Bells of the Church BY Rev. H. T. Ellacombe

File 06 – Chapter X Pages 527 to 555, Plates

This document is provided for you by The Whiting Society of Ringers visit www.whitingsociety.org.uk for the full range of publications and articles about and APPENDIX. 62'1

CHAPTER X.

APPENDIX..

" Fnn:e co:aotu.T OPtTa."

My courteous readers will probably acknowledge the truth of my motto, if I here exhibit to them one of the most remarkable great bells that ever was made. As I have only very lately heard of it, an Appendix was unavoidable. I. In a very scarce little book (a copy of which has lately come into my poasession)-Pacichellius, de Tintinobuw Nola.no Lucubratio, published at Naples, 1693-which Dr. Parr (in Bibliotheca Parriana, 181 '7, p. 4'79) ca.11s "a great curiosity,"-there is an account of a large , formerly in the Church of S. Andrea at Mantua, of most remarkable construction, having eight openings or windows in its side. It is represented in this engraving (Fig. 1) reproduced from one in the work above mentioned. But, instead of giving the description as I find it in Pacichellius, I am indebted to the kind courtesy of the Very Rev. Carlo Savoya, the Dean or Rector of St. Andrew at MRntua, for a much fuller account of this great curiosity, with which the Dean has most kindly favoured me, in a letter of January last, extracted, he tells me, from the ancient rtcords of the Church in his possession. Guido Gonzaga, who was abbut of the Cathedral from 1431 to 1433, and afterwards became the Provost in 1444, cast this new bell with eight windows, availing himself of the metal of a form~r bell, which was given 628 APPENDIX.

Fig. I to the Church by one Beatrice, anno 1000, and making it larger and more wonderful. The following inscription was on it.-

+ ~uldo de c;ouaaa, prepoeilua eccleeieo rnajorla mantu•, p1(opl!ll• rnanlbu tecit bane oampanam In honoqem p~ecloel $anaulnle bell tower. and rung on the night of the 14th of August. the eve of the first Napoleon's APPENDIX. 529 birthday ; but the sound, which it had been attempted to mend, not answering the general expectation, it wa.s taken down, and again placed in the Church, where it remained for some years, till it passed by purchase into the hands of a. private individual, who carried it to Milan, and there it was exhibited as a great curiosity, a.ncl afterwards destroyed, for the purpose of making use of the bronze, aud so making a profit of it. Count Carlo d' Arco, in his history of the Arts and .Artificers of Mantua, gives us the following description of it, as left by one Ra.mpold ; who, after noticing that amongst its various ornaments, the chief were four figures, each of which was marked with a name, viz., ATLAS, HERCULES, PALLAs, ADAM. With regard to its weight, Paciche1lius says it wns 540 common p(>unds of the district. I learn from the Dean's letter that a. drawing of the bell is preserved in the family of the Marquis Castiglioni of Mantua.; and that there is another bell, with eix windows or openings, in the style of that of 1444, which was founded in 169:l ; that the size is half a metre:; it is in the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin, called "Del Canossa." This engraving of the open bell with six windows is made from a.

Fig. 2 XX 530 APPENDIX.

drawing most kindly sent to me by the Dean of Mantua. It was made by order of Count Tullo Petrozzani, secretary to the Duke of Mantua, in 1593. It has the arms of the noble family, viz., the unicorn, with a fillet across ; there are also smnll medallions of the Crucifixion, of the Madonna, S. Lawrence with the gridiron, and two other saints. The legend is a play upon the words, not very clear, viz.-

+ V'f TA.NDE ORE NVC. DICAT ANIMV AERE, DATQ NON MIIRONIS AT PLEN'V OPVS AMORIS NON OS NEQ. AES OS TAME AES INESSE D.AT SONVM P MERITIS GRATIAS QVI SOIT IN AVRES SERVAVIT. The Rev. Mariani Matteini, in a letter of 12 January, 1871, has the following:-" When I made the little bell for the Pope (see page 486) I did not know of the existence of these open bells at Mantua, and I thought that I had been the first person to invent them; but it is indeed true, ' nil sub sole novum.' " There is also in Pacichellius an account of the first great bell supposed to have been invented or adopted by Paulinus, Bishop of Nola, circa 420, for Church purposes. (Fig. 3). The height is unusually out of all proportion with the width. The mouth is only slightly expanded, after the form of the sacred trumpets ; at the top two holes appear, one larger than the other. Tht:lre are six loops or handles at the top for suspension ; to the clapper is attached a leather strap, by which it was sounded ; and near the top of the bell the name of the art.ificer may be read, namely, Jacobus de Caserta ; there is also a legend round the upper part, but it lis too much corroded to be read.

