IV.

E CHURCTH OTHED HAN R BELL F STIRLINGSHIREO S . WITH SOME NOTE KINROSS-SHIRN O S E BELLS Y RANALB . D . WM . CLOUSTON, B.SC.ENG., F.S.A.ScoT.

This paper is intended to be a supplement to the author's earlier account of the church bells of Renfrewshire and Dunbartonshire which appeare Volumn di e LXXXI f theso I e Proceedings, whereved an r possible any repetition of information has been avoided.

Crown

InscTlfiCion Band

Wir-es.

Fig. A(i). Name partf bell. so a f .so

This survey was made in the summer of 1949 when the author was resident in the Glasgow area, and though he has done his best to keep it up to date it may be that there are a few subsequent changes that are not noted makinn I . g similar survey Scotlann i s e authodth r found thatn i , E CHURCTH OTHED HAN R BELL F STIRLINGSHIREO S 7 6 .

general, churches established since the Disruption have bells of little antiquarian interest and these have been omitted, except in the case where a church has a number of bells or one of interest. The bells are, in general, of the design shown on fig. A(i), either with canons and argent or with a hand-bell type argent only. The inscription,

A. Headstock. B. Wheel. D. Stay. . SliderE . F. Clapper. G. Frame. . GrounH d pulley.

Pig. A(ii). Single bell changr hunfo s ga e ringing. unless otherwise stated, starts on the inscription band, and the end of each lin denotes ei obliqun a y db e stroke nexe th ; t line starting lower down no waiste th . e bellSomth sf eo han turretn gi s whic accessible har e only with great difficulty thesn i d e an case, authoe sth dons bess rha ehi obtaio t t nlona g enoug relo observationt h n y d o ladder ha lackins s t wherwa ha bu ,e e gh es on made throug htelescopea thesn I . e caseseldos i t si me possiblth e se o et complete inscription from the ground due to the masonry obscuring the view onld approximatn an ,y a e mouth diamete givene b n .ca r belle Moshune th manne a sar f o n gti r simila thao rt t show fign i . A(ii), 68 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1949-50.

except unusuathas i t i t havo t l estaa slided yan r fitted. Sometimee sth wheel and headstock are of. wood, sometimes of cast iron, depending on the circumstances. No really accurate conversion table can be compiled for obtaining the weigh bela f diametep lo t li fro muce o ms th s ha r depend thicknese th n so s of the metal, which varies considerably. A rough table may be given as—

Diameter (inches) . . 30 34 38 42 45 47 49 Approximate weight (cwt.) .5 7 9 12 15 18 20 With only one exception all the bells noted have been personally inspecte author e doinn i th y d d gb ever d an ,thi ha sys worassistancha e kh e fro e ministermth e churcheth f o s s visitedwoule h d d an ,lik expreso et s his appreciatio themo nt , especially mentioning Rev. W. McLarenB . f o , Bothkennar. The author's thanks are due to the Burgh Authorities of Stirling and Falkirk havo wh e, readily grante e permissiomunicipam th hi d e se o lnt bell thein i s r respective burghs ;e Burg th als o ot h Libraria f Stirlingno , Mr Bobertson acquaintinr fo , authoe gth r wit hnumbea bookf o r s relating to local history. In the work of correlating the results of this survey with information gleaned from other sources the author must acknowledge his indebtedness . EelesC Do . t F r, O.B.E., F.S.A.Scot. s alreadha o ywh , don muco es n hi this particula Mijnheeo rt fieldd an Artn ; Ja beeTilburgs rf so ha o ns o wh , helpful in obtaining informa/tion in Belgium and Holland about continental founders. The autho s gratefui e rAyrshir th o t l e Archaeologica d Naturaan l l History Societe a blockloa th f no r ,yfo fig. A(i), which appeares hi n i d surve Ayrshirf yo e Transactionsth r efo thaf o t Society. The bell-founding firms of Messrs John Taylor & Co., of Loughborough, Gillet Johnston& t , Ltd. Croydonf o , , Steve Struthersn& , Ltd. Glasgowf o , , M'Shane Bell Foundry Co., Inc., of Baltimore, and Mears & Stainbank, of London, have been most helpfu supplyinn i l g information incorporaten di this survey author'e Th . themo t s especiall d e thank,an du e s ar Messro yt s Mear Stainbans& blocke loae on th f nr o . kfo

BIBLIOGRAPHY. KINCARDINESHIRE. F. C. Eeles, The Church Bells of Kincardineshire. Aberdeen. 1897. LINLITHGOWSHIBB . EelesC . F , ."Th e Church Bell f Linlithgowshire.so " From e Proceedingsth Societye th f f Antiquarieso o f Scotland,o vol., xlvii61 . p . 1912. E CHURCTH OTHED HAN R BELL F STIRLINGSHIREO S 9 6 . RENFREWSHIRE AND DUNBARTONSHIRE. R. W. M. Clouston, "The Church Bells of Renfrewshire and Dunbartonshire." From the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, vol. Ixxxii. p. 146. Scottish Rings of Bells. R. W. M. Clouston. 1949. ABERDEENSHIRE. F. C. Eeles, The Church Bells of Aberdeenshire. To be published shortly. . CloustonAYRSHIREM . W . , R "Th. e Church Bell f Ayrshire.o s " Froe mth Transactions Ayrshirethe of Archaeological Naturaland History Society. Second series, vol. i. Kilmarnock. 1949. Archaeological Journal, vol , 329. 13 xlix .. pp . Proceedings Societye th f f Antiquarieso o of Scotland. These contai nnumbea f o r references to bells. Among the more important are: Vol iii. p. 196; vol. viii. p. 265; vol. xiv. p. 102; vol. xviii. p. 94; vol. xxv. p. 174; vol. xxviii. p. 90; vol. xxx . 338p . ; vol. xxxix; vol54 . . xlvip . . 137p . . PALAC HISTORYP EO . Catalogue Glasgowe oth f Exhibition, 1911. . 1095Volp . II .. Much information, with illustrations of Celtic and later hand-bells and others. By Dr F. C. Eeles.

AIRTH t PeterS . . 1 . The tower contains one bell, 28f inches diameter, inscribed : T. MEARS OF LONDON FECIT 1824 This bell was cast in the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London, by Thomas Mears, Junior, and is of his usual design. The fittings, a wooden wheel and headstock, are original. The present church was opened in February 1820, and under the date

10 October 1820 in the minutes of the Larbert Heritor1 s there is a record of a request made by Mr Graham of Airth for the old Larbert bell, which had been disused after Thomas Mears, Junior casd e parisw ha ,th t ne ha givebels d probabls i ol onlwa nt 1819e n i ei freed Th .ean , tha metae th t l same isth e thithan i s i t presen e toweth t a r t time. Airte Th h Heritors' Accounts contai followine nth g 2: — London Aug 5th 1824 . StaintonT Parise , Esqth r Airthf hfo o . , N.B. Dr to Thomas Mears. 0 Churc1 0 r Fo 5 h Bell£3 Ibr . pe cwts ,4 d qrs16 .2 Ib 1 s.@ 2 0 8 1 0 Clapper fitted Wharfag Cartagd ean e 056 Wharfag BelCartagd d leOl an n eo 056

0 £39 6

New Statistical Account of Scotland, vol. viii . 280p . . Love, Antiquarian Notes and Queries (Falkirk), vol. ii. pp. 266, 267. 70 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1949-50. Cr ] 12 Bell d cwtss 4 ( Ol qr cwtss 4 , 3 y .qr B 3 . 161bs. jibs. @ lOd per]- 22 3 Deduc Ibs4 t Iro. n (^ Ib

8 5 4 £1

June 14th. Frt. to London per Prosperine of the Old Bell, 076 • Aug. 16th. Frt. from London per Minerva of the 0 0 1 0 New Bell,

£15 3 2

Falkirk, 26th Sept, 1824. The Heritors of the Parish of Airth. Dr to Michael Muir, Junior. To takinw BelputtingNe d d e dowlOl an th e p ngth u Bel r agreemenlpe t wit Grahamr hM 8 0 , 8 Stirling£ , To a block for New Bell, wood and iron, 240 To iron work and ballisters for ditto, 2 18 0 To extra expense gettinf so Beld glOl weighed, 050 T Belod Grangemoutcarriago Ol lt e th f e o th d han New Bell from Grangemouth to Airth, 0 10 0

0 Nov5 . 25th4 casy Espi£1 B m h. remitteW er M r dpe (Signed) THOMAS GRAHAM, Stirling.

BALDERNOCK. 1. In an open turret mounted midway along the south wall hangs a bell, about 10 inches diameter, bearing the inscription: . EX dONO/IACOBI COUPER/ 1796 The lettering is placed on the waist, the figures in the third row being smaller than the remainder. The bell is flower-pot shaped, with straight mouldino n side d san g inscriptio e wireth y sb n band chai A leved . nan s ri attached to a wooden headstock and the bell is rung from outside the building. e presenTh t churc s buil n wa h179i t 5 durin e ministrth g f Revo y . E CHURCTH OTHED HAN R BELL F STIRLINGSHIREO S 1 7 .

Dr James Couper, and his name appears as the donor of the bell. He was a ministe f o n f Lochwinnocho rso e th d aftean , r graduatin t Glasgoga w Universit 177 n yordainedi s 5wa becamd an e ministe thif ro s paris 1783hn i . 1 180n I degree 0th D.Df conferrees o wa . dGlasgoy b upo m nhi w University, and he was Dean of Faculties there from that year till 1812. He demitted this charg Novemben ei rappointmens 180hi n 3o Professos a t Practicaf o r l Astronomy at Glasgow University.

BALFRON. 2. The tower contain bellsa , 43-g- inches diameter, inscribed : PRESENTE E REVERENTH Y DB D ALEXANDER SLESSOR. A.D. 1888./JOHN C. WILSON & C?, POUNDERS. GLASGOW./ (Soundbow) VOCO, "VENIT DOMINN EI I TEMPLUM." The bell has the usual cast-iron fittings as supplied by this foundry. In the church is preserved the earlier bell , 17-| inches diameter, inscribed : Gifted/by/ROBERT •:• DUNMORE./of/ Ballindalloch/1791/ (Inside C°& crown)e / th W J F/G The shape of this bell is much like that at Baldernock and is illustrated unusuas i t I fino . t l 1 d , lower-casVI oL nP e letters use churcn do h bells; one of the few other founders who did was Luke Ashton of Wigan, in the period 172 , however is o 17500t t I . , rare fino t rinscription a d n placed inside the bell, as in this case. The present church was rebuilt in 1832 and there was formerly a bell tree at the churchyard gate. The bell is probably the work of John Wilson & Co., of 73 Trongate, Glasgow.

BOTHKENNAR t Kinnera?S . . 1 . The tower contains a bell, 30^ inches diameter, weighing 5 cwt. 1 qr. 2 , inscribed4 D lb. n i , : BOTHKENNAR PARISH CHURCH./T E GLORTH O F O Y N PIOUI D GOS AN DMEMORY/O F DINAH MARGARET DAWSON. A.D. 1911. / (Soundbow) JOHN C. WILSON & C?, FOUNDERS. GLASGOW. bele huns li Th g wit usuae hth l cast-iron fittings supplie Grorbale th y db s Bell-foundrye title th bees f th e o ha n ni erron I I stampeL n . a rn a r dfo firm. The present church was built in 1789.2 1 Scott, Fasti Ecclesice Scoticanice, vol. ill . 328.p . Statisticalw Ne 2 Account of Scotland, vol. viii . 204p , .

KM*. . 72 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1949-50.

The earlie tilre belllus 1911 hangn i , w turrea no ,n si t abov churce eth h at Fallin. The diameter is about 14 inches, and the inscription, so far as is legible from the ground using a telescope, reads: GIFTED • BY • THE • PAROCHENERS • OF • BOTHKEN...... /ROBERT • MAXWELL •& • COMPANY • FECIT -/EDINBU...... 1729 • The letterin same th tha s es a gi t use Johy db n Meiklbele t th Gara l n eo - gunnock dated 1702. The design of the bell is also similar to that of this latter bell, which is illustrated on PI. VI, 4.

