Church Bells of England H. B. Walters
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Church Bells of England by H. B. Walters File 04 – Chapters XIII to XVII Appendix, Indices 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 CHAPTER XIII THE DECORATION OF BELLS HE ornamentation of many of the ancient bells, and even T of some of later date, is exceedingly beautiful. Even if a tinker by trade, the bell-founder took a real pride and joy in his work. His trade-mark, his initial cross, the word-stops, the lettering it5elf, frequently rise to a very high artistic level. This is, of course, mainly true of mediaeval bells, but even in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries some founders were not destitute of taste, and adorned their bells with rich and vq.ried ornamental borders., or made use of devices which had come down to them from earlier. times. The lettering of this period is also frequently excellent of its kind, even if unpretending. · To deal first with the last-named subject, we find on mediaeval bells, from the beginning of the fourteenth century onwards, two varieties of lettering, Gothic capitals and black letter " smalls." The latter are used by themselves, or more frequently combined with initial Gothic capitals; this style is known as "Mixed Gothic." The use of capital letters through out is universal throughout the fourteenth century, and no instances of black-letter type can be traced further back thi111 about 1400. Though on the Continent it came earlier into use for inscriptions, it is seldom found anywhere in England before that date, except on a few brasses,l and these appear to be foreign importations. But even in England its introduction on bells was never general, and many founders, especially those of the Midlands, adhered to the old style down to the Reforma tion. And in other cases there was a revival of capitals 'in the sixteenth century. The earlier Roman or Saxon capitals, whkh were replaced by Gothic towards the end of the thirteenth century, are now hardly represented in England, as there are not more than two existing inscribed bells which go back to a date anterior to 1290. These are the unique bell at Caversfield, Oxon., already 1 St. Mary the Virgin, Oxford (1349); Aveley, Essex (1370). o8x THE ·DECORATION OF BELLS described (p. 21), and one at Marton-cum-Grafton, Yorkshire, which is inscribed in Roman letters- CAMPANA SANCTI IOHANN1S EWAGELISTE and appears to date from the thirteenth century. The inscrip tion on the old bell at Chaldon, Surrey (19), which is probably earlier than I 300, is much more Gothic than Roman in character, ~n~ one at Goring in Oxfordshire, which can be dated about 1290, IS m good and fully-developed Gothic letters. On the other Lettering used by Geoffrey de Edmonton (r3oo) ~ w~ ' ' : Lettering used by Stephen N orton of Kent * hand, the bell of I 296 at Claughton (p. 22) has a sort of mixed type, the C being the only genuinely Gothic letter. But certain survivals of the use of Roman letters may be noted. An early bell at Bristol Cathedral combines a Roman E witb Gothic letters; one formerly at Billericay, Essex (p. 18 5), dating about I 305, 1 had a characteristic Roman M and N ( 282) ; and a Roman T is used by more than one founder down to the end of the fourteenth century and even later. But these are mere exceptions. Some of the earlier London founders use very effective sets 1 Stahlschmidt, Surrey Bells, pi. 5· Cross and letters on Lincolnshire bells (r423-1431 TilE DECORATION OF nELLS of Gothic lettering which are fully illustrated in Stahlschmidt's book on SurrcJ' Bells.1 Another good alphabet (282) is that of Stephen Norton of Kent (I363-138I),3 which was subsequently adopted by London founders of the fifteenth century. Specially worth~ · of mention are the beautiful and highly-ornamented letters on bells from an unknown local foundry in Lincolnshire, of which admirable engravings by Mr Orlando Jewitt were given in North's book (283; p. 205).3 There are eleven bells ofthis type in the aforesaid county, two at South Somercotes being dated in 1423, another at Somerby I43 I. Copies of this lettering were made by the Taylors of Loughborough, and have been used by them on their bells at Worcester Cathedral and elsewhere. Lettering from bell at Exhall, \Varwickshire Another fine set, of the middle of the fourteenth century, was used by a Leicester founder on bells in that and adjoining counties! and subsequently by the Newcombes in the sixteenth century ( 28 5). They are double-lined letters, the spaces being filled in with rich ornamentation like diaper-work A third typical set of 1\Tidland counties lettering, but by an unknown founder, was formerly on a bell at Exhall, \Varwickshire ( 2 S.f). Thomas Potter of Norwich (I 404) used a very elaborate 1 See also Deedes and \\'alters, Essex, pis. 1-3; another is illustr;ted in Chap. viii. ( IS)). 