Fig. 3 APPENDIX. 631

II-HOW TO HANDLE A . It bas never been my intention to touch upon the science and art of Change ringing-that subject has been ably treated of by many writers, as may be seen in my sixth chaptflr, but by none better than by C. A. W. Troyte, Esq., in his very valuable book lately published ; still it may be u~~eful to reproduce in this chapter his instructions how a ringer ought to haudle a. Church bell, and therefore, with his kind permission, the following very useful extracts are taken from his book, as well as the illustrations - " The young ringer's first object must be to manage his bell, over which he mll8t have entire controul, before he attempts to join in a with others. For this purpose it will be well for him to go to the tower with the sexton, or some other person who understands the use of a bell, and there, with the clapper of one of the bells lashed, to work away at her' until with a steady pull he cau set her at 'hand' or ' back stroke ' at pleasure : the ' hand stroke' will be the one on which he pulls the 'sally,' or tuffi.ng on the rope ; the ' back stroke' that on which he pulls the end of the rope. "The diagrams (Plate xvii.) will help to make the directions clearer. The engraving on page 224 represents a bell in its ordinary position in the tower; No. 1 (Plate .x.vii.) a bell set at hand stroke; No. 2. a bell Ret at back stroke. The instrnctor should set the bell at back stroke. and then adjust the rope to exactly the right length for the learner, by pulling up or letting down the ' tuckings,' as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 on No. 2, so that he (the learner) may clasp it with both hands, lea.ving no rope below the lowest hand, as ~hown in Fig. 2 No. 1. . He should then set the bell at hand stroke, and after having made the rope the right length, standing directly in front of him till he has got an idea of the motion of the rope ; he may then allow him to hold the rope for himself, but he should never leave his side until he can manage it fairly steadily, as the greatest care should be taken never to let him get frightened by the rope shaking about, or coming down on his head, as

1 u It ia usual among ringers to speak of a bell 88 ' she ' or ' her,' in the same manner 88 a eailor would speak of his ship." =:' 532 APPENDIX. it is very apt to do with a beginner ; he should then instruct him to take the end of the rope in one hand, and to stretch his arms above his head until at the extent of his reach (without straining) he can grasp the tufting ; then carefully pulling the rope downwards until the bell balance, he should hold her so for a moment to get the 'feel ' of her, and then with a force of not more than two or three pounds weight (if the bell is under 10 cwt., and goes fairly well) bring her over the balance. As soon as she is over, or 'off,' (as the expression is) he must at once put the hand which does not hold the END of the rope down to the other which does, and allow the bell to carry his hands up at back ijtroke, until she is just over the balance again, when he must check her there, holding her so as not to let her touch the block (or stop, against which the slide strikes), but yet so that she is {)Ver the balance, and would not fall either way ; the stay should t.ouch the slider, but ijhoultl not cause it to touch the block ; he should then pull her off in exactly the same manner, and with the same force as is described for pulling her off at hand stroke ; and, when the tuffing comes {)pposite his face, ho should grasp it as directed at first, and in exactly the same place, letting the weight (or impetus) of the bell carry his hands up as described for setting her at back stroke, till she is over the balance, and taking care that the tufting docs not slip through his hand ; and so on until he has had enough. It is of great importance that the rope should never be allowed to slide through the hand ; it is a habit with round ringers to let the whole of the slack of the rope run through their hand, when they pull a bell off at hand stroke ; this, as well as letting the tufting slide through the hand when setting a bell, is a great fault, and both are incompatible with good ringing. Figs. 1 and 2, No. 1, shows the positions which the hands should be in when holding a bell on either stroke. "The clapper of the bell iu No. 1 is represented as being lashed; it is of importance in lashing the clapper of a bell that it should be lashed exactly in the centre of the bell, as, if it leans to one side or the {)ther, it materially affects the balance of a small one ; for this purpose it is well to keep lashings ready for all the beJis in a tower, as practice with the clapper lashed saves much annoyance to the people living in the neighbourhood." APPENDIX. 533 Mr. Troyte proceeds to give good reasons for hiA recommending begin­ ning with the bell up, instead of at first teaching the young ringer to raise her for himself. These need not be repeated, but we will procede to what he says about POSITION.- "A ringer should stand upright, never bendiug his body from the hips, a.a most round ringers will be seen to do : if a bell goes badly, and thus requires strength, or if she is a very lon~ bell, the weight of the body should be thrown on the rope by dropping the knees, and the greatest care must be taken Bever to do this too much. A large bell ought to be rung so as never to be thrown over the balance more than half a dozen pounds weight or so, else it will be impossible to strike her properly. The position of the feet I do not consider of any great importance ; the prettiest way is to keep one foot a little in advance of the other (which, it does not matter) ; but a great thing is t{) keep them during a whole touch, or a.s long a.a pos.'lible, in the same place, and not to keep moving them. A man who moves his feet about, is never RO safe in a peal as a man who st;mds quietly all the time. " Unless, as has been sa.id, a bell goes very badly, there should be little or n~ motion in the body ; a slight movement, like a very slight bow, is not ungraceful ; but this will come naturally to a man who is likely to become a good ringer. But, tA.bove nll thingR, the BODY should never be turned for the purpose of looking at one rope or another. It is a most laughable thing to see some round ringers, ringing call changes. On the word, " treble to second; ' five to third,' you will sometimes see all the ringers. tenor man and all, give a jump as if they had been shot, and turn their whole bodies round to stare and glare at the man after whom they are ordered to pull-it would make a '5,000' hardish work, if this were necessary ! The body should never be moved, but the ringer should place himself in such a position that he can command, by turning his head, a sight of every ropo in the tower, and then tum his eyes or his head, if necessary, towards the ringer of the bell after which he has to strike. "When all this has been learnt, he may JOin with four or five others, and learn to ring rounds and changes'' ; to enter upon which would carry me beyond my intention; and therefore I may close my quotation. 534 APPENDIX. III. Just as I was closing my last Chapter, a friend in Canada sent me an illustrated catalogue, issued by MesRrs. Meueely, who have mrried on a large business as bell-founders since 1826, at. West Troy, New York.