BUCHANAN t MaryS . . 1 . In an open turret hangs a single bell, 19 inches diameter, inscribed: IACOBVS MONTIS ROSARV x DONMDV O DEBI E SExTTDI O MAII/ 1725 This may be translated as "James, Duke of Montrose gave me on the 1725.y e letteringMa Th f "o sixt y , hda whic s illustratehi s figda . Gts i , about hal incn fa hplais i hig d nh an Roma n wit exceptioe hth lettee th , f nrx o which is taken from the lower case. The letter S has a strong resemblance to a normal figure 5. The bell itself is a poor casting, having a large number of blow-holes in the soundbow. The moulding wires are numerous and are located as followse crowth n no : two immediatelo tw , y abov e inscriptionth e e on , below, three above the soundbow and two by the lip. The crown rises towards the centre and it is likely that there are canons and an argent, but momene th t a t thes completele ear y recessed int woodee oth n headstock. The lettering in this bell is identical with that used on the bell at Kippen, hangin ruinee th n gi d church botd an ,h bells wer same e th cas ey b tfounder , probably John Waylet Londonf o t . The Duke of Montrose decided to build the present church in 1763, and before this dat bele eth l probably hun bela n gli tree ,Milto e closth o f et n o Buchanan whicn o , iroe hth n supports wer eseee b stil1896. n ni e o t l Th 1 iroy nan e supports authocoule se e h t th pointetre s t do no t e wa rbu t . dou

CAMPSIE. High Church. 1. e toweth f thin o rI s church, whicn Lennoxtowni s i h , hang bella s , 41^ inches diameter, inscribed: STEPHEN MILLE . MAKERSC9 & R . GLASGOW. 1828 The bell is hung with wooden fittings consisting of a headstock and a larg inscriptioe th e f woodeo d nen nthere wheelth three t ear A e. raised 1 Smith, Strcdhendrick, p. 117. • THE CHURCH AND OTHER BELLS OF STIRLINGSHIRE. 73 surfaces, probably designe beao dt weigh e bele rth hundredweight th n li f o t , t beequarterno ns recordepoundsd ha t san i t dbu , there. The presen previou e belle Th th . s t same a churcse th churcf eag o s hi h Clachane bele th wath t l sa d whic an , h formerlye th hun n i g w therno s ei open turret of Milton Church at Milton of Campsie. It is about 16 inches diameter, and on being viewed through a telescope the inscription was found to be: PA—OC• E CAMPSI• TH F • COMP• O H • R M— • • FO R E Y• -/FECI• R ED T • 1729- Part of the inscription is not visible from the ground, but when compared with the inscriptions on similar bells at Beith and Fenwick, Ayrshire, the third word may be taken to be PAROCH and the style of the firm as • & •COMP M • e worR e belth Y f Th Robers lki o • t Maxwel f Edinburghlo .

DENNY. 2. The tower contain belle son , 39f inches diameter, whic inscribeds hi : ERECTE E CONGREGATIONTH Y DB E HERITORSTH , D AN , E PEOPLTH DENNY./DENNF O E Y PARISH CHURCH. JULY 1908./ALEX: MACARA, MINISTER./(Sown<#>ow) JOHN C. WILSON & 09, LTD FOUNDERS GLASGOW. The bels cast-iroha l n fittings n additioI . n thera loud-speake s i e r system connected to the clock which plays a recording of the Cambridge Quarter chimes every fifteen minutes. This mechanis t user no fo dms i services. In the vestibule is preserved the earlier bell, 15f inches diameter, inscribed: 1631 x EM [Fig. C] The bell is illustrated on PL VI, 2. The canons have never numbered more tha bees nthesf ha n o foure broked eon an , n off. peculiaa f Theo e yar r shap verd ean y thie mucth n n hsideo . Only three moulding wires have been made, being positioned above and below the inscription and above the soundbow. The tone is fair. parise Th f Dennho formes ywa 1601n di , being disjoined from Falkirk, anpresene dth t churc buils 1813.hn wa i t 1

DRYMEN t ColumbS . t KessogS r ao . 1 . In a western open turret hangs a single bell, about 10 inches diameter, bearing no visible inscription. The crown of the bell is bolted to a wooden headstock which is rotated by a lever and a wire. In shape the bell is not * Scott, Fasti Ecclesice Scoticance, vol. ir Statistical. 303w .p Ne ; Account of Scotland, vol. viii . 115.p . 74 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1949-50.

unlik eflower-pota , having straigh mouldino t n side d san g wires where eth inscription ban usualls di y placed. This suggests tha moule th madts dwa e usin gsolia d pattern instead usuae th f lo , temple sweer o t p whic rotates hi d abou bele hea e axleth n la tf probablTh do . y terminate handbell-typa n si e argent but the wooden headstock completely shrouds it. The present churc builprobabls s i t 1771hn wa i i t d same 1ean th tha f ebele o agetth s l i . Ther formerls ewa largya e ash-tree tha tchurchyard e greth wn i e Th . bell hung in this tree till 1840 when the present turret was built for it. ash-tree Th blows ewa n dow gala 1892.n n ei i 2

DUNIPACE. 1. A western tower contains one bell, about 36 inches diameter, inscribed: MAKERS/JOHN WAT SON/GLASGO& T W 1845 The bell is suspended from two horizontal beams at a height of about 20 feet above the floor. A fixed ladder runs up to the beams, but the author found it impossible to place a measuring tape across the mouth of headstoce e bellth Th .f cas o e larg s tki th ironed woodean , n whees ha l spokes which slot into a cast-iron hub. e Glasgowth n I Post Office Directory r 1845—46fo e fir th s mnote i s a d havin gfoundra Saracen'n yi Johr s M Lane nd Watf an , o states i e t b o dt Stephe Johd nan n. Mille WatlikelCo s i Sont & ri & ty o s , tha succeedee ton d the other. The parishes of Larbert and Dunipace were united in 1617 but each continue church.n havo dow t s eit 3 This buildin openes gwa 183n di d 4an it is stated that it had a very good bell.4

FALKIRK. St Modan. 13. The tower contains a chime of thirteen bells, tenor 52-J inches diameter weighing 26f cwt. Weight. Bell. Note. Inscription. Pounds. Treble. G THANK GOD FOR ALL HIS BENEFITS TO US. 475 Second. Ff E LORD'TH HAI O SLT ANNOINTED. 500 Third. E THE LORD REIGNETH, LET THE EARTH 550 REJOICE. Fourth. D . MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE. 625 Fifth. c# REJOICE IN THE LORD ALL YE RIGHTEOUS. 650 Sixth. c MAK JOYFUEA L NOISE UNT E LORDOTH . 700

1 New Statistical Account of Scotland, vol. viii. p. 99. 2 Smith, Strathendrick, p. 92. 3 Scott, Fasti EcclesicK Scoticance, . 310 p vol . . iv . * New Statistical Account of Scotland, vol. viii. p. 389. E CHURCTH OTHED HAN R BELL F STIRLINGSHIREO S 5 7 .

Weight. Bell. Note. Inscription. Pounds. Seventh. B PRAIS FROD EGO M WHO BLESSINGL MAL 5 72 S FLOW. 0 90 E HIGHESTTH Eighth N I A D GLOR. . GO O YT Ninth. G# DECLAR GLORS EHI Y AMON NATIONSE GTH . 1000 TenthG SIN. G PRAISES UNT GODR OOU . 1200 Eleventh. F# PUBLISH GLAD TIDINGS. 1500 Twelfth. E THIS IS MY OWN MY NATIVE LAND. 2000 TenorD PRESENTE. D TO/THE AULD KIRK,/ FAL- 3000 KIRK,/BY/MR. AND MRS. ROBERT DOLLAR,/ SAN FRANCISCO,/1926. waisOe nth eacf o t h bell: (an oval medallion containing a bell) MC SHANE BELL FOUNDRY CO./BALTIMORE. MD./1926. The bells hang stationar tierso lightee tw th , n yi r seven being above. crowne Th s terminat conican ei l pegs whic boltede woodee har th o t n frame. The clapper e connectear s chainy db metad an s l tube a clavie o t s r from which the bells are chimed. On the ground floor is preserved the earlier bell, 25-j inches diameter, inscribed: (a thistle with leaves) rose)(a thistle)(a rose)(a thistle(a with leaves) E FOCHURCTH R F FALKIRO H K 1740/ (a thistle) (a rose) thistle)a ( ORMISTO D CUNNINGHANAN M EDINI FECERUNT The bel similas Falkird i l ol e shapn i rkth Steeplo et e th n ei bellw no , Museum, cast by John Meikle, and it shows that the foundry patterns were handed down to these two founders. The lettering is much larger than Meikle's and more ornaments are used. The tone of this bell is poor. obtaines wa e don w ne a stat163n d I d biggee ba e 3an th a n ri s bellwa from Holland weighing 248-J Ib.1 This "great bell" was cracked in 1695, pais takinr , 13sdwa fo puttin . r £6 smalle e t .gdowfo i 4d d th d an p gnan u r bell. The new large bell was cast by John Meikle of Edinburgh, and did service till 1739, decides Kire wheth wa kt y n i db Sessio o havtw o n t e eth bells cast into one. The bells -were sent to Edinburgh to John Meikle's successors at the Castlehill Foundry, and the above-mentioned bell is the resul theif o t r labours.

Love, Antiquarian Notes Queriesd an (Falkirk), ff0 . 25 . volp . ii . 1 76 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1949-50.

In the accounts are the following entries: November 1740 To Re-casting the Bell £214 2s. Od. To Thomas Black carrying in the old Bell to Edinburgh 300 For bring home the new bell 600 Carriages of the Bell Stock 100 T w oBela To l 160

. (Scots) £225 8 0

At a meeting of the Kirk Session in 1830 Mr William Horn presented to e Ministeth a pre-Beformatior n hand-bell, whic stipulatee h d shoule b d the property of all successors to that office. About fift e churc ys kepe th bel s th yearn wa li t ho wa hallag sd an , . EelesC considere. F , r F.S.A.Scot.D y db havo t , e been cast some time before the Reformation, though perhaps not earlier than the sixteenth century. The tongue was noted as not being original.1 Through the kindness of Mr R. S. Taylor, of Falkirk, a photo of this bell was made available, and is reproduced on PI. VII, 1.

FALKIRK. St Andrew. This church has a bell weighing 16 cwt. inscribed 2: FALKIRK FREE CHURCH, 189 . J MURPHY5 , FOUNDER, DUBLIN. Bells by this Irish founder are comparatively rare in Scotland; n Maybolotheri e ar s e Town Hall, Ayrshire, 1895; Prestonkirk, 1884; t John'S s (R.C.), Fauldhouse, 1882 Crieffd an ; , 1882.3

FALKIRK. The Town Steeple. 2. e finth e n toweI r with spire fee0 t14 , high, han bellso gtw , whice har inscribed: Smaller. 25^ inches diameter. PRESENTE . FENTOL Y B D N LIVINGSTON O REPLACT E E E BELTH L GIFTE Y HIS./ANCESTODB R JAMES EARF O L LINLITHGOW AND CALLANDER IN THE YEAR 1697./ JOHN C. WILSON & C?, L™ FOUNDERS. GLASGOW. 1897.

1 Love, Antiquarian Notes Queriesd an (Falkirk), vol. ii. 262p . . 1 Ibid., 267. volp . ..ii 1 F. C. Eeles, The Church Bells of Kincardineshire, p. 48. THE CHURCH AND OTHER BELLS OF STIRLINGSHIRE. 77

Larger. 44f inches diameter. MAY FALKIRK FLOURISH isi border)a ( s . MEART F O S LONDON FECIT (a border) The smaller bell hangs well above the other, and has all metal fittings as usually supplied by the Gorbals Bell-foundry. largee a finTh s re hou th belha tonee cloc rs d i th lA belr .kan fo l wooden wheel and headstock are fitted and the bell has been quarter turned, probabl presenteds belyw wa lwhene bordeinscriptioe e e th nth Th n . o r n band is made up of a series of ornamental crosses placed diagonally. The London bell was purchased by public subscription and cost £155, 2s. Od., but the carriage by Carron boat from London and the cost of erection brough neao t cose p rth t u t £200 .1 The predecessor of the smaller bell is now in the Burgh Museum.

FALKIRK. The Burgh Museum. 1. museue th ole n dI th ms steepli e bell inche6 2 , s diameter, inscribed: IAMBS • EARLE • OF • LINLFTHGOW • AND • CALLANDER • IOHN • MEIKLE • FECIT • EDDfBURGI •/• 1697 • FOE • FALKIRK • letterine GargunnocTh e uses th a n s gdi i k bell, fig. Dsame , th cas ey b t founder. The canons are similar, and the clapper is hung from the crown staple by a leather strap or baldrick. The a mosbel s i l t unusual shape, very squat, being onl inche7 1 y s high from lip to base of canons for a diameter of 26 inches. This poor shape, which resembles a frustrum of a cone with a crown put on, must have produce dvera ypresene th poo t e bela r t th s tonei l d an , time considere replaces crackede b wa o dt e t smalle I 189n i dth . y 7b r hanginbelw towe no l th nn gi steeple.

