hat it may he more widely circulated, I have Leen a:..k<j to re-produce it; adding in a Supplement several articles which may be of some :,tere~t P'ld l'Se to the !general reader ; viz., CHAP. I. The present method of Casting Churrh Dells, as conducted at the White Chapel Foundry, London, with Illustrations kindly suppHed by the present Propriewrs. , II. A short History of the different Societies of Ri'lgers in London nod other places, from the Original G1•:1d, founded by Edward the Confessor, to the prE.'sent time. , III. Ca!"illoos and Chimes. IV. Th~ Law of Church Dells, &c., &c., with many decided cases. " ,. v. The Dedicatio'l of Church Bells, , Vl Ben Literature. .. VII. Ecclesiasi.;cal Hand Bells. , VIII. Signa, or Great DeUs. , IX. M.iscellaoeous Articles relating to Bells, which have appeared from time to time in pE'riodica.1s of the day, and other pubJ;catiom-. , X. Appendix. Art.icl.es which came too late for insertion i'l tbe Chapters. 1:he wood-b1ock iHustrations with which this volume is enriched were mostly cut by Mr. De1amotte, Mr. Utting, Mr. Cleghm11, and ME.'SSrs. BonoeweH, of London, Pnd Mr. Blight, of Penzance ; their fidelity may be depended upon, as they were iv. not done from rubbings or sketches, but from plaster of Paris casts, made from "squeezes," taken from the bells with potter's clay. The engraved PI,ATES are by different arti@ts. I am indebted to so many kind friends for assistance anu hospitality that a Tist of theil· names would be too long and perhaps unMcessary, therefore I hope all ·will be pleased to accept m general terms my warmest and most grateful thanks. The knell~ of Sfoveral of them have been tolled since our happy meetings. In conclusion, I would add a quotation which I have before used from Bp. 'Beveridge. ''Some, perltaps, may \\'Onder why any one should thus trouble himRelf about so low and mean a subject as this is generally thought to be; but I think nothing mean or low that ha!h any relation to the Service of God and His ()hurch."-Bp. Beve1idge, ·in his Tr'Jd on Psalmody, p. 118, Edit. 1710. Ea.ster, 18i2. TO THE AGED AUTHOR, BY THE REV. HENRY THOMPSON, M.A. VICAR OF CHARD, Age is not all the work of yer·~ ; But earthly troubles, cares, Wld fears, Vain yearnings, temper uncontroll' d,­ By these, unhappy mllll grows old. But he whose heart from these is pure Thro' longest life may youth insure; To him vicissitudes of time Are changes of one festal chime. \Vhat constitutes the life, the joy, The salient freshneSB of tho boy ? Is it not that he finds the springs Of pleasures deep in si"llplest things? And when to this we add the trust That we are far, far, more than dust, And that for those who look beyond These scenes, wltere feebler hearts despond, There is in store a world of bliss l•'ar hotter thnn the best of this ; 'Vhat more can travelling pilgrims need To make and keep thenl young indeed vi. This is youth's fam'd Elixir! you Have tried, and found the witness tl ile. Alas, for those who fail! !'ns, For those who let the chalice pasR! 'Vho at life's e\'e are fain to cry 'Vith Titus, " Diem perdidi ! " Ora pro nobis! enJry bell To me seems now the curfew's l·'lel', That tolls the parting of the day Of life, too sadly cast mmy. But so it is. Yet while I grieve 0'er wasted morn and clouded eve, I will rejoice in your success, And pray that Provjdenco may bless All your remaining years with joy­ The head of man-tho heart of boy­ And fame continue long to tell A ~ong a11. youths you bear the Julzr, 1871. CHURCH BELLS OF DEVON. SHORT TABLE 0}~ CONTENTS. PAGB. PAGB. Introduc:ory Remarks 1 The Bells of tho Cathedral Church of S. Peter, Bell TC'wers and Turrets 2 Exeter 72 Bella Introduced Appendix A. List of the Ancient and Modern Church Bella 79 Inscriptions or Legends on Bolla 7 Appendix B. Inventory of Bella in every Pariah Bell Founders 9 in Devon in the year 1653 84 Femarka on Peals of Bells 10 Appendix C. Inscriptions on the Bella !Ill Bell Alloy nnd Shape of Bella 11 Legends on Cathedral .Bella 162 Origin of Change Ringing 13 Appendix D. Bishop Quivil'a Grant of a Manor Not possible with tho old Half Wheel If to Roger Ropforde, Bellfounder, Number of Towers \isitod 16 1284, &c. 163 Appendix E. General State of Bells and Towers 16 Tho Bell Founders and their Bella 160 Tho Bauderich described .