Fig. 4 Upon wrttmg to thos?. gentlemen they most kindly sent me electrotypes of some of their illustration:;; ; and as they exhibit a very different mode of bell-hanging from what we are accustomed to see in , I am very thankful to Messrs. Meneely for thus enabling me to gratify my readers with an. abridged account of how they do their work. APPENDIX. 653

With regard to ringing bells in pea1, that is out of the question, for, by looking at Fig. 4, which shows their mode of hanging heavy bells with a cast iron bent yoke or stock, as there is no fillet, it must be almost impossible to raise and set a bell so hung- in fact, the clapper would strike on the wrong side; the bell may be jangled, but nothing more-in fac~ ringing a peal is never contemplated. But the of bells which they set :up are fitted in a cage, in the manner shown in Figs. 5 and 6, which they call "chimes," ranging from five to nine bells; and the usual way of mounting this " " is to make the tenor swing, for occasional ringing, all the others being stationarily hung from trusses, and arranged as shewn in these tw0 cuts.

Fig. 5 636 APPENDIX. Attached to the clappers are leather cords, which are led by pulleys to the ringers' room below, and there connected with levers, which may be easily manipulated by one person. (Fig. 8 ). Steel springs are attached inside the bell to prevent. the aft<.'r blow of the clappers, similar to those in our hand bells. Messrs. Meneely seem to carry on a very brisk trade, for by their own account "there is scarcely a village of any note in the country in which one or more of their bells is not heard, while their sale also extends to the British-American provinces, the Padfic coast, Mexico, the West Indies, South America, and, in fact, all oYer the world." Fig. 9 is from their Catalogue, which shows the way of hoisting a bell from the outside of a tower, when, from some obstacle or other, it cannot be done on the inside.

Fig. 9 Fig. 8 APPENDIX. 637 IV. At one of the Coptic Monasteries m the Natron Valley, on the Delta, there is a large bell, on which is inscribed in gothic letters JOHANNES- LUCAS- MARCVS- MATEVS It would be interesting to know how such a bell got there ; the Monks consider it of immemorial antiquity. For a description of the Monasteries see the Churchman's Shilling Mayazine, April, 1868, p. 154. My thanks are due to the kind courtesy of the London Society of Antiquarians for the annexed Engraving of the Sacryng Bell found at Bottesford, mentioned at the close of the last chapter.

9 v. Tu my Chapter on CHIMES and , it is mentioned that Me88rs. Gillett and Bland, of Croydon, were turning their attention to the subject in connexion with their celebrated clocks. Since that time those gentlemen have set up machinery for Chimes and Carillons at Boston in Lincolnshire, playing twenty-eight tunes on forty-four bells, from the foundry of M. Andre Louis Van Aerschodt, at Lou vain ; also at Madres­ field Church, Co. Worcester, for Earl Beauchamp. They have since made further improvements in the machine erected in the tower of Croydon Parish Church. The annexed engraving has been kindly lent for il1us­ trating this subject. yy 10 APPENDIX. 539 "The novel features and advantages that this machine possesses over all others are, that instead of the barrel upon which the music is ar­ ranged having also to lift the hammers, the two actions are entirely separated. The hammers are kept continually suspended and always ready to strike the bells by one means, and are simply let off like the trigger of a gun by another at the instant the pins on the musical barrel liberate them. They are not raised at all by the musical barrel, as is the case under the old system, but by means of continually revolving cams fixed on a long shaft driven by the main wheel at one eud of the driving barrel, to which the weights giving the mot.ive power are attached. An ingenious arrangement of mechanism regulates the velocity of these cams, and also the barrels upon which the tunes are pricked, which revolves once in 75 seconds." ." The pins on the musical barrel are only one-sixteenth of an inch square. Over this barrel are several keys working on a shaft ; they have catches at their upper end, aud projecting pieces at the bottom, which, on being given a slight · pull by the pins as the barrel revolves, the ends of the hammer levers are released, and the hammers fall on the bells. and are again instantly raised into the striking position, and remain there until again liberated. The two actions of letting off and raising the hammers being perfectly simultaneouo, the blow on the bells is not felt on the musical barrel, and all dr

The annexed engraving, reduced from a plate in Mr.rsmnus de Harmonicis, shows how these Carillons were first set up in the Cathedral at Antwerp, in connection with thirty-three bells.

II " At the present time there are, in the tower of Notre Dame at Antwerp, two Cari1lons ; the one. is composed of forty-three bells, and the other of forty. Each set of chimes can be played by the hand, that is to say, with the two hands and feet, so that accords or harmonics of four and six notes can be played on them. All sorts of musical compositions can be played ; amongst others, the sonatas of Mozart nnd Clementi. One Carillon has machinery connected with it, by which it is set in motion every 7} minutes; an air is played 4~ minuteg before the hour strikes. The hammers in connection with this Carillon are of iron, and strike the bell 542 APPENDIX. on the outside; but the others, played by the hand, are struck with iron clappers, hanging inside the bells. There are other bells for the Services and the clock, making a total of ninety-nine bells."-Letter from M. Callaerts, the Cnrilloneur, January, 1872. The tradition is, that several of the bells were cast in the sixteenth century, by the military engineers of the time, who had a secret for their method of casting, consisting of a mixture of iron, steel, gold, silver, &c. The second is inscribed- ME FECIT CURAVERENS, 1770. Twenty-seven of the bells are inscribed­ DEMONY ME FECIT, 1655.