FINTRY. St Modan. 1. On top of the roof of the tower is hung a small bell, 13£ inches diameter, which is inscribed : (a cock) ^ W • MAINE ^ (a cock) ^ 1626 FIMTRIE fa/ waist)(one A th G The bell is illustrated in PI. VI, 3, and fig. B shows a scale drawing e inscriptionoth f e canonTh . s only numbe o thae rtw ar t foure th ; normally on the plane of the argent have, in this case, not been cast. The e smalth belo lt s wel i lsizt e e sounverleth no du casty s t di lasting bu , ; 1 Love, Antiquarian Notes and Queries (Falkirk), vol. li. p. 114. 78 PROCEEDINGS E SOCIETYTH F O ; , 1949-50.

thi s partli s y allowee opehanginy th b crow nw r n i airdfo ne t gi n A . staple has been fitted and the bell was at the same time quarter turned. The initials on the waist presumably stand for George Auld, who was reader here from 1574 to 1585 and minister from 1586. He is known to have still been ministe Marcn i r h 1625 thid an s, bell shows evidence that he was here at least till 1626.:l The initials were not stamped in the mould, only scratched resula s a td thean , y presen rouga t h appearance. One William Mayne, a potter, was admitted a member of the Incorpora- tio f Hammermeo n y 1624n a Ma s f ,Glasgoo nh wa whe 5t e h n nwo apprentice.2 It is probable that he was the founder of this bell.

B

K. Clousto* Pfcil. Figs. B—D. Detail inscriptiof so n on bel t Fintryla ; inscriptio disusen no d bel t Dennyla ; par inscriptiof o t disusen no d bel t Grangemoutha l . (Scale J.)

GARGUNNOCK. 2 . open a nn I turre thif o t s church, rebuil 1774n i t , hang belle son , about 20 inches diameter, inscribed: 1892 Attached to the headstock is a cast-iron plate bearing the inscription: PRESENTED/TO THE/PARISH CHURC F GARGUNNOCKHO / BY/MB ROBERT MITCHELL/JANUARY 1892 e bels rectangulaha Th l r section canons e d fro th s shapan m, it d an e positio mouldine th f no g wire t woulsi d see mhavo t e been cas Englandn i t .

1 Scott, Fasti Ecclesice Scoticance, vol. iii . 345p . . 2 Lumsden and Aitken, History of the Hammermen of Glasgow, p. 286. THE CHURCH AND OTHER BELLS OF STIRLINGSHIRE. 79

In the Manse garden is preserved the earlier bell, 14f inches diameter, whic inscribeds hi : • CHWBC E • GARGWNNOC TH F O H R • FO • KBOWGHT/B• • E TH Y • MINISTE SESIO• D AN R N IOH• • N MEIKL• EFECI• T /ED• R : 170 2• The e inscriptiobel th d pars illustrate i lf an o t, 4 s , nha PIn do VI . been reproduce e usuae letterinth Th f lo . s figdesigs da gi D . n usey db John s successoMeiklhi d ean r Robert Maxwell appeard an ,numbea n o s r of bells in the county which are not readily accessible, such as Slamannan, Milto f Campsieo n d Muiravonsidean , l these samAl th .e f e o bell e ar s genera illustratede on l desige th s na . The bell in use prior to 1702 was smaller and could not be heard at a s recas distanced enlargewa e "Officiaan t ti th o y s ,b d l bell foundef o r t Giles"S s Meikla , e s churccalleei th n di h records. Thiprobabls wa s y

becaus e year th casd n s ei ha a carillo t d 169 e bell3 h an r 2 98 f fo sn o 1 that church in Edinburgh.

GRANGEMOUTH Churchd Ol . . 1 . The tower contains a single bell, 37-^ inches diameter, and hung with cast-iron fittings inscriptioe Th . n is: JOHN C. WILSON & . C?, FOUNDERS. GLASGOW. A.D. 1881./(two impressions ocoina f ) The first church in Grangemouth was built in 1837 by the Earl of Zetlan stood dan d near Kers echurc w House. s builne hwa A n 1866i t ,

presene th d an t churc buildifferens a n hwa o t t site abou belte 1900lTh . 2 therefore came from the second church.

INVERSNAID.3 St Kentigerna. 1. This modern church has a bell, about 16 inches diameter, hanging in a wooden structure consistin o verticatw f o gl posts braced togethed an r buttresse groune th t da d wit bearingho smala tw e le roo sar Th topn o f. set into the posts, and the bell is rung from the ground by a wire and lever. The inscription reads: TfflGIBH GU H-URNUIGH/CAST BY FELIX VAN AERSCHODT/ LOUVANn BELGIUM 1909 The Gaeli cinscriptioe parth translatef e to b y nma "coms d a prayer. o t e ey " On the inscription band there is a running floral border, and below this there is another border of overlapping ferns as found on a bell cast by

Transactions of the Stirling Natural History and Archceological Society, vol. lii. p. 93.

21 New Statistical Account of Scotland, vol. viii. p. 29. 3 In Buchanau Parish. , 0 PROCEEDING8 E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1949-50.

Francois Hemony of Amsterdam in 1661 at Dairy, in Ayrshire. The bell is a perfect casting and has a fine tone. The canons are of the usual type. Inside the church there is a plate inscribed: E BELTH L BEARING THIS INSCRIPTION/THIGIBH GU H-URNUIGH/& GIFTED BY W. H. WOODS, ALDERMAN &/ JAME . CRERAR/ISA N MEMOR DONALF YO D FERGUSON/ WAS DEDICATED TO THE GLORY OF GOD/APRIL SO"1 1910

KILLEARN. The Church of Our Lord. 1. towee th n rI churc witw ne h he spir hangth f eo bellsa inche0 ,4 s diameter, inscribed: KILLEARN CHURCH./ERECTE Y ARCHIBALB D R OR D EWING, OF BALLIKINRAIN, M.P. 1881./JOHN C. WILSON. &. 09, FOUNDERS GLASGOW. . This bell, from the Gorbals Foundry, is hung with metal fittings con- sisting of a wheel and headstock, and is used as the hour bell for the clock.

KILSYTH. In the tower hangs a bell, 36f inches diameter, inscribed: STEPHEN MILLER. C ?& . GLASGO , 8 1 : 1 : 182: W 0 : 1 4: The bell has canons and argent and is hung with wooden fittings con- sisting of a headstock and wheel. The figures at the end of the inscription are raised and were therefore stamped in the mould before casting; they suggest a weight of 10 cwt. 1 qr. 18 lb., but it is doubtful if this is accurate nearese th o t t pound. The present churc s buil r Charlewa n h1816i Si t d ,san Edmonstone, Bart., presented an excellent bell from London, which was unfortunately broke 1823n ni s supposed i t i , , fro e bellmamth n having mad undun ea e addition to the tongue, with the ambitious design of outpealing the neigh- bouring bel Kirkintilloch,f lo presene Th tresulrecastinge e belth th f s li o t .

The bell from the earne1 r church is now preserved in Colzium House. diametee inscriptio e f Th incheth 16 d s ri san n reads: GeI Rex/KUsyth/1794/Proculesto/ProfanII o i (inside crown] I W & CO/F G The bell is exactly similar to the disused bell at Balfron and the old Stirling Episcopal Church bell l havinal , g been casy Johb t n Wilso Co.& n f ,o 73 Trongate, Glasgow. . J Currie e author'r M Th 2,o t se thankdu e ar s Superintendent of the Parks Department of this Burgh, for his assistance. Statisticalw 1Ne Account of Scotland, vol. viii . 161p . . z Glasgow Directory . 1787,r 73 fo . p E CHURCTH OTHED HAN R BELL F STIRLINGSHIREO S 1 8 .

KIPPEN. Christ Church. 1 . towee Th r contain belle son , 35^ inches diameter, inscribed: I WAS GLAD WHEN THEY SAID UNTO ME, LET US GO E iCXRZf./GIFTED/TINTOE HOUSETH TH F O E PARISOTH H CHURCH OF KIPPEN/BT WILLIAM FORRESTER ESQE/ OF ARNGIBBON AND BLAIKET/1873/J. & W. YOUNG/MAKERS/ GLASGOW woodeFixee th o dt n headstoc brasa s ki s plate bearin followinge gth : THIS CROSSHEA WAS/FROK OA F TOWEDE O MTH F RO THE/OLD COLLEG GLASGOW/WHICF EO ERECTES HWA D 1656/AND RAZED IN 1870 The bell has a flange cast on the crown in lieu of canons and argent. A woode beamk n oa whee e s s fittedth i supportinl d an , e bearinggth s were fro doce m th t Port-Glasgo ka w celebratee builth y b t d James Watt.

KIPPEN. St Bean. 1. ruinsn i onlchurcd d w westere ol an ,y th no e s hi Th n gabl bell-cotd ean e remain in any entirety. The bell, 20f inches diameter, is inscribed: : A: WALTERO: LECKIE. DE DESHERS • DONATA: FVTT: HAE: CCAMPANA: A: D/1618 APAROCHIA:& : DEKIPPEN RECONDITI AVCTAA& : AD: 1726

E- 1 7

7 ^

H

Figs. E-H, and fig. 1. Details of inscription on fifteenth bell in chime in Stirling Tolbooth; part of inscriptio beld t Kippenol a l n no ; par inscriptiof to beln nt o Buchanan a l ; inscriptio tenon no r beln i l Stirling Tolbooth; stop found on bell at St Ninians. (Scale J.) 6 VOL. LXXXIV. 82 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1949-50.

e alignmenth s bad i tsom d ,an e letters have been misplaced,e sucth s ha C of HAEC, and the second letter of DESHERS should be an A. The desigtonn i fairs beld e i nth an ,l show markesa d similarity with e Buchanath n bell. lettere Somth f eo s e usesame theth n d do e an m, ar there can be little doubt that they are the work of the same founder. The inscriptio translatee b y n ma , "Walte das r Lecki f Dashereo s gave this bell A.D .e paris 1618th f d Kippeho ,an n recas d augmentean t t di A.D . 1726. D. Michael Potter, Minister." The author'r AndreM o t w se thankKerdu f Kippes o e rhi ar s r nfo assistance in enabling the author to reach this bell.

LARBEBT Churchd Ol . . 1 . The tower contains a bell, 44^ inches diameter, which weighs about 14 J inscribeds cwt.i d ,an : T. HEARS OF LONDON FECIT isi9. (a border) A very fine-toned bell fro e Whitechapemth l Bell Foundry, London. bordee typa Th s f chaii reo n design with each centre filled wit ha five - petalled flower. The bell has been rehung, probably by John C. Wilson of Glasgow wheee th headstocd s an la , case kar t e heritorirone Th th . f o s parish when they ordered the bell requested that it should as nearly resemble the Falkirk Steeple bell as possible.1 In an outhouse of the old manse is preserved a small hand-bell, 5f inches diameter, which bears the incised inscription 2:

LERBE1RT X16O9 AB The lettering is about f inch high and has been very roughly cut. The crowrectangulaa s nha r iron handle fitte, thougit o dt handle hth e doet sno appear to be as old as the bell. Five moulding wires were cast, three being inscriptioe th n o o nwaistw e o bandnd th an t .