• 17 Appendix F. Table of Weights and Notes of Bella 170 Short Remarks on the Devon Founders 18 Appendix G. Extracts from the Accounts of tho Churchwardens of Woodbury •• 171 Ancient Legends on Devon Bells described 19 Appendix H. Ditto of Colyton 17i 20 Leonine J..cgends Appendix I. Armorial Bearings on Bella in Devon 182 21 Various Founders' Stamps Appendix K. Dr. Konnicott on Ringing 185 34 Royal Heads .. Appendix L. Height of Church Towers in Devon 186 35 Inter~ening Htops Appendix M. List of the Ancient and Modern Modern Latin Mottoea 37 Bells in the Pari!lh Churches of English Mottoes 40 Cornwall 187 Bell Founders 46 INDEX TO PLATES. Plato 1 to 6. Stamps on old Bolla. Plato 13. Letters and Stamps on old Bolla. , 6. Letters on old Bella. , 14. Stamps on old Bella. , 7, 8. Annorial Stamps on Bella. , 15. Stamps on Bells. 9. Stampe on old Bella. , 16. Stamps and Ornaments on Bella. , 10, 11. Letters and Stamps on old Bella. , 17. Two original Bell Cages. , 12. Friozo Borders and Stamps on Bella. , 18. Ancientand Modem Bell Wheels. TABLE OF WOOD BLOCKS. Stamps of Royal Heads on Bella 34-36 An ancient Campl\nnrius, from one of the sidee View of Ancient Bell from Meraennu 36 of a Norman octagon fontat Belton, Lincoln­ Representation of the preeont mode o hanging shiro 190 heavy .Bells .. .. • • 46 THE CHURCH BELLS IN THE TOWERS OF ALL THE PARISH CHURCHES OF DEVONSHIRE, A PAPER READ BEFORE THE EXETER DIOCESAN ARCHITECTURAL SOG'IETY, JUNE 7, 1866, . BY THE REV. H. T. ELLACOMBE, M.A., F.A.S., RECTOR OF CLYST S. GEORGE, DEVON. My friend, the Rev. J. H. Sperling, Vicar of Westbourne, Sussex, a gentleman well known in London and Essex as an amateur architect of no mean ability, and in arte campanologicd doctissimus, lately, by invita­ tion, delivered a Lecture at the South Kensington Architectural Museum, on "Church Bells and their connection with Architecture," in. which he has ably forestalled me with remarks most pertinent to the subject, and with such as I had intended to begin the account I had been preparing, on the Church • bells in thP. towers of our county. He most kindly sent me a copy of his lecture, immediately after he had read it, with permisSion to adopt the whole, or any part, which I \llight t~ suitable to my purpose. From his valuable store-house of information, (filled from sources well known to every lover of campanology, but enriched by his own original remarks;) I have taken a great deal which I consider most valuable to our Association, and suitable to my present purpose. I am therefore most thankful to . Mr. Sperling for his kind assistance in so helping me m an Introduction to my Paper on the Church Bells of Devonshire. B 2 THE CHURCH BELLS OF DEVON. Campan2logy is a science which most appropriately holds a place in all Associations like our own, whose object is to develop and enunciate the close and inseparable connection of high art with the Catholick faith ; for no musical instrument has ever exerciRed so great an influence upon architecture as the Church bell. To it we owe the most striking external features of our Churches at home 1\nd abroad, whether in the varied groups of the many towered city, or the country spire pointing amidst the trees to the skies, and rearing itself heavenwards; or in the many different forms of cot and gable which crest the humbler village Church, or, rather, parochial Chapel. The bell tower has been called, the badge of a Ch~rch with parochial rights, and seems to have been so since the days of Athelstan, when the patronage of such a structure was one of the qualifications for the title of Thane.1 Fosbrooke ~ng.