Another bell is by GASPER DE WITTE, 1655. Two or three are dated 1658 : the rest are without inscriptions. " The mechanism of the finger board is so easy of touch, that a boy of fifteen or sixteen can play it during an hour without the least fatigue. "There are also, in the same tower, a large bell which was formerly rung in case of fire ; and a bell which used to be to1led before the closing of the gates of the city, besides ' the Retreat ' or f!urfe.w, which is rung before eleven o'clock at night."

Although somewhat out of order, the remammg space will be well embellished with t.hree specimens of medireval letters and an initial cross of uncommon design ; they have been lately discovered on the fourth bell at Bath-Easton, , by a Clerical friend, who very kindly supplied the casts from which the blocks have been cut.

12 13 14 IS The whole legend runs thus : + Ym~nu1 : :cqau;c;n; : Y~

\ .

16

17

18 APPENDIX.

19

At Talaton is a very fine tenor, adorned with the arms of 30bfit bt ~tauQ)amp, biit be J3trgaben~. That bell was supposed to be an unique, but a heavier bell by the same fouuder, viz., :Roger Semson, and bearing the very same legend, has been found at Bradford, Somerset. The family had property at Talaton, but they cannot be traced Bij having any connexion with Bradford. In the account of the Talaton bell, the legend is wrongly copied, owing to the peculiar form of the N, which is very apt to mislead. This is the correct reading-

+ SANCTI + OMNES Q CONFESSORES + ORATE + p NOBIS. This very beautiful medallion shie]d is worthy of reproduction, ao I add it as a tail piece. APPENDIX. 353 VI.

ADniTIONAL BELL LITERATURE.

FOREIGN. 2U Billon (J. B.) Campnnologie Etude sur lee Cloches 227 Lindner (J. G.) de Baptismo Cnmpa:::arum, 4to. et les Sonneries Fmn~ais et Etnu~get, 8vo. .4..... t, 1776 C11eu, 1866 228 !ltattcini (D. li.) Campanella tutt<> a trofori, Dono 216 Casaliua (J. B.) de pro£ania et sacris veteribus, AI. S. Padre Fio. ix., 4to. Rimini, 1869 Ritibus. 4to., Oap.43. lJe CampiJIIi•.-l''tlt•~f: 1681 229 Model (J. G.) An Cnmpanarum sonitus tonitura et 216 Cnvillier (Ph.)

ENGLJSH.

242 Chambers (R.) Church Bells, in Ltilut·e Hou,., 253 Nature displarcd, 12mo., vol vii. Lo11d. 1763 . April, 11-56-70 254 Paget (P. :E.) Panc8Jco Holl, 16nto. Rugtky, 1854 243 Dickens (C.) Andent College Youths, in .411 tl•e :.!66 Ua,•on (J.) Church Bella of Cambridgeshire, 8,·o. !"tat· Rou11d, :Feb., 18G9 Louxstoft, 1869 244 Denison (E. ll.) on C~teting and Ringing of large 256 Scudamore Chimes, 18mo., CA..Utian K11o~letlr1e Della, Royal Institute of Architects Pl'ocecdings. Trnct, 1871 1856 257 Shepherd's (Tho) Calendar. Art of Ringing, 18mo. 246 Ellncombe, Belfries and Ringers, 3rd edition. 18il Lo11. (;~·rc. 16H 24 6 Forbes (Bp.) on tho Ancient lost Bt:ll of Fillan, 4to. 268 Sottanstall (\Y.) Element& of , 12mo. E di116., 1870 Huddtr".fiekl, 1867 2•1 Fowler (J. T.) Campanology in U11ion RNJittc. 259 Spurgeon (C. H.) Lc~t ure "Bella for the Horsoa," 248 --on a Bell at Pontclact, 8vo. ]o,.k, 1871 18mo. Loud. 1869 249 Hawie's (H. R.) Article on Bcll6 and Carillons in 260 Troyto(C.A. W .) ChnogeRinging,12mo. Eretcr, 1~69 Ctmlnnporttrg, 8vo. 1870-1 261 --Second edition. 1872 260 Kelsall (C.) Letter on Bells, 12mo. Looo. 1836 262 Ventress (J.) tho Bcll8 of S. Nicholna, Ne~ua•tle- 261 Mcneely ('fhe) Dell Foundry, 8vo. II)JOII•TIJ"'• 4to. 1867 IYe.t Trov, CaJ1adn, 1870 263 Wigram (W.) Chnngc Ringing Diacntangled, 262 ?tlidland Counties Historical Collection, 2 vol8., 8vo. Lond. 1871. Ltirutar, 185-l-6 264 --Letters on Ringing, a Dranch of Church Work Cam6., 1872