LOGIE t FaelchuS . . 9 . In the tower hang a chime of eight tubular bells and a single bell of orthodox shape, 23 J inches diameter, bearin inscriptione gth : PERTINE TEMPLU• D A O • LOGIE/I• E MD • N VICECOMITAT• U• DE • PERTH/AD ISOS/NOMEN • DOMINI-LAUDIBUS • TOLLITE/ LIVERPOOL • COPPER WORKS & BRASS FOUNDRY • JOHN SUTHERLAND • FECIT Thi sn excellen a bel s i l t casting withou y trace a flaw an f tTh o e. canon argend an shighee ar t r e bel thae e sideth ar s usuallth ni f o sd an ,

1 Love, Antiquarian Notes and Queries (FalkirJe), vol. ii. p. 265. 2 Smith, Stirling: Local Notes Queries.d an Edite. B.W Cooky db . Vol . 182p . i .. THE CHURCH AND OTHER BELLS OF STIRLINGSHIRE. 83

almost straight from the shoulder to the top of the soundbow. Wooden fitting providede sar . eighe Th t tubular bells were cas Messry b t s Harrington, Latha Co.m& , of Coventry, in about 1901, when the present church was rebuilt. They rangd an lengt, n ei C f o h y froke me 59th n fi inchee ar 90|o st - inchese Th . hollow cylinders are suspended from their upper ends and are struck by hammers manipulated from a plucking manual. e LiverpooTh l bell cost £36 . d 6d.hangin,9s an , t i gcos a furthet r £9, orderebel12ss d takeol e lwa b .e e 9d.o dnt Th th dowJn i laid p ndan u Session House; this bell presumably bellcothune ruineth e gn th i f eo d church and was moved to the present site in 1805 when the old church was disused. Jamer sols M o dst wa McRobbit I £2,14sf t Auguso 1s m n esu o . te 181th r 5fo Februard On3r y reporte s 184wa 4t i d tha McRobbir M t send e eha th t old watchmakea bel o t l Stirlinn i rrepaired e b interdicn a o gt d s an , wa t obtained against McRobbie moving the bell. As there is no further reference to the bell in the minutes, it is to be presumed that it was discovered that Mr McRobbie had actually bought the bell in 1815. Thernumbea e ear f referenceo r accounte th n i s s relatin e costh to gt of bell-ropes. In 1691 one cost sixteen shillings, in 1697 the price was twelve shillings, in 1702 seven shillings, and in 1719 the cost had dropped again, to six shillings.2

MUIRAVONSIDE. 1 . A western open turret contains a bell, about 18 inches diameter, inscribed: EIR• MUIRAVONSID• E F EO • TH • B FO E IOH• N MEIKL• FECI• E M E T/ • • EDINBURGH 169• 9 The lettering and general shape of the bell are exactly similar to the disused bell at Gargunnock cast by the same founder in 1702. The paris disjoines hwa d from tha Falkirf o t Junn ki e 1648.3

POLMONT. 1. e southerth n I n steeple hang belle on s, 39^ inches diameter, weighing 9 cwt qrs3 . lb..26 , hun ringingfor g inverted inscribedand , : MEAR STAINBANKS& , FOUNDERS, LONDON./IN MEMORY OF/ WILLIAM LOGAN,/OF CLARKSTONE, IN THIS PARISH,/ AND/JANE S WIFE./PRESENTEHI T E PARISTH O HT D CHURC F POLMONT,/BO H Y THEIR SURVIVING SOND AN S

DAUGHTERS,/1870. 1 Pergusson, Logic: A Parish History, vol. i. pp. 214, 215, 298. 2 Ibid., . 319 volpp . ,i . 321 , 323, 330. 3 Scott, Fasti Bcclesice Scoticance, vol. i. p. 221. 84 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1949-50.

The bell was cast at the WMtechapel Bell Foundry, London, and is hung with full fittings, including a mechanism to enable the bell to be left inverted. The parish was disjoined from Falkirk in 1724 and the old church, now in ruins, was built in 1732. The present building dates from 1845,

but it was not till 1850 that th1 e roof was removed from the old building. Thi churcd a smal ol s e nortd e gablth hlha th f belf heo o l p turreto n o t transept. Nothing is known about the bell for the first church. The one that preceded the presen thoughs i e on thav o t echurce gonth o et t Shieldhillh a . The author has inspected the bell in this church and found it to be a very ship'e th f smalso bele lon l type wit hhandbell-typa e argent diametee Th . r is about 8 inches and no inscription is visible. Due to the small size it is unlikely that it would have been heard very far away if hung in the tower of Polmont church would an , virtualle db y useless.

ST NINIANS t NinianS . . 1 . The old steeple, which survived the explosion in 1745, contains one bell, 34-j'g- inches diameter, weighing 7 cwt. 3 qrs. 11 Ib. The inscription reads: D (Fig- 1) SUCH WOND'ROUS POWR TO MUSICK'S GIVEN. ELEVATET I SOUE HEAVENSTH O LT . PAC CHAPMAK& N OF LONDON FECIT 1774 The bell was cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London, which is now known as Messrs Mears & Stainbank. Messrs Taylors of Loughborough rehung and retuned the bell in 1938, and the fittings now include a cast-iron headstock, ball-bearings, sta slidercanond e y an argen Th d . san t have been removed "balancede clappee th th f o d s i ran , " type wit hbalance-weigha t above the pivot point. t firsA maio t n ther s n counterbalancewa e weigh te head fixeth o -t d e churcstockth t hbu , authorities considered thatowee th t r swayed more than was permissible when the bell was swung, so weights have now been attached.

ST NINIANS. Polmaise Home Farm. 1 . open a nn I turret abov granare eth y hang bellsa , 10-| inches diameter, _ _ inscribed: • FOR IOH• N MURRA• -/TOUCHADAF O Y • M 171• 3 / FH The shield is the same as that cast on a disused bell in Dunblane Cathedral dated 1723, and bearing the name of Robert Maxwell as the Statisticald Ol 1 Account of Scotland, vol. iii . 344.p . THE CHURCH AND OTHER BELLS OF STIRLINGSHIRE. 85

founder. The shield consists of a hammer with a crown above and the initials R M, one letter on each side. The crowned hammer shows that Maxwel membea s Incorporatioe th lwa f ro Hammermef no Edinburghf no . shiele Th illustrates di VIIL P In do (d). On mai e thi th cleao snt to bel featuredetaishielre bu t e th lth no f s dlo i s are easily visible. The lettering is the same as that used at Gargunnock Johy b ) (fignD .Meikle precedeo wh , d Robert Maxwel e Castlehilth n i l l Foundry, Edinburgh. t casno tTh s wit argenn ewa a hbelt s canonsbu tlha . Originall t yhuni g Polmaised fare oOl n th f m o , farther dow Forth.e nth 1 authoe Th . Cowaassistancs gratefus S ri hi r r M n fo o t lenablin n ei m ghi thie sse bello t .

SLAMANNAN. St Laurence. 1. In a very high open turret hangs a single bell, about 16 inches diameter, which when viewed through a telescope was seen to be inscribed: ...... E TH • B FO . SLAMANNA FECI• M • T ED?/172• R N • 2 The whole of the inscription is not visible from the ground, but the missing words can be either KIRK • OF or PAROCH • OF, completing a formula which is often used by John Meikle and Robert Maxwell. The lettering is the same as that found on the Gargunnock bell cast by John Meikl wore bele th Rober1702f n th es ki o i l d an , t Maxwel Edinburghf o l . The bell in the former Free Church in this parish has been thought by some to be ancient, but this is not so, though the metal may belong to an earlier bell. The present bell was cast in the nineteenth century.

STIRLING Churce Hole Th th .f yho Rood. 4 . towee th foue n ar rI r bells, hun changr gfo e ringing inscribedd an , : Approx. Bell. Inscription. Weight. Cwt. Treble. 1781/W¥ CHAPMA LONDOF NO | N3 FECIT Second ab+ E mati. a .gram plena bomimis iecum 5j bettebicta ttt inmttlieribu0 t benefoictit • GLORI O + SOLThirDE A+ • CORNELII d • S 4f OVDEROGGE • FECIT • ROTTERDAM • ANNO • DOMINI • 1657/TO • STERLING • TOWN • I • DOE • BELONG Tenor. DAVID BURGES FOUNDER GLASGOW. 8 1 39 ? 185N 3

1 Stirling: Local Notes Queries,d an vol. 181p , i . . 86 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1949-50. e bellTh s have been arrange a descendin n di g orde f musicao r l note, diametere th s being 28^, 30^, 29^35d ^an , inches. The bells hanwoodea n gi n frame dating, from 1781, whe e treblnth e was added bearingse Th . brase ar s blocks recessed int frame oth e members and protected from dust by a board. Each bell is hung to be rung inverted, and stays and sliders are provided for the bells to be set upside down. fou* r inarm

ururtnctam

Fig. J. Details of inscription on pre-Beformation second bell in tower of Church of the Holy Rood, Stirling. (Scale J.) The treble was cast in the celebrated Whitechapel Bell Foundry, now tradin s Messrga s Hear Stainbank& s . William Chapman cast verw yfe wae owns h partnershin bellhi i s s a n , so p with Thomas Pac tile p ku th l latter's deat 1780n hi verd an ,y shortly afte tooe h r k William Mears into the business. Chapman died in 1784, and apart from this bell, only the third bel t Durhaa l m Cathedra bela t Otleyd a l an l , Yorks., bea nams hi r e alone.1 This bel , unfortunatelyis l , slightly cracked. The second is pre-Reformation in date, with a black-letter inscription in Latin whic illustrates hi bele illustrates i lTh s figda . .J PIn di . VII. 2 , 1 Walters Churche Th , Sells of England, . 217p . THE CHURCH AND OTHER BELLS OF STIRLINGSHIRE. 87

The inscriptio bees nha n partially blundere puttiny db g "in mulieribuss "a one word and by adding an extra vertical stroke. The bell is not a particularly good casting chiefly because a poor moulding sand seems to have been used, and as a result the lettering is poorly denned in places and on some parts of the surface there are blowholes. The bell presents an orthodox design from the outside, but inside the soundbo t curveno ws i d instearound flaa an s tdp d surfacha li fro e mth e for about 2 inches in from the lip. This then becomes curved. This particular featur usualls ei ysigvera a f no y early bell Englann i ;s wa t di disuse meano n d y beforb s s impossibli et havo i t 1300 t t i e bu r bee, efo n used very much later in areas remote from the centres of bell-founding. s bee t completeha no n canone e e bele broketh on Th ar l n s a o s, n off. croww Ane n stapl s beeeha n fitte bele s oned ha Th l ol paralle. e th o t l never been tune chippiny db e interiogth r surface and, though 1^ inches large diameten ri r tha thirdhighee a nth s ha , r note. Entire inscriptions in black letter with no Lombardic capitals became commo n Englani n d only shortly befor e Reformationth e , though even then the tendency was to make the bells more beautiful by using ornamental capitals for the first letter of each word. This bell is certainly not English, and the author considers that it is the product of some monastic foundation, such as Cambuskenneth Abbey, either for their own use or for a local parish church, and that the date is fifteenth century. The sound produced when this bel runs i l g dies away quickly afte clappee th r rresula strikess a td an , bele th l sounds weak outside. The third bell, cas Corneliy b t s Ouderogge excellenn a s i , t castinge Th . lettering, show s weli s fig, na l K .designe d positionedan d e bordeTh . r (PI. VIII (c)) appears abov belod ean inscriptioe wth n band. The crown staple is original but a new clapper has been fitted. The canon argenl intactd al san e ar t. Whe casbele s foundeidee no th th n ltwa a d wharha t notrequireds ewa , only that the bell was to weigh about 5 cwt., and as a result the bell has had to be considerably chipped at the lip to raise the note. This was done to make the four bells form a musical scale. e presenTh t teno s recas wa ry Davi b t d Burgee Gorbalth f o s s Bell Foundry, Glasgow gooa s 1853i n d i , d examplan , workmanships hi f eo . One of the earliest references to the bells is in the Kirk Session records under the date 8th December 1597, stating:

" Ordain firse sth run te belSatterdab n go o lt y nixt efter noot na one hour e seconth , d houhale an fr theireftee lasth t d belan o rt l begin befoir twa hours efternoon. And siclyke the first bell to ring on Sonday in the morning half ane hour befoir iij hours, the second bell at iij hours, and the last bell half ane hour befoir iiij hours and 88 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1949-50.

the first bell to the second service to knell at the end of the first serveice." 1 On llth July 1631 the Town Council sanctioned the purchase of a bell for the church from Lord Madertie after the Kirk Session, meeting on 7th June, had decided on this action. The bell was duly purchased, but in

^CORNELIS* K- OVDEROGGE

>OVDE.R.OGGE»j

M-

Pigs. K-M. Details of parts of inscriptions on third bell at Holy Rood, Stirling; on Council bell of Stirling beln o steepln li d an ;Cowane'f eo s Hospital, Stirling. (Scale £.) believeds i 1657t i , t becami , e crackede Towth d n an Counci, l minuter sfo 29th August 1657 contai following:e nth — "The majestrates and counsall haveing considerit the necessatie that thair is for causeing renew that bell in the churche whiche is now riven and unproffitable, they have ordeanit that it be sent over to Hollan Davio dt d Ste\rinsone, merchand, burge thif so s burgha wh , ise present thaith r fo rcauso t , eagaine w case samne d th tf an eo , make it fyve hunderithe weight or thairby, for whiche effect James

J. Ronald, Landmarks of Old Stirling, p. 341. E CHURCTH OTHED HAN R BELL F STIRLINGSHIREO S 9 8 .

Stevinsone is heirby authorized to wrett to his brother, and to desyre hi mcauso t t abou epu bele lettresth n t i l e burg th belr f A :ho fo l Sterling; and the yeir of God in figures; and George Hendersone, thesaurer, is ordeanit to send over money to satisfie for the same." This bell still exists, and is the present third cast by Cornelis Ouderogge of Rotterdam. As noted under the heading of Cowane's Hospital, the bell, which was originally intended for the steeple there, was hung in the kirk steeple. This bell was presumably cast in Holland shortly before 1669. It no longer existoriginas it n si metale stateth t l bu shoul, containee db presene th n di t tenor cast by David Burges in 1853. The Burgh Accounts contai followine nth g unde date th r e 31st October 1690:— 1 To Christopher Russall, wright eighd ,an t warke- men with him att taking downe of the great bell in kire puttin d agaip th kmendinan u d r nan g hi r ghi wheilee wheile utheth th belleo d f tu rd so ean san 3 12s. £1 Od . hingin tongue bellge th th f , eo t I would thus appear tha n 169i t 0 there were three th bell n i s tower. 170n I 2 ther mentios ei Burge th n ni h Record ringinf so "ole gth d little kirk bell"; this would be the pre-Reformation second bell. In 1707 £33

was paid for tarred ropes for the church bells, with an additio2 n of £1, 8s. for carriag hangind ean g them.3 On 14th June 1718 it is recorded that "the council appoints James Wallace, town treasurer o givt , o t e William Smith and Colline M'Lowry, hammermen, fourty pound Scot r theifo s r pain expenced an s themselvey b s d otheran s s they imployed in mounting and dismounting one of the church bells, boring thereof mountind an , tongue.e th f go " 4 The boring referred to would be the drilling of two new holes in the croww ne crow na r staplnfo e from whic tongue hth suspendeds ei . In 1727 the bells were in danger of falling owing to defective gudgeon pins which rest in the bearings; this was ordered to be corrected.5 In the following yea accounn ra presentes twa £16,10sr dfo makinr whee.fo w ne gla for the tenor.6

1 Extracts from Recordse th Royal e oth f Burgh of Stirling, 1667-1752, . 337p . 2 Ibid., p. 98. s Ibid., p. HO. 4 Ibid., p. 154. • Ibid., p. 199. ' Ibid., p. 201. 90 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1949-50.

173 y Underecorded:s i 8t Ma dati e h rth e6t 1 "The councill considering tha largese tth churce t belth bees n li h ha n for some time rent, and that it is necessar the same to be founded of thaadvises d i new dont an e ti b , wels cheaped edy a an thal ma t i tr att London than any where else, they therefore appoint John Jaffray, baillie seno t ,saie dth d bel Londoo t lClaur M do nt Johnston, factor there e saith ,d baillies correspondente th t orden ge i , y r ma tha e h t same founde new.f do " The next reference to the bells is on 1st July 1749 when 2 "The council appoint the thesaurer to pay to (blank) Townly, bell- founder, two guineas for his trouble and charges for soldering a rent in one of the kirk bells." By 1780 the tenor was again broken, and a minute for 28th December of that year reads: 3 "To procure estimate expense of re-casting the broken Church bell, or of a new bell, discounting the value of the old one, which weighs about eight hundredweight and a quarter." On 10th May 1781 the Council approved the account of William Chapman for £20, Is. lOd. for a new bell after allowing for the value of the old one. On 21st May the bells were ordered to be rehung, and on 5th June 1781 the Council commissioned the present treble to be cast, to weigh about three hundredweigh thred an t e quartercompleto t s a o e "chyme.s e th " This bell cost £28, 12s. 9^d., and the total account paid to William Chapman of Whitechapel, London timbe, A cam . £49o ert 9d ceilin. , 3s erectes gwa d ove, 16s belle cosa £2 rth .f t 6d.sa o t 4 Unfortunately Chapman's tenor met with a mishap and was cracked, recass e belsoth wa lDaviy b t d Burge f Glasgoo s w185n i cosa f 3t o a t £27, 16s. 9d. locae th f l183n o I paper e 6"Td on sha o preven inhabitante th t s being take surprisy nb r alarmo e considee w , t righi r stato t t e thatlata t ea , meetin Councile th f go Rankir M , n mentioned that some non-commissioned officers of the 76th Regiment at present quartered here, who are first-rate bell chimers, and who have a regular set of bells with them, on which they play tunes beautifully, had agreed to instruct some of our townsmen to rine Higbelle th g th h n si Church tower, which bells they have examined, declarverd a e an yb fino et esufficiena setd ,an t numbe chimea e r rfo Th . Council having unanimously approved of it, we may therefore expect a merry peal being struc somp ksoon.u y eda " 5

1 Extracts from the Records of the Royal Burgh of Stirling, p. 243. 2 Ibid., p. 289. 3 Stirling: Local Notes Queries,d an vol . 177p . i . 4 Ibid., vol . 178p . i . 5 Drysdale Faces,d Places,Ol ,d Ol Stories d Ol of Stirling, . 104p . E CHURCTH OTHED HAN R BELL F STIRLINGSHIREO S 1 9 .

Th et appea bellno o havso d rt e been run changen gi s again until 1949, when the author brought a company of ringers over from St James's, Paisley. All the bells were then rung in full circles and set inverted. Lees. author'e M Snowdof r o ,Th M o t s e thankn Lodgedu e sar , Stirling, for his assistance.

STIRLING Gree Th y. Friars' Church. Of this church nothin thoughremainss timw e wa g no on t e i hav t o t a ; e formed part of the Church of the Holy Rood, but it is now considered that Hige sitth e t stooi hf th eo Schooln do . The Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland shed some interesting light on the work of obtaining bells for this church in 1502 at the command of James IV.1 Item Aprilef thiro e y ,th dda , giffi Davio nt d Menzeis, burge Abirdenef so salmony b o t , parn di t payment College bellie th o th fr Strivelisf fo e o n . ij£ c Item, eftir that Main i , himo t i , . ij£ c f AprileItemo e xvii y th o Williat ,da , j m Rait, servand to the said David, to pas in Inglas to fee ane carpente wit bellim e hth cu hin o st o rt g thaimd an , saie th d f carpentegi o t r xxiiij angell nobles peck il , e xxii . iiij. summS jd a xx viij £. Item, payit to the Beschop of Murray, be the Kingis command, for lc angellis of gold, quhilk he laid down in Ingland in erlis of the bellis of Strivelin, for ilk angell xxv . viis j j d; summa j. cs vii xxxii. j d v j £ j Item, payit to David Menzies of Abirdene, the rest of the gret bellis in Strivelin Ixxxxv £. [Item, the first day of Julij], to David Menzes man, o Abirdent s pa e resavyino t th ..e o th t . f o g bellis . (receiving? . . , ) no amount Item, the vij day of March [Julij], to the marinaris of barge th Dundef eo e that hesi bellie t oftth e fsth ou schip and put thaim in ane bote Ivj s. Julijf 150o y ,2 payida j Item x Davio t e th , d Abirnethy frauche foth r t (freight belliStrivelie o t th p f su o ) n £. 1502 Item samye ,th n day, (July 20th Kingi1502e th e )b s command Inglishmee th o t , n brocht ham bellise eth , in drinksilver, x French crownis; summa vij£. 1 The Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland. Edited by Thomas Dickson. Vol. ii. pp. 67, 152-155, 288. 92 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1949-50.

unfortunats i t I e tha Accounte th t mentio no o numbee d s ne th th f o r bell their so r weights Englann i t bu ,t thada usuas t tim havwa o t lt ei ea ring of five bells—very few churches had more. It has been suggested that the pre-Reformation second be;!! in the tower of the Holy Rood Church may examines authore havbellsha e th o t th ef bu ,o wh ,bee largda e non e number of English bells of this period, considers that the bell in question is a local product of some monastic house. Higtowee e th th f hn ro I Schoo bella s li , 25^ inches diameter, inscribed: THIS BELL ALONG WITH THE CLOCK,/ THE GIF F JOHTO N RAMSA KILDALTONF YO , A.D. 1889./JOHN C. WILSON & C?, FOUNDERS. GLASGOW.

STIRLING Episcopae Th . l Churc Holf ho y Trinity. 8 . In the small spire on the ridge of the roof hangs a chime of eight tubular bell f modero s e nproduc th datee bell e Th f Messrar so . t s Harrington, Latham & Co., of Coventry. The wires connected to the hammers used to come down uppee ove rooth e rth o rt f storeeffecvestrye e th th f t f o tyo bu , the weather on the wires has caused them to rust away. It is hoped that soowirew nne s wil connectee b l protectede b d dan fro e weathemth y b r metal tubes. An earlie preserverw bel no church e s ldiametei th e dn i Th . 1s r4i J inches aninscriptioe dth n reads: (front of waist) Episcopal/Chapel/Stirling/1795 (back of waist) AUDITE/Procul Profani (inside the crown) J W & C°/G This bell is exactly similar to the disused bell at Balfron (PI. VI, 1), and wa same s th cas ey b tfounders woodee Th . n headstoc eccentrid kan c solid whee stile l ar lbelle fixeth .o dt The first episcopal churc r chapeho s builwa l t aboue e timth th f t eo casting of the bell. The first minister was Rev. George Gleig, D.D., Bishop of Brechin, and he held the living for fifty-three years; the bell is sometimes known as Bishop Gleig's bell.1 2 The author would like to record his thanks to Mr Robertson, of Menzies Motors Ltd. permissior fo , thie se s belo nt l when unde charges rhi .

STIRLING. The Castle. e nortOnth he inne th sid f ro e square stand e Chapelth s , whics hwa rebuil Jamey 1594.n b earliei e t I Th sV s r buildin same th en go s sit ewa 1 Stirling: Local Notes and Queries, vol. i. p. 180. 2. Transactions of the Stirling Natural History and Archaeological Society, vol. xv. p. 8 ff. 3 Stair-Kerr , 145, Stirling54 ,, 14649 , . 40 Castle,, 6 . pp THE CHURCH AND OTHER BELLS OF STIRLINGSHIRE. 93

erected by James III and became the Chapel Royal, and in the year 1503 was made a collegiate church. At this period there was another chapel dedicate t MichaelS o dt , whic beed hha n rebuil Alexandey b t thed an n I r agai n 1412ni . This chapel continue e usee secon b th s lat da s o dt ea d sixteente halth f o f remainshw centuryno trac o t i n f .t eo bu , presene th t A t tim Accountse Castlee ebellTh o th ther n t n si f e bu o ,e ar the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland contai e entrynth : x Item, that samyn day, (17th April 1497)e , giffian r nfo Castee belth Strivelif o lt o l n ...... s j vi & v . STIRLING Broae Th d. Street Steeple. 18 . In the tower of the Old Tolbooth, as it is sometimes called, hang two singl echima bell d sixteef san eo n small rooa bellslowe a n mI n i . r stage of the tower hangs a small bell, 16f inches diameter, inscribed: THE COVNSE• L BEL• STEBLIN• F O L • E OVDEROGG• EFECI• T• 1656 • /s This s cas bely Cornelib wa lt s Jansen Ouderogg f Rotterdao e d man bears the lettering illustrated as fig. L. Above and below the inscription appear bordesa r (PI. VIII (c)). The crown stapl clapped ean r originalseee b mo t thed connectee ,an y ar d by a leather strap or baldrick. The headstock is pivoted between two vertical beam rooa n i ms opening o whic n e outsids th hha o t s e through which the sound could emerge. The soundbow is very little indented where clappee th r bele strikesth l would an , d appea hav o rvert d eha y little use. Abov cloce eth k hangs another bell inche5 3 , s diameter, inscribed: PETRUS HEMON E FECIM Y . T AMSTELODAM A.D. I . 1669. SIT NOMEN DOMINI BENEDICTUM./RECAST BY JOHN C. WILSON FOUNDER GLASGOW. A.D. 1864 . N9 828./JOHN MURRIE . ESQ: PROVOST./OPPIDUM (a wolf on a crag) STERLINI The bell is of the usual Gorbals Foundry type, being hung with metal electrie fittingsth houre y b strucce Th t si ar clock. n ko . The Burgh records show tha 161n ti 2 there wer e''a counsall tenbell'a d - 'an hour bell which were rung each night.2 Unde date rth e 29th September 1634,3 "Robert Henrysoun obleist him as cautiouner for Patrick Christie, officer, that he sail attend and ring the ten hour bell nychtlie, and sail nocht ringine leavth f ringine a gcounsele th thairofth t f yi g o r lno , bell, befoir the space of ane quarter of ane hour be first spendit."

Accountse Th 1 Lorde oth f High Treasurer of Scotland. Edite Thomay db s Diokson. Vol. 329p . .i . 1 Extracts from Recordse th Royal e oth f Burgh of Stirling, 1519-1666, Ibid.,» . 172 p . 129 p . . 94 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1949-50.