POETRY. 266 Stewart (J. S.) Short Touch by'a Gmndeiro Ringer, 270 Schiller, llangan 1835 8vo. Shifnut, 1!171 :.!71 -- Lumbert 1850 266 &hiller, Song of the Bell, tranalatcd by Merivnle. 272 --Mercator lJoniJ'Oill 1868 1869 273 --- in Jl'rench, by C. M. do V. L. rarit, 1808 267 --by Montague 1839 274 Woty (W.) Cnmpanalogia-in Praiac of Ringing, 268-- 1827 fol. L&nd., 1761 269 --H. L. 1833 zz. 354 APPENDIX. And now I have the pleasure to append what may be considered a very appropriate final tail-piece-a joyous set of minstrels or jongleurs, if they may be so considered. I am indebted to the Council of the Archreological Institute for the annexed block, cut from a drawing made by Mr. J. G. Waller, whose attention was called to the sculpture when he lately visited the Cat.hedral of Autun. The capital on which it is found was completed about the middle of the twelfth century. There are many details in the building copied from Roman work still existing in the city, particularly the fluted pilasters, and this forms the capital of a pilaster on one of the piers of the nave. "It represents a performance upon bells, which is certainly singular. The principal performer seems to have sus­ pended himself to a crosR, on which depend a number of bells, two of which he is ringing with his hands ; another appears through a slit in his tunic, and perhaps is fastened to his thigh, and besides be appears to be going through a kind of jig at the same time. On each side of him is a companion, each of whom is striking the clapper of one of the bells suspended from the cross, and one is ringing another he holds in his h:md."' Right merry fel­ after all my long lows they seem to and intricate peals be, and as such they of bell literature are certainly as and bell curiositie9, much in tune with · I have at last come my own feelings as to a close, and cry probably those of "Stand." my readers-that

"l.aubate Dominum in CJ.'!mfJalit~ IJmtMnanti!JuJ : laubate rum in f2atiJaiiJ jufJfiationft. G111ni• tpiritu• laubrt t!Jominum." sauciuia. ~mm.

1 Extract from the ..J.rc~logical Journal, vol. uvii., p. 256. APPENDIX. 547

VIII.

FURTHER 'RECORDS RELATI.KG TO THE BELLS OF THE

CATHEDRAL OF S. PETER, ExETER.

A PAPER READ BEFORE THE EXETER DIOCESAN ARCIDT.tCTURAL SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 22ND, 1872.

It appears by the Patent Rolls (2 Edward III., A.D. 1:313), part 1, membrane 5, printed in extenso in the former part of this work, that Roger de Ropforde and his heirs were appointed by Bishop Quivil in 1284 to make the bells for the Cathedral. How long they enjoyed this privilege does not. appear, but from entries in the Fabric Rolls, 1372-3, in Bishop Brantingham's time, they were no longer employed by the Capitular Body, for other persons were engaged in casting two bells. the details of the cost are set forth in the following extract :

" Compotus Domini Willielmi Trendlebeare custodia operis beati Petri Exoniensis

"In carbonetis emptis xv• iW; in uno quarterio carbonetis lapidis empto iv"; in duobus summ.i.s focalis de Stokwode iij!d ; in expensis in purificatione metalli et fusione campane :xiij" ; et in follibus conductis ad id complenda.tn ij" " Summa xxxiij• vijt• " In solucione facta Thonu Karoun alias Belhutero pro lahore suo x£ xix•" "In expensis suis versus Dertemouthe iij• et ex prEOOepto dominonun meo~ xj• "In solucione facta Nicholao Bealde ad adjuvandum pnedictum Thomam in opere prredicto per xix septimanas xij• "Summa xj£ xv• "Custus alterius campano. " In carriagio butuminis xxjd; in pinguedine boum xix ti. iij' vij• ; in cera ompta 4 pro literis iiij ; in uno homine conducto ad superintendenda.tn formam campane p~r ij dies ix4 ; in pinguedine porconun et schynzina vj4 ; in canabo et in filo canabi ij• ijd ; in una. 4 4 plata empta iiij ; in ligacione cape cum ligno iiij ; et cum ferro de proprio vj• ; et in quatuor summis focalis de Stokwode vj4 ob ; in uno summo strami.nis vjd ; et in stipendio 4 Ricardi Drobel locato ad fodiendum puteum pro campana per ij dies et dimidiam x ; et in una stapela pro campana viijd ; et in solucione facta Thome Karoun, alias Belutero, iij ti. vi' et viij4 " Summa. iiijti. iiij• xj4 ob. • • • • • " Item, in solucione Gulielmo Crockarnwille pro cruce campanilis et J ohanni Snel cum toto apparatu ad exaltandam campanam integram xxx• x• ; in emendacione unius clapere 4 de Graunson ilij " • • • • • These may certainly be considered among the very earliest records relating to the casting of bells. Aware of their great inter~t when I first found them in the Fabric Rolls-which, by the courteous permission of the late Dean, I was allowed to examine~ircumst.ances prevented my taking a copy at that time, and I depended upon getting the whole entry photographed ; but a.

• In my first e.coount of the Cathedral Bells, page 77 of this Volume, page 297 of the :Iramactiom, it is stated that no entry in the Chapter Acts could be found. 3a2 550 APPENDIX.