Ther recoro e recastinn th s e councif i do th f go l bel Rotterdan i l mn i 1656, but in 1663, on 23rd May, it is noted: * "Alexander Allane, thesaurer s appoyntei , o takt d e doune th e knock bell tharives anntwa n i o 166Hollan o t send r 0e an d b he o dt hundredweighe €!nlargo t on d r an ehe castew ne f no t more than shee e counselth e r up steal t he e bel b dpu n i l e tilo t sh l d an no , wis brought home." It is not at all clear if this instruction was carried out, as at a meeting on 24th February 166 recordeds i 8t i : 2 "Ordeans James Bro^vn, theasurer o sent w , o Hollanne t d a r dfo tollbuite e towth th bels a no t lg knoch bi steepl s ka e will receave; and the size of the said bell to be sent over." A resulsa thif o t s minut bele eth l cas Aday b t m Danckwar broughs wa t t over and was hung in the Tolbooth Steeple for a time, before being trans- e steeplferreth o f Cowane't do e s Hospita s ordainea l latea n di r council minute recorded under the account of that bell. This latter minute ordered castine th bela Petey f gb lo r Hemony Amsterdamf o , 1669n i , thid s ,an si bele th l whic recass h wa for o t presene mth t hour bell. 170n I Broae 2th d Stree Tolbootr o t h steeple became dangerouse th o s , large removes belwa l d while e structure.wor dons th n kwa eo 3 While eth large unhunbels lwa councie gth l runbela.m.s 9 t l wa gp.m.a 0 ,1 noo d 4 nan side .thf th e sam eo en th o t towe e e bel A d leveth an l rs a lfacin g down Broad Street is a chime of sixteen bells. These bells were formerly operated by a chiming machine consisting of a large wooden cylinder in which were placed meta e cylindel th pegs s s rotateA wa .r d these pegs raised an d released hammers which struck the bells. Each bell was provided with two hammers strucalloe o belt b a r o wlt k fo twice afte shorra t time-interval; this would not have been possible with one hammer each, due to the time necessar raiso yt releasd ean . eit Now , unfortunately e mechanisth , ms i badl yhammere rusteth d dan bellse s th resn , o twit resule hth t thae th t author could onlye hol H hammere d th . it p sta tim a bele of d t fa lon ean was therefore unabl arrango et e them accordin musicaa o gt o l s scal d ean has had to place them according to the diameter at the mouth. Calling smallese th tlargese numbeth 8 d , 5 t an , numbe4 r1 , 2 , number, 3 , r16 1 , 6 , s7 hune ar g9 frod uppen man a r bea rangd man diameten ei r from 6J inches to 10| inches, and the order given is from north to south. From a beam immediately below the other hang numbers 15, 13, 11, 10, 14 12 and 16 with diameters from 10^- inches up to 14|- inches. All the bells are hung stationary, and only numbers 15 and 16 have

1 Extracts from the Records of the Royal Burgh of Stirling, 1519-1666, p. 242. 2 Ibid., 1667-1752, p. 3. 3 Ibid., p. 96. 4 Ibid., p. 97. E CHURCTH OTHED HAN R BELL F STIRLINGSHIREO S 5 9 .

canon argentd an s e resth , t have flat crowns. These latte bello e tw rar s inscribed formee th , r bearin othee gI W th date th rd 172 e an 91729d an , thes illustratee e. ar H d figss an d a E . In most cases the bells have been tuned using a hammer and chisel; number 12, for example, has had the diameter reduced by at least half an inch in order to raise the note. Others have been chipped inside to flatten the note. t Althree , beabu l 14 r, d mouldinnumberan 3 1 - , in 7 s g e wireth n o s scriptio soundbowe th n o ban appead d dan ,an havo t r e beee n th cas y b t same founder, I. W. The remaining three hav mouldino en ge inscriptio wireth n o s n band and look more like flower-pots. cloce steeplw s madth A ne kr wa 172n efo eAndrei y b 8 w Dickied an , supplies witwa t hi dchima f thirteeeo n bells. Burge Th 1h records show thirteee th thar Dickir fo npaiM ts 6 bellsedwa £3 t beini , g stipulated that "the saiDickir dM e ris a beinse k y thereforeg an fre f o e e bellth , s beino gt come from London." 2 meetina t A 13tn go h October Dickir 173M 3 grantes ei d permissioo nt add three further bells and a new mechanism to increase the number of tunes that coul played.e db notes A 3d earlier three bells, namely numbers 7, 13 and 14, are different from the remainder, and these are probably addee th d ones. The mechanism seems to have given trouble right from the start, as in 1739 it was reported that the iron parts were getting rusty and a suggestion was made that brass wires would be better than iron; but this does not seem to have been adopte permanena s da t remedy presene th s a , t iron. f wireo e 4sar The tunes, which were formerly e playechimeth n do , are: "Birkf so Invermay," "Tweedside," "Roslin Castle," "Land o' the Leal," "The Yellow-Hair'd Laddie," "Lochaber no more," "Maggie Lauder," "God Sav psale King,e th eth md "tunan e "Hanover." s foundee thirteee Th th f o r n bells cas probabls 172n ti wa 9 y John Waylett, workinwhs owa London gi t thana t time.8

STIRLING Municipae Th . l Buildings. In the Town Clerk's office are two hand-bells; one is the Skellat bell and the other the Dead bell. The inscriptions are: Smaller. BURG P STIRLINHO G 5f inches diameter. Larger. T. ^ S. 7j inches diameter.

1 Morris Stirlinge Th , Merchant Guild Lifed an of John Cowane, . 308p . 2 Extracts from Recordse th Royal e oth f Burgh of Stirling, 1667-1752, . 204p .

Ibid., p. 228. Ibid., p. 246. Shearer's Guide to Stirling, 1911 Edition, p. 84.

4 5

3 6 Walters, The Church Bells of England, p. 234. 96 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1949-50. Both inscription e incisedar s frod l appearancean m,al e belle th s ar s comparatively modern largee th , r being older. In the Burgh Accounts for 10th September 1702 it is recorded: 1 "Item Williao ,t m Smit castinr hskellafo w ne g e ot fth bell, quhich was ryven and spoylled be a fall, £1. 16s. Od." Again in the Council Minutes it is noted under the date 30th December 1710 : 2 "Appoint Williao t tresure e y sth pa m o t rSmith , hammerman, nyne pound fyve shillings Scot makein r deaw sfo dne bele mendind gth lan g the skellat bell." Unfortunately the new dead bell was not a success, as on 17th October 1747 we read : 3 "The council having considered a representation of William Stevenson, beddall, anen insufficience th t hane th f do ydea d bell, they appoint exchangn i e on d e ol givo t treasuree e ed th th an e provideo ron t w ne *a difference th price.e n i th y f o e"pa d an A chime of bells is to be cast by Messrs John Taylor & Co., of Loughborough, for the tower of the Municipal Buildings. These bells will form the War Memorial for the 1939-45 conflict.

STIRLING Kine Th g. Street Steeple. 1 . In the steeple attached to the Athenaeum hangs a bell, 36 inches diameter, inscribed: THOMAS HEAR F LONDOO S N FECIT This bell, from the well-known Whitechapel Foundry, was cast by Thomas Mears II, and bears a loop ornament after the inscription. The original wooden fittings, consisting of wheel, headstock, stay and slider, are still in use, and in addition a counterbalance weight has been fitted. The canon sn excellen e bela remai th s weli s l d ha l nan castd tonean t - The clock strikes the hours on it and it is used for the Sunday services. The building, which originally house dreading-rooa publid man c library, was openeJanuarh 7t n do y 1817. 4

STIRLING. Cowane's Hospital. 1. e steeplth n f thiI eo s building, whic s alshi o knowe Guildhallth s na , hang bellsa f 1 inche3 , s diameter, inscribed: M • ADAMDANCKWART • MEFVDIT • ANNO • 1665 ./A° 1668/OPPIDVM (a shield) STERLINI

Extracts from Recordse th Royal e oth f Burgh of Stirling, 1667-1752, . 348p . Ibid., . 124p . 2

"1 Ibid., . 286p . Statisticalw Ne * Account of Scotland, vol. viii . 426p . .

THE CHURCH AND OTHER BELLS OF STIRLINGSHIRE. 97

The latter part of the inscription is incised on the waist of the bell and has probably been added in Scotland. The shield is not at all deeply incised, and the wolf on the crag, the Burgh Arms, is only just discernible. The lettering, shown as fig. M, is roughly cast and irregular, as are above borderso on e inscriptio tw th e e Th th . n (PI. VIII (a)) consists oa floraf l design with thre ee othea trefoiangelsth s i rd lan , design (PI. VIII (6)). ornamentatioe th Th l eal beld t havan i l n neo been badly cast, chiefly becaus mouldine eth t capablgno sans retaininf edo wa e e detaigth th f o l borders when the molten metal came in contact with it. The crown of the bel flats attachecanone d i l ar an , argend t i an s o f dorthodot o t x design. The fittings are entirely of wood, consisting of a wheel and headstock mounte goo a frame k n di d oa . t woulI d appear that this bell formerly Broae hunth n gdi Street steeple as in the Town Council Minutes for llth March 1669 it is directed that "The council appoynt thesauree sth seno rt knocd d ol ove e k rth bel l to Holland and to caus cast a good new one, and the new one which came home for the Over Hospital to be put upe and hung in the kirk steeple, and the bell that is for the present in the knock house (Broad Street Steeple) to be hung upe in the steeple of the said hospital." 1 The bell originally intended for this steeple then became the tenor or larges churce t th bel n i lh tower. Unfortunatel inscriptiod ol e t yth no s ni bees preserveha n t beli e recas s th a l n do t three times since 1669. Under the date 24th February 1668 there is a Town Council minute: "Ordeans James Brown, thesaurer o sent w , Hollano ne dt a r dfo tollbuite towe th th bels na o t l knocg h bi steepl s ka e will receave; and the size of the said bell to be sent over." 2 This bell would then appea havo t r e been orderee th s 1668n a di d ,an inscription shows that it was cast three years earlier, it is probable that the casbels stockr wa lfo t . A meetin e Merchanth f o g t Guil f Stirlint o dJun 1s s hel en gwa o d 1781 "to conside e proprietth r f removinyo g Cowane's Hospital belo t l e kirth k steepl rune b go et along wit kire hth k bells bele th ,l still remainin e propert gth e Hospita t th theia f yo d r an ldisposal d an , questioe th n bein t whethegpu r remov bele notr eth o l t carriei , t dno remov greaa y eb t majority." 3

1 Morris, The Stirling Merchant Guild and Life of John Cowane, p. 305. 2 Extracts from the Records of the Royal Burgh of Stirling, 1667-1752, p. 3. 3 Coo d Morriskan , Extracts from Recordse th Merchant e oth f Guild of Stirling, . 136p . VOL. LXXXIV. 7 98 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1949-50.

STRATHBLANE. 1. higa n hI western open turret hang bella s , abou inche0 2 t s diameter, which when viewed throug htelescopa inscribed e sees b ei o nt : JOHN C. WILSON FOUNDER GLASGOW/PRESENTED ARCHIBALDBY EDMONSTONE BARONET OF...... A product of the Gorbals Foundry, Glasgow, this bell was cast for stock, lattee asth rinscriptione parth f to , that show italicsn i s inciseds ,i wa d an , thus put on after the bell was cast. The latter part of the last sentence is not visible from the ground due to the position of the masonry, but Sir Archibald Ednionstone live Duntreatn di h Castle. The masonry just belo turree wth t bear date sth ebele 1870th s i l d an , of this date.1 The accounts contain the following entries: 2

Iroe an n r chynnifo x c!65bo o et e 0th f Givio t nou the kirk bell, for ringing of it £2. 4s. Od. 1655 Givin for cairiing the kirk bell to Rossedoe (Rossdhu) to get ane tongue put in it £1. Os. Od.

AN ACCOUNT OF THE BELL-FOUNDERS WHOSE WORK S FOUNI STIRLINGSHIREN DI . The bells noted in this survey may be arranged chronologically in the following table ::—

(i.) 2 mediaeval.

, v 0 . Dutc,3 _ ( h,_ (n.) 8 seventeenth centur yg| gcottish

(m.) 31 eighteenth century (

(-16 Scottish. (iv.) 24 nineteenth century -| 1 Irish. I 7 English. 13 American. ,.- (1t6 English. 2 Scottish.

1 Smith, The Parish of Strathblane, p. 232. 2 Ibid., p. 205. THE CHURCH AND OTHER BELLS OF STIRLINGSHIRE. 99

These bells form the following collections:— 1 Rin bell4 f go s (Stirling4 , Holy Rood) 1 Chim beU6 1 f se o (Stirling6 1 , Tolbooth) 1 Chime of 13 beUs (Falkirk, Old Church) 13 2 Chime tubula8 f o s r bells (Stirling, Episcopal Church and Logic) 16 1 Chime of 2 bells (Falkirk Steeple) 2 35 Single bells 35 7 Bells unhung 7 4 Hand-beUs 4

97

PRE-REFORMATION BELLS. Stirlingshire possesses only two bells that can be said to have been cast before the Reformation: One is the second bell in the ring of four in the Church of the Holy Rood, Stirling, weighing about 5| cwt., and inscribed n blaci k letter. This bel s fulli l y described unde e headinth r f thago t church. onle Th y other bel f thio l s perioe hand-belth s di l whic formerls hwa y kept in the church hall attached to Falkirk Old Church (see PL VII, 1).

CONTINENTAL BELLS. The earliest Continental founder whose work remain Stirlingshirn si s ei Cornells Jansen Ouderogg f Rotterdamo e caso e Councith wh t, l Belf o l Stirlin thire 165gn th Churce i drine d Hole th 6belth th an gn i f f yhlo o Rood in that town in 1657. The histor thif yo s founde gives ri Volumn i e LXXXII . 150p , thesf ,o e Proceedings, e papeth Renfrewshirn n o ri d Dunbartonshiran e e bellse th , information being kindly obtained by M. Arts from Dr E. Wiersum's articles in Oud-Holland,. 83 d an 1 4 . 1923-24pp , 41 . No , The next bell in order of age is the one in the steeple of Cowane's Hospital, cast by Adam Danckwart in 1665 and not sold till three years later. The border (PI. VII Iwhic e (a) pars on i ) f ho tappear bela t n Bromeswella lso , Suffolk, cast by Cornells Waghevens of Mechlin, in Belgium, in 1530.1 Danckwart's bell e verar se yContinent th rar t Uydrechn a o ee on ; s i t inscribed "M. ADAM DANCKWART ME FUDIT ANNO 1664." This bell weighs about 4^ cwt., and has on its waist two portraits of the Madonna and Child; the six canons each bear a cherub's head. Mijnheer Jan Arts 1 Haven Churche Th , Bells o. f Suffolk,75 . p d an pii v . 100 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1949-50.

thinks thae initiath t stand a ChristiaM l r fo s n name suc s Martinuha s rather than Mijnheer Art. kindls M sha . y made inquirie Belgiumn si t bu , this founder's work is unknown there. The cloc e kStirlin th bel n i l g Tolboot s originallhwa y casPetey b t r Hemon f Amsterdamo y . This founder wit s brothehi h r Francois were very noted carillon founders. Francoi probabls swa greatere s yth wa e h ; bor 1609n ni worked ,an t Zutpheda n from 164 21657o t , whe movee nh d o Amsterdamt thin i s citwa yt I tha . e cash t t many practicall- un y surpassed carillons Idn o s deatd buries an choi,e 166n hth i wa f n o re di 7 h the Meuwe-Kerk there. Pierre moved with Fra^ois to Zuphen in -1642 from Levecourt, in the department of Haute-Marne, but did not follow him to Amsterdam till 1664, when Francois found that he could not manage wore th l k al alone. This Stirling bell was cast by Pierre after the death of Francois, when he was carrying on the business alone. He died unmarried in 1680 and was buried besid brothers ehi . The last Continenta noticele belb o lt quits di emodera n one, being that t Inversnaia d cas Feliy b Aerschodtn xva f Louvaino t , Belgium 1909n i , . This foundry trace s successioit s n Gheyde n nn va foundrfro e mth f o y Mechlin, which was started by William van den Gheyn about 1506. A number of single bells from the van den Gheyn foundry remain in Scotland, and in more recent times the van Aerschodt family have cast the carillon of forty-three bells for St Nicholas, Aberdeen, in 1886, and a chime of nine for Lower Beeding, Sussex, in 1887.1 The last owner, Felix van Aerschodt, died recently, and the foundry has been discontinued.2 LOCAL PRODUCTS. The disused bell at Denny, dated 1631, bears the initials I. M., and would seem fro unorthodos mit x desig havo nt e bee ninexperiencen casa y tb d bell-founder. James Monteith of Edinburgh was certainly working shortly after this earliess datehi s a , r discoveret fa bel o s l cass 1642n dwa i t d an , is in the ruined church at Auchinleck, Ayrshire. One at Alloway in the same count s dateyi d 1657e bellTh s. which bea s namhi r e fuln i ear l inscribe differena n di t typ letterin f entirele o ar d gyan differen shapn i t e from this Denny bellt thibu ,s woul t prevendno t beinthie son earln ga y work of his, cast before he had gained much experience. Another bell, on t Oathlawea , dated 1618 . BeleC s s mentionebearin. i ,a s F r D g y db these initials,3 but this one would seem to be foreign, and the author is fairly sure that the Denny bell is a local product.

1 Beles, The Church Bells of Kincardineshire, p. 7. 2 Price, Campanology, Europe, 1945-47, p. 12. 3 Beles, The Church Bells of Kincardineshire, p. 6. THE CHURCH AND OTHER BELLS OF STIRLINGSHIRE. 101

The hand-bell at Larbert has scratched on it the initials A B and the date smal1669 o bels e s i Th ll . s quitthai t i te possiblwore th f kt o yno establishen a d bell-founde locaa t cas y bu rb t l clockmake r smithe o r Th . author know foundeo n f so r workin t thiga s time with these initials. One local founder whose work has not been discovered in the county is Robert Hog wao s,wh workin Stirlinn gi . 1632-3gc 9 whe case bele nh th t l for Killin. e authoTh 1 r coule publisheth d n i fin mentioo n dm d hi f no records of the Incorporation of Hammermen of Stirling, as there are only sheetd od sw dealinfe a g wit perioe hth d 1621-1724.2

E EDINBURGTH H FOUNDRY. The first member of this foundry whose products are found in the county is John Meikle, who cast the Falkirk Steeple bell in 1697, Muiravonside church bell in 1699, and a disused bell at Gargunnock, dated 1702. He was booke apprenticn a s da o Georget e Anderson, copper-smit Edinn hi - burgh 26tn ,o h October 1664 recordes a , minutee th Incorporatio e n di th f so n of Hammermen of Edinburgh. He is described as the son of John Meikle, burgess of Musselburgh. On 7th September 1671 he produced his essay befor Deacoe eth Maste d Incorporatione nan th f ro ; "anthis swa e stoving pan and ane skailit quhilk was found ane sufficient and weel wrought essay abl servo et majestees ehi s leiges etc." 3 Soon afterward choses wa e ns h s 168n Maste i wa crafts e d hi 1 h f an ,o r electee highesth o t d t honour they could confer, tha f Deacoo e t th f no Incorporation 10tn O h. October 167 marriee 3h d Isobell Meik dieo dwh , in August 1708. He himself died in 1704, and left a legacy of £150 Scots for the poor of the Incorporation of Hammermen of Edinburgh. The Acts of Parliament of Scotland contain this mention of him under the date 15th June 1686:— OUR SOVERAIGNE LOR d EstateDan f Parliamento s , takeing into Consideratio greae nth t advantage tha natioe havtth y y nema b e tradth f foundineo g lately brought into this Kingdo Johy mb n Meikll for Casting of bells, Cannon, and other ufefull instruments, Doe, for encuradgement to him and others in the same trade, Statute and ordaine That the same shall enjoy the benefite and priviledges of a manufactorie in all points as the other manufactories newly erected are alloued to have by the Lawes and acts of Parliament, and that for the space of nyntein years next following the- date

hereof.4 1 Eeles Churche Th , Bells of Kincardineshire,. 4 . p 1 Transactions of the Stirling Natural History and Archaeological Society, vol. 1. p. 9. 3 Love, Antiquarian Notes and Queries (Falkirk), vol. ii. p. 268. Actse 'Th of the Parliaments of Scotland, vol. viii . 608p . . 102 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1949-50.

He therefore seems to have been quite an important person in Edinburgh. moss Hi t notabl e castine th wor carilloa s f go kwa twenty-thref no e bells e churcfo t th Giler S f Edinburghn ho si ; this wor yeare dons th kwa n se i d 1699169 an 8d Joh ,an n Meikl s thoughi e o havt t e gonee th ove o t r Continent to study the methods of founding and tuning employed there. Th steeple eth carillo n i es untinwa l moder nbelle timesth st havbu ,w eno been removed and dispersed, though four of them remain in Lady Stair's

House, Edinburgh. 1 At the present time there; are upwards of seventeen of his bells, apart from the carillon, still existing. His work is usually well cast but the shapes inside th useoutsidd r ean dfo e t thoscurveno e sar whic h would produce the best musical tone, and as a result most of his bells do not have very superior tonal qualities. Robert Maxwell continued the Edinburgh foundry on the death of ' Joh npossibls i Meikle t i d e an ,tha t Maxwel beed ha l n assistin r somgfo e years previou o 1704t s a bel t Sproustons a ,la , dated 1703, bears hi s name. Maxwell uses Meikle's alphabet, and sometimes gives his name in full and at others just his initials. On a few bells there is a small shield bearing e insigni e Incorporatioth th f ao f Hammermeno e initialth . d M.R snan ; on thesf t ePolmaiso a s ei e Home parise Far t Niniansth S mf n i ho , dated 1713. In general his bells are very similar to Meikle's, the canons and argent sambeine th f ego design. Bells cas Robery b t t Maxwel fairle ar l y numerous; those cast before 1728 bear his name alone, but later ones show that the business had become a company. The author has a list of twenty-two bells cast before 1728 and five after that date, the latest being at Beith, Ayrshire, dated 1734. Lucw A beleNe datet la d cass 172 Messry wa b t9 s Ormisto Cunningn& - wero hamewh , certainly Edinburgh founders this a , s fac mentiones i t n do disusee th d bel t Falkira l k dated 1740possibls i t I . e that they worked with Robert Maxwel d cause an l e change designatioth dth n i e th f o n business bel A t Lanar.a l k date recastdw alss 1740no ot wa , casbu , y b t these two founders. The lettering and stamps used on the Falkirk bell are altogether different from those used by Maxwell, but the design of canon argend san retaineds i t . William Ormiston alone cas bel a tCarmyllir lfo partnern i 1748n d ei an , - ship Hendersor witM ha Cuparr nfo case ,on t Fife 1747n i , 175y B .e 0w have a new Edinburgh founder on the scene, in the person of John Milne, whose r discoveredbellsfa o s , , range from 175 1755o 0t , wheknows i e nh n

havo t e cast seven bells foune b ; Stirlingshireo n nondt i e ear . 1 Proc. Soc. Ant. Scot., vol. iii . vol196d .p an .,. xviii94 . p . E CHURCTH OTHED HAN R BELLS OF STIRLINGSHIRE. 103

JOHN WAYLETT. e chim e bellth Tw th f sixtee n i sf e o Broa o th n ni d Street Steeple, Stirling, bea datadditioe n i rth e 1729on nd bearan , initiale sth . t WsI I . has been noted earlier that the bells came from London, and a perusal of the names of founders working in that city at that time show that only one founder fulfils the conditions, and he is John Waylett.1 Waylett was founding from 170 31731o t tilp u l; 171 workee 4h t Bishop'da s Stortford lated an r toured yearo Sussetw sr xdoinfo ge spot th job n . o s Thee nh came to London, and worked for Samuel Knight till 1721. The desire to wander from plac placo et e seem havo st e mad spenm ehi d three yearn si Kent thed an ,n finallperioe th . n yi d V London n . i 1727-3 E s r wa M e .1 h Lucas write himf so : 2 "His method was to call on the Vicar and ask if anything were wanted; desireds wa e woul e mouna h ,on g w ddi crackedbel s a ne d f i a lwa f i d r an o , in a neighbouring field, build a fire, collect his metal, and perform the task on the spot. Waylett's business might be called the higher tinkering." The original thirtee nStirline bellth n si g t ver chimno ye welear l cast, thed an y require f chippindo quitt bi ea g before they forme musicae dth l scale required. The bell t Kippesa Buchanad nan thin ni s largee countyth d r an bel, l in the Tolbooth Steeple at South Queensferry in West Lothian, with thirteen of the chime of sixteen bells in the Broad Street Steeple, Stirling, show very definite similarity in design and would appear to be the work of one founder.3 Due to the kindness of Mr George Elphick of Lewes, Sussex, the author obtaines ha drubbina somd gan e plaster smallese cast letterinth f f o so t se t g use Johy db n Waylet bela t Easn a lo t t Hothly, Sussex, inscribed:

JOHN WAYLETT MADE ME 1723 Comparin letterine gth figured g an authoe sth founs rha d that ther vers ei y little difference betwee Scottise nth Sussed han x examples Sussee th n xO . belfirse th l t date figur th mor s ei f eo peculia e e th properl t bu r J desig ya n belle th s l sam e undeal th n s eo i r) figurreviewe H o th fd (figse2 an . E . Bein itinerann ga t founde s quiti t i re possible tha t s typesomhi f so e got lost or worn out over the years and certain letters and figures had to be redesigned. The doubo authon s t ha rtha t these Scottis e worh th f bell o ke ar s John Waylett.

1 Walters, The Church Bells of England, pp. 234 and 383. - Lucas, Highways Bywaysd an of Sussex, . 399p . 3 See also Eeles, "Church Bells of Linlithgowshire," Proc. Soc. Ant. Scot., vol. xlvii, p. 75. 104 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1949-50.