" And whereas since the new castinge the said bells one of the said four bells, to wit, the said bell comonly called THE TENOR or GREAT BELL of the amaH ring, or CoBTHORNE bell, appeareth t~ bee defective in the head P ALLAT and CANONS or tenons thereof, and to be baser mettle in those· parts than in the other parts thereof and than any the other bells of that tower, insoemuch that the said Cobthorne bell cannot be hung up by the canons or tenons and argent thereof, as the same was formerly, and still ought to bee hung and as other bells are usually hung, but is at present hung up by iron bolts, for and in the doeing which the said Thomas Purdue hath caused t~ bee made and bored diverse holes through the head or pallat of the said bell :" if therefore the said bell become defective within twenty years the s!Lid Thomas Purdue will recast it.-Signed, "Thomas [T. P.J Purdue."' In my first account of these bells, at p. 297 of the Transactwns (p. 77 of this vol.), extract from the Act Book is given, dated 11 January, 1729-30, relating to the recasting of these cracked bells ; in addition to which I am now able to give the proposals made by Mr. Wm. Evans for doing the work, namely.- " For recasting ye 3 crack'd bells of S. Peters, Exon, viz., ye 5th, 8th, and tenour, and likewise ye 3rd and 4th, tho' sound, this being necessary to make a complett: musical peal of ten." He sums up his proposals thus. The whole charge thus completed..- For recasting 15,1COlb. of metal at £1 8s Od p•· hund4. - 211 8 0 Taking Y" bells down and hanging ym up again 70 0 0 The allowance of 5lb. per hundred for waste to be supply'd Will new metal at Js 2d p•· pd. 44 0 0 Six hundred pd• encrease of gross weight at Is 2d p•· pd. 39 4 0 To ye Foundery 20 0 0 To ye Stocks 5 0 0 'fo ye Workmen 2 2 0

£391 14 0 By looking at the dates on the bells it will be seen that the above proposals M to the 3rd and 4th were not carried out, for they a.re dated 1658 and 1676, but four bells were recast by him, and not three.

1 There the bell still hangs by the bolts, sound and good, with the exception o£ the CIUlons, as it came out of the mould, 1676. APPENDIX. 551 We are still ignorant when this noble peal was augmented from eight to ten, It was not done in 1 729 by Evans, as might at first be supposed from the wording of his proposals just quoted. Risdon, in his Su1·ve'l/ of Devon, which is said to have been written before 1640, says, "There be eight bells serving for daily use, which were escheated in the sixth year Edward VI. (see "Additional Records," p. 193 of this volume). In 1697, the date of Prince's Epistle dedicatory of his Wortltie.s of Devon, at p. 166, in his remarks on Peter Courtenay, Bishop of Exeter, he says, "In the south tower is a cage of ten very sweet and musical bells." From these two dates_ it may be safely inferred that the ring or peal was made ten in 1676 when the Chapter agreed with Purdue to do the work recited in the foregoing extracts. It appears in an entry in the Am BooK, dated 13 January, 1778, that :Mr. Thomas Bilbie, Bellfounder (he lived at ) had delivered written proposals for new hanging and doing all other necessary repairs to the bells, putting the same into complete order, and he agreed to perform the same in a proper and workmanlike manner for the sum of forty guineas. He was to keep the said work in rApair for one year from Michaelmas nex~ by which time the work was to be completed. His proposals were accepted and the work was done. The probability is that it was at this time that the bells were altered from the dead rope pull to the saUy-by tradition the work was done by one Searle, Bilbie's bellhanger-after whicl:l they were rung for the first time by fifteen men from Alpbington, where, a few years before, a new peal of eight had been set up by Bilbie, and for many years afterwards the ringers from the same place continued to handle the bells. Judging from appearances nothing has been thoroughly done to them from that time to the present, excepting trifling mendings ns occasion might require, and therefore it is not to be wondered at that they are not in that excellent order, which is so necessary for ringing properly so called. It is worthy of notice that by an entry in the Act Book, 7 Oct., 1615, it appears that 1700fi>. of bell metal had been dishonestly " sold away APPENDIX. to the great detriment of the Church and hindrance for the newe castinge of certain old bells there." A petition to the Archbishop of UantE>rbury and other Her Majesties Commissioners for causes ecclesiastical prayed '• that the money so to arise may be employed towards the newe casting and making tuneable eight other bells there nowe imperfect ; and settyng up a chyme as bathe beene ordared. And also towards the makyng and setting upp of a watch diall on the outside of the north tower of that Church wlh bells and quarter strikers, as it is at Westminster,' wch will be very useful to the whole cittye and many others that passe that way, being a great thorough­ fare." It is further stated that the bell metal sold was worth above £57, and it is believed that £20 more at least will not procure " so much mettall and so good as thn.t wch was solde." I must not close without a few words about G1·eat Petm· in the north tower, originally given by Bishop Courtenay in 1484. On certain occasions that bell used to be run~, and it appears by entries in Acts of Chapter March 11th, 1611, that it was crazed when rung on the 5th of Novemb~::r, 1610, and the present bell is a recast. Godwin in his Prmsulihus, fol. p. 234, under Bishop Courtenay, tells us that he presented the north tower with a very large beU "qure propter pondus immensum sine multorum hominum lahore non potest pulsari eam que ob causam dup1icem habet rotam funesque binas quarum ope circum­ agatur." Brice in his Dictionary. under Exeter, published 1759, says it "used to be rung out on proper occasions, though it has not been rung out for many years past." At present there are no wheels attached to thi.'l bell, and the curfew and other tollings are pulsed by means of a heavy hammer striking on the outside, and in this way it is tolled every morning for mattins fifteen minutes and th~n doubled ten minutes. after which the ringer walks away to the south tower and rings out the treble of the ten for five minutes till Peter strikes the hour. The curfew is tolled every evening