GLASGOW FOUNDRIES. The earliest bell in Stirlingshire which can be ascribed to a Glasgow founde bele t th Fintr la s i r y dated 1626, bearin . Mainname gW th f eeo (see . figd ThiB) .an , s 3 bel , Pwels i lLletterinVI e lth casnumbea t s bu t gha r of errors in it, such as the reversing of one letter and the eliding of two others coce Th k . seem appeao t s trada s a re eacn stami hd pcasan s ei slightly otheo differentn r r fa bello this y sb ; s founder have been hearf do authore byth ; this bell show foundee sth gooa n i rd light. William Mayne became a member of the Incorporation of Hammerrnen 1624y of GlasgoMa , wheh 5t n w o onl apprentice.n ya essao N 1givens y i , but his trade is mentioned as that of a potter. The early London bell- founders in the thirteenth century almost invariably described themselves as "Potters" (Latin Ollarius), and this persisted till quite late in the fourteenth century.2 e fir f JohmTh o n Wilso Co.—no& n e confuseb o t t d with Joh. C n Wilson & Co. Ltd.—are described as ironmongers at No. 73 Trongate in e Glasgowth Directory f 1787o . They cast three bells note thin di s survey: disusee th d bel bel a t Balfron, t a lKilsyth a l 1) , VI , a ,L 1791794d (P 1an , disused bell in the Episcopal Chapel, Stirling, dated 1795. All these bells e samth f e o type e ar , withou mouldiny an t ge shoulder wireth y b sd an , having a handbell-type argent. The inscriptions are partially set in lower-case letters, a feature which is quite rare. Stephen Miller was admitted a member of the Incorporation of Hammer- me f Glasgono 28tn wo h Augusa f o notes i tn d 1795s beinso da an e , gth member.3 As an essay he made a raised covered tea-kettle. In the Directory gives i 180f e o workins h n7a copper-smita s ga Saltmarket7 12 t ha . However, by 1818 the business had become Stephen Miller &. Co. and the foundr moved yha Saracen'o dt s Lane Stirlingshirn I . bello e thertw s e ear from this foundry, one at Lesnnoxtown, 1828, in the parish of Campsie, and the other at Kilsyth dated 1824. On this latter bell the weight has been stamped in the mould even before the bell has been cast. Other bells are e Girvath n town bell, • Ayrshire, d 1826formerlan , y before recastine gth church bell at Riccarton, Ayrshire, dated 1825. As early as 1828 there is mentio e Glasgoth n ni w Directories f Joho n Wat f Stepheo t n Mille Co.& r , 183n i 8d theran mentioa s ei fire Johf th m o f no n Wat Son& t Saracen'f so s t cleano rs Lanei whethe t I . e firmth r s were separat r whetheeo r there wa agreemenn sa t casy betweean e n bottwoe I nth h . firms continueo dt bear different names at least till 1845. In this year John Watt & Sons casbele t Dunipaceth tla .

1 Lumsde Aitkeud nan , History Hammermen e oth f of Glasgow, . 286p . 8 Stahlschmidt, Surrey Bells Londond an Bell-Founders,. 2 . p 3 Lumsde d Aitkennan , History Hammermen e oth f of Glasgow, . 299p . E CHURCTH OTHED HAN R BELL F STIRLINGSHIREO S 5 10 .

The bell at Kippen was cast by John and William Young, plumbers and brassfounders Galbraitf o , h Street, Stobcross yeae th rn i ,1873 .

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. It is very rare to find bells cast on the other side of the Atlantic hanging in our steeples, though Stirlingshire has a fine chime of thirteen bells from the foundry of the McShane Bell Foundry Co. of Baltimore, Maryland. These bells hang in the Old Church at Falkirk and were donated by Mr and Mrs Robert Dollar wero wh e, als donore otheo oth tw rf so chime s casy b t duplicata s thiFalkire wa sth e Franciscn f firmeo On Sa k .e chim th r o efo Theological Seminary at San Anselmo, California, cast in 1923; and another belln ote f s wit Firse htenoa th r 200f t o rfo Presbyteria 0E Ibn i . n Church at San Rafael, California, cast in 1915. The McShane Bell Foundry Co. was established in 1856, and since that date approximately 130,000 bells have been cast by the firm for destinations e Uniteinth d States, Greece, Puerto Rica, Japan, China mand an , y other parts of the world. THE WHITECHAPEL FOUNDRY. This London foundr s establishewa y s beeha nn 156i d workinan 7 g continuously ever since, a record which must be almost unique in business Aerschodn annalsVa e Th t. foundr Louvainf yo , mentioned earlier, traced the business from 1506, but this firm has now closed down. The Whitechapel Foundry cast a bell for Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh in 1633, and the bell now hangs in St Paul's Episcopal Church, York Place, Edinburgh. In 1788 they cast the first octave of bells for Scotland hung to be rung in changes in the English style; these bells are in St Andrew's Church, Edinburgh, but they can no longer be swung as the fabric is not strong enough (cf. PI. VII. 2) , Some years before this, Messrs Pac Chapma& k n case belt th ta l t Ninian'S 1774n lated si an ,r William Chapman alone recas tenoe th t t a r the Holy Rood Church, Stirling, and added a treble. At the same time he hun tuned gan belle ringindr th sfo changesn gi . Thoma owneso Mearfoundre wh dth , II s y from 1810 tils deathi l n hi 1843, cas a numbet f bell o r Stirlingshire fo s , namely: Falkirk Steeple, 1815; Stirling, King Street Steeple, 1817; Larbert, 1819; Airth, 1824; and Bannockburn, 1839. Later the bell at Polmont, 1870, was cast by Messrs Mear Stainbank& s , whice namth s e foundrhi th use y db y since 1865. Many notable bells have come from Whitechapel durin firm'e gth s long history; Big Ben, weighing 13 tons 11 cwt., was cast there in 1857, and the Bow-bells, tenor 53 cwt., still heard as the B.B.C. interval signal though 106 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1949-50. belle th s were destroyed durin late gth e war, wer fire e 1762th mn casi y b t . Recently they cast the new ring of twelve bells for Liverpool Cathedral, teno cwt. 2 thesd 8 r an , e bells for heaviese mth t rinworlde bellf gth o n si .

THE GORBALS FOUNDRY. A large numbe modere th f ro n counte bellth n si y have been cas t thia t s foundry, which was originated by David Burges, who recast the tenor in .the Holy Rood Church, Stirling, in 1853. He was admitted a member of the Incorporation of Hammermen of Glasgow on llth June 1833, but it seems that it was not before 1838 that he took up the specialised line of bell-founding 185n I take fire s retiree . 4th mh wa d n dovean Johy b r. nC Wilson, under who mt continuei flouriso dt becomo ht principae eth l Scottish bell foundry. A numbe e bellth sf o rnote thin di s survey were cas thin i t s foundry, largescounte e th th r ytfo recordgivee th n i s bein Frea gbel a r elfo Church in Grangemouth cas 188n ti weighin d 3an cwt5 g. 1 qrs 2 F| . Ib 4 n .1 i . These bells have on the whole a good tone, though the author has found quite a variation in tonal qualities from one bell to another. fire mTh continue woro dt k unde name rth Johf eo Wilso. Ltd. nC Co .n& till 1928, when the goodwill, patterns, etc., were bought by Messrs Steven & Struthers, Ltd., of Kelvinhaugh, Glasgow. This firm has continued the bell-founding business bele t th Riccartona l d an , , Ayrshire, cas 1935n i t s i , one of their products.

THE LOUGHBOROUGH FOUNDRY. The new chime for the Stirling Municipal Buildings is to be the work of Messrs John Taylor & Co., of Loughborough. The history of this firm of bell-founders dates bac e yea t leasth ka ro t t1710 , whe Ketterino tw n g clockmakers decide o start d t founding bellse firs donmha Th .e some excellen centurieo tw t e worth s n ki since amond an , g their producte th s si heaviest bell in England, Great Paul, in St 'Paul's Cathedral, London, cast in 188 weighind 1an g 16f tons. In Scotland, the Glasgow University hour bell, 57 cwt.; the rings of t Mary'bellS t a s s Cathedra t Cuthbert'sS d an l , Edinburgh; Inveraray; t Mary'S s Episcopal Cathedral, Glasgow t James'sS ; , Paisley t John'S d san , Episcopal Church, Alloa, wer l cas eal t Loughborough a t . Amon gnumbea r of chimes, tha f eigho t t bells, tenor 24J cwt. n Dunblani , e Cathedrals i , probably best known to inhabitants of Stirlingshire. CHURCH BELLS OF KINROSS-SHIRE. 107

SHORT NOTES ON THE CHURCH BELLS OF KINROSS-SHIRE.

BLAIRINGONE Bell1 . . Virtually inaccessible in an open turret. About 18 inches diameter, and most probably the work of Thomas Mears II of Whitechapel, London, circa 1841.

CLEISH. St Cuthbert. 1 Bell. 17f inches diameter. flower-pof Blano d kan t type with handbell argent. Probably cas 183n i t 2 afte churce th rdestroye s hwa firey db .

FOSSOWAY Handbell a Be 1 d .U an . 24 inches diameter. CHURCH BEL F TULLIBOL& FOSSO LT AWA E isoe GEORGE GRAHAM:/MINISTER/TF^ ARMSTRONG FECIT Last line is incised. The bell was cast at Whitechapel by Thomas Mears II and was probably hung by William Armstrong. Manse th handbell a n s eI i , 6f inches diameter, inscribed: FOSSA WAY • 1725 The lettering has been scratched into the mould and is consequently rough and irregular. Originally handla ther s ewa e cast integral wit belle hth , rivetew no t this s dbeei bu iron sha througe a n non d broke e an hth f nof crown.

KINROSS. Town Steeple. 1 Bell. 30J inches diameter. INVIT D VERBUMA O : VERBU CHRISTUD MA M KINROSS 1814 D (5 times) The ornament, which appears five times, resembles half a leaf. The bell was cas Thomay b t s Mearf Whitechapelo I I s , London s predecessoIt . r was inscribed: VOCO AD VERBUM, VERBUM AD CHRISTUM1

Statisticalw 1Ne Account of Scotland,. 21 , . 14 vol19 pp , . .ix 108 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1949-50.

KINROSS. West Church Bell1 . . 34^ inches diameter, weighing about 8^ cwt. ERECTED AT KINROSS PARISH CHURCH, A.D. 1873./ JOH . WILSONC N FOUNDER GLASGOW./Bb/ (Soundbow) VOCO, "VENITE IN DOMINI TEMPLUM." churce Th s opene hwa e origina 1832n th di d an ,l obtaines belwa l d from London, probably being cas Thomay b t s Mear Whitechapelf o I sI .

KINROSS t Paul'S . s Episcopal Church BeU1 . . About 16 inches diameter. Access is by no means easy, and with the aid of a telescope the figures 6890 can be seen on the bell, and it seems probable that the material is cast steel, being the work of Naylor Vickers & Co. of Sheffield, and being cast in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.

MILNATHORT. 'Town Steeple. 1 Bell. 28-| inches diameter. MEARG & C S FOUNDERS LONDON 1854.

ORWELL. Parish Church Bell1 . . About 16 inches diameter. FOR THE KIRK OF ORWELL 1773 On evidence of design the bell is a product of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London, then owned by Messrs Lester, Pack & Chapman. The lettering is incised but the figures are raised, showing that the bell was cast for stock in 1773, and later, when an inquiry came from this parish for a bell letterine th , inciseds gwa . Thuunlikels i t i s y tha metae th t thas i l t belonging to an earlier bell of this church.

PORTMOAK. St Moan or St Stephen. 1 BeU. 21-§ inches diameter. IACOBUS MONTEIT E FECIT/ANNM H O DOM. 1642,/THOMAS MEARS FOUNDER LONDON 1843/ +GIFTE Y CAPTAINB D E CHARLES ARNOT TO THE LONG EXPECTED AND YET UNERECTED./NEW KIRK OF THE OLD PAROCH OF PORT- MOACK 1642/RESTORE Y THOMAB D S BRUCE ESQF O EB ARNOT 1843 This Whitechapel bell was recast from one which was the work of James "CROSRAGUEL9 10 " PENNIES. Monteit f Edinburghho . This founder cas numbea t f bello r s still existing in Scotland: those so far discovered are at Auchinleck, Ayrshire, 1641; North Berwick, 1642; Coylton, Ayrshire, 1647; Ewes, Dumfriesshire, 1652; Kennoway, 1653; and Alloway, Ayrshire, 1657. He also cast a cannon, dated 1642, preserved in the National Museum of Antiquities in Edinburgh.