1 This alludes to the dial of the old clochard in Palace Yard, taken down 1701. APPENDIX. 553 after the clock strikes eight ; the number of blows is regulated by the number of the days in the month, ana after a pause eight blows are struck. For the other services the following is the use ; the 6th bell is struck four blows a mintue for five minutes and after that .it is struck quickly for one minute, then the 7th, Sth, 9th, and lOth, each in succession one minute, after which the whole ten are pulsed in succession or chimed five minutes till Peter strikes the hour; which seems to be in accordance with the words in an extract from Bishop Oldham's Statutes, which, for the convenience of the reader, and for the purpose of appending a note, I rf'produce here :- " De modo pulsandi ad Divina. "Annuellariis-• ulterius precipimus quatinus so1itas pulsaciones ad horae canonicas debita forma. faciant. Proviso quod ad matuninas et ad vesperas in Feriis et Festis, cum Regimine Cbori1 vel sine, tantoruodo loco tempore pulsacionis quotitidianre, faciant sexaginta aut plures Tintinaciones cum majori campana de tribus minoribus in Australi Turre dependentibus. Et simili modo in Festis principalibus et majoribus duplicibus, post terciam pulsacionem, dictas fa.ciant Tintinaciones : quibus finitis . sequatur statim completa pu]sacio cum aliis campanis more solito pulsanda." For the same purpose, I also reproduce an extract from the Statutes, which Bishop Grandison settled for the government of his Collegiate establishment at Ottery S. Mary (dated September 29, 1339)t there is one (No. 15) which not only gives the number and position of the bells, but also directs when, and how, and on what occasions they were to be sounded. It records four in each tower, and that they were to be hung as at Exeter. It appears by the Fabric Rolls (p. 72-3), that in the same century the like number of bells was in each tower of our Cathedral : 15. "Item statuimus quod omni die per annum extra feriam sextam parasceves3 et sabbato sancto cantetur solempnis missa de beata Maria in

a This refers to the Rulers of Choirs in the middle ages, for an explanation of which see the Consuetudines of Sarum, in Dr. Rock's Church of th4 Fathw1, also the Sm:er&' Hand Book, and the Sm>icu of thl Church, with Rubrical Directions according to the use of Sarum, by Charles Walker, Esq., published by Hayes and Palmer, London. 2 See Dr. Oliver's Mlmll>lticon .Dwcuu &on, p. 268-9. a Good Friday. 554 APPENDIX. capella ejusdem atequam pulsetur ad primam diei ; ad quam missam in omnibus majoribus duplicibus festiB per totum annum maxima campana eoclesie pulsetur ; in mediis vero duplicibus secunda major campana : in omnibus aliis duplicibus tercia major campana: et quando 'Invitatorium' tercio habetur, quart.a major : et predicte quatuor majores campane debeant pendere sicut Exonie in parte ecclesie dextra, et alie cotidie quatuor in siuistra, quarum major semper ad missam beate Marie pul­ setur nisi in predictis temporibus, et semper cum ilia campana que debet pulsari ad missam beate Marie, pulsari debet Ignitegium. Pulsabitur ad missam sic: Primo illa campana, cum qua pulsari debet, terminatur octo vel decem ictibus continuis, et facto bono intervallo quasi dimidii miliariil pulsetur cum eudem campana per dimidium miliarii et cessetur et iterum statim repulsetur eadem per totum tempus, ut primo, et cessetur; et statim tercio pulsetur brevius ; et tunc celeriter clerici omnes et pueri cum duobus ad minus, vicariis, vadant sine mora ad capellam beate Marie, et dictis horis beate Marie, cum sufficiens numerus venerit, incipiatur statim missa et terminetur campana."

' I have submitted this difficult phrase to some high classical scholars, who are of opinion that the meaning is half of a th.omnml, and that the passage should be construed in this way-" and ~r a good interval, say whilst you could count 500" (which would be about three minutes), "let the same bell be tolled," &c. The adjective "miliarius" was often used in tho same kind of way in more cla.ssical Latin, with the word " spatium'' or "numerus " understood. Or " miliarium" may be taken as a substantive, and "dimidius" as the neuter of the adjective "dimidiua," and then it would be at the interval of "about a thousand halved," which would bring it to the same thing. It ia difficult to understand how the late Dr. Oliver (:Mo~as. Exam., p. 269) could construe it, "Bung with a half wheel, or dead rope! " ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS.

Page 23, line H, p. 216 should be p. 24. , 29, line 17, for Archvett read Van Aer~~ehott. , 43, third line from the bottom, for 167f road 1747. , 121, No. 206, Honiton, dele "now the Chapel of St. Laurence." , ,. , 2, Dell, for Ebra read Ezra. " , " 4, Bell, for Lett read I.ott. " , No. 207, 6, Dell, before Flamma inJert ConntPI11T xa. , , ,. for " Graviore " read GnANDtt:a. , , Add, Chapel of St.lf&rgru\lt's, One Bell inscribed" GOD PRESERVE TIDS HOUSE." , 226, Dell at Fribrugh. dated l 268, is not the earliost. There is one in the llaaenm at Baycux, formerly at Fontenailles, dated 1202, diameter 26 inches. NDt,l a11d Q11eriu, fth Seriee, Vol. i.x., p. 216. This ancient Bell is now in the Museum at :Rayeux. The legend is nbbre..,inted, but when extended it roods th118 :- + ¢~RI${\;!jl$ Y~¢1{\; ¢l!l~I${\;!jl$ ~&q;'R~~ : ¢lll~I${\;!ll$ I~1UI~li~.. ~{\;. !Jl.¢¢.II. See a full deacript.ion, with engravings of this nnd other Bells, in Vol. lt:tii. of .J.tmale• .J.reluologique, p. 213 to 246, by M. Sauvageat, Pari•, 1862.

Page 228, line 11, read Bock for Roch. , 278, Thomas Wroth, Boll-founder, lived at Wellington, Somcl'!ICt, nnd not in Exeter. , 279, 1813 il the date of tho peal of twelve at Liverpool, and not 1724. , 372. Dr. Trenar's pair of small bells; the one being tho clapper of tho other, proves to be a Cattle Bell broaght from the Crimea. I possess one myself. ~Ian)' wcro broaght home. The same are on cattle in ·Ceylon and long the Cout of Halabar, aa I have been informed by Colonel Lock of the 60th Infantry, who remembers them.

THe A.sHIIt:RNDAX BIILL AT CKBL&BA.-Thia Bell was given to the old Parish Church of Chelsea by tho Honorable William Ashburnham, Esquire, Cofferer of Her MajestiC!! Household, 1679, as a grateful offering to commemorate his eecape from drowning in tho Thames into which ho had wandered during a dark night of the above year, and from which he "'as saved by hearing tho Clock of the Church striko nine. Considering tho circumstance to have been a most providcntinl means of eaving his life, he mado certain conditions that tho bell should be rung every evening during tho winter months in caso of any future llimilar event. PLATE I.

~, ,.· ... PLATE II.

. : .,•· . . . . : Plc.u!I!

•

..,, ..

P I u.J.r, 1t 11

THE CLOG-OlR,-fRONT VIEW.

.P~x

THE CLOG-OIR,-SIDE VI EW. PLa.teXII.

-r • t ~ ,.. , n... ,.. • roo .... . -- • • • - · · • .PJI

Bbotre~ ~....______~arM.

~ ~fo'f-0~ "X~-.. parLow XIVeb.¥arw Tke:ru~ ct:Autriclte/. b~?arYrtvteou dv.l£ar!ay, Ardw-Oerue- ch.Puu.:Etk f..fob.JO_ndue; ~ .z685. par .FloreALilf-.L'-fl«ljj· J'qwFoiM ut-ck3s. ooo. kc.son,;~wtJ.~"j."d .taluu4eur ·de/ ~. t' epaid.Jt}Ur de/8 r' dJwba~tA:uU: ,PikYe/ ,g7 8_!io. .PL/1TE, XIII.

~ ~.ft.t;,r,o~ E~, par.Loui.f XIVd/Ararw Tlu:ru~ d/AuJFiche/. 6~1'arJiraJUXJi4 dvKar~, ArdtM?er«Q ~.Paru.:E!k 5ft.JO.n.a!u.v en- .:z.685.par FlorMLilf.. .L~l«ljj· J'on/?o-itk u!: t:U? :3 B. o oo. lie . .SOT//~ c/el ci. ~';t. ".1 Ja lumteur ·d& ~. t' ~m4"ew- de/8 ~ e~; w6a~twt,t; f'Me/97 6'./iD. PLRTE, X

~·~·~~~ ~f~·~·~·~·~·~ft:======2tl======~-==ti======~·~-=~--=-1 4~------~$------­ PREAT j3ELL FOR pT. rAUL S FATHEDRAL, M.A(])E fJ3Y PHILIP WIGHTM.AJV, 1708, FrROM THE OL f}) WESTMIJVSTErR TOM

'From a Dlawiuc (made at the time it wu loweftd to be recast), by J. Talman, in the posse"ion of the late :'otr. Du~d, who communicated it to the Antiquarian Kepository, 1779· P.LRTE.

Diameter 10 feet 111 inches. The Legend is in Sclavonic, from Psalm 149, v. 1, 2. · " 0 sing unto the Lord a new song : let the congregation of saints praise Him. ~et Israel rejoice in Him that made him, and let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. "-A.D. 1848. PLfl.TE D

j3ELL AT fTAf\..GARDT, IN foMEF\._ANIA.

Diameter 74i Inches. W eit,ht about 4 Tons.

CAST BY FR. GRUHL, OF KLEINWELKA, SAXONY, 186o·p rr .:.V/.A / 1/ .

A BELL SET AT HAND STROKE, A BELL SET AT BACK STROKE, u7~tlne d<¥,'t.¥.r ?oo..w· t».·'d tn. tis ni-Jltt &« .,,~u>r, wz'ilt lk cl.:~:ZJ,zw-la.si~d ,<:: \ --._ . -- - NO 1 ~ ......

The tlotUd Iillo dODoCathe poolt.loo ol tho rop41 Ia the ...... ,.. ol the wheel. Tile arrow ollotrt the 4ltco­ tlca Ia whidl lllo Mil will - wbaa lbe ..,. • .,.,......

..

I ~ i ~ l ~

~ ~ '.:::~ F/61 I'< ...._ I I u ~ ... ~ ! } ~ .. I I ~ • \) ·· f ~ : ~ ~ ~ ... \ ) FIC2 \ ~ \ ..) E "§ ) ,.\ ~ ; 11 ~f'\ f"'C 3 ~ FiC 4; "':

POSITION 01' TH£ HANDS AT THE SALLI' AND NOPE.$ IND. IV8. TH£ "~(IIUor THE RIN~ERIS DRAWN CON$1D£RA8lY TOO Slti A£1. 1'0/t THE SIZ£01' THE BELL OIV ACCO(//VTO; S,.ACE.

This document is provided for you by The Whiting Society of Ringers visit www.whitingsociety.org.uk for the full range of publications and articles about bells and change ringing