3 ~ See '0- cit., pis. 5, 6. C!t. /le!Is (If Lincs., pis. 9- I 3- j Tilley and \Valters, Clt. Hdls of Tf~rrzc•., pi. 8. - -- ..-: ~s ..... ....<•..... - • . - \r ~- "r'~_; -- ...; ., ,- -- o::"' >-'· A ..... ·. -.... ' ~ . .,.. Lettering from Leicester foundry (about 1350) 287 Lettering used by Henry] ordan of London (about 1460) THE D ECORATION OI•'' BELLS alphabet, in which the letters are filled in with grotesque figures and other devices like a child's fancy alphabet (~89). There is a specimen at Great Plumstead, Norfolk.1 Two very fine sets of large letters were used by Robert Burford and William Wodewarde of London (1400- 1420), the former being found only as initials in " mixed Gothic" inscriptions 2 (290). Another handsome alphabet was used by a Bristol founder of about 1450 at Yate, Gloucs., and Yatton, Somerset. Many mediaeval founders ornamented their letters by placing crowns over them ; these are found on bells from the foundries at W okingham and Salisbury, and some times on London-made bells ; also on Stephen N orton's bells, and on some of un known origin in Dorset. Black-letter inscriptions do not call for much remark ; B perhaps the most elaborate specimens of these letters are \~ to be found on two similar bells at Scarrington, Notts., and Thorne, Yorks.3 As al I~ ready noted, the London and other founders ofthe fifteenth \ century,such as Henry Jordan (287), used "mixed Gothic" or black-letter with Gothic initials. Mention should also be I L'Estrange, Noifolk, p. I9I. 2 Cocks, B ucks., pis. 9, I 3· 3 Poppleton in Yorks. Arch. Journ., xvii. pi. I I. THE bECORATION OF BELLS made here of the inscriptions in a curious sort of manuscript or cursive type found on bells at Worcester St. Michael and Grimley, Worcs. (p. 200), which are dated respectively 1480 and 1482, the dates and sundry names being placed in these char acters below the main inscription-band. The letters are only London 15th century capitals (W. Wodewarde) Lettering of William Oldfield of Canterbury (about I 5 50) slightly raised, and not produced in the ordinary way, but engraved in the mould. Another inscription in peculiar type is at Greystoke, Cumberland, the letters being vague and ill formed.1 1 Trans. Cumb. attd Westm. Arch. Soc., xi. p. 141. ...., ::c: trJ tj trJ (') 0 >::0 ....:! ..... 0 Lettering used by Appowell of Buckingham. (From Cocks) z 0 'zj tt1 trJ t"' mt"' IV \0- Lettering of Bartholomew Atton of Buckingham. (From Cocks) Gothic capitals used at Nottingham about r7oo.. (From Lynam) THE DECORATION OF BELLS 293 Arabic numerals 1 are not found on bells before the end of the fifteenth century. They occur on a bell at Durham C.::1-stle, dated I495, at St. Mary Bredin, Canterbury (lb<Pb =I 505), and at Isleham, Cambs. (I5I6),the figures here being quite of the modern form. At Rayleigh in Essex a bell by Thomas Bullisdon (p. I90) has on the shoulder :Jbns, which might represent I 508, about which time the bell was cast, but this is not likely. At Leaden Roothing in the same county we have ao ib23, and on bells by the Tonnes at Stanstead and Felstead, I 540 and 1546 in similar figures, as also at Wood Ditton, Cambs. (I544). After I 560 Arabic numerals become the recognised form for dates. In the period immediately succeeding the Reformation (I550-I6oo) a great variety of usage prevailed, but the majority of founders adhered to one or other of the old styles, and Roman lettering was slow to establish its position. It, however, occurs as early as I 560 at Stanton All Saints, Suffolk, and was invari ably used by Stephen Tonne of Bury St. Edmunds (I559-I587), and by John Wallis of Salisbury (I578-I624). Some founders of this time adopt a sort of quasi-Gothic alphabet of capitals, examples of which may be found on bells by William Oldfield of Kent (290), by the Newcombes of Leicester, by Atton of Buckingham (29I), and by Robert Mot of London. Others again, as Appowell of Buckingham (29I), and sometimes the Leicester and Reading founders,2 use a sort of ornamental but vaguely-formed lettering, the inscriptions being quite devoid of sense. With the opening of the seventeenth century Roman lettering becomes more general, but many founders, such as the Brends of Norwich, Henry Oldfield of Nottingham (250), and Hugh Watts of Leicester, still prefer the Gothic or black letter styles, which retain their popularity down to the end of J ames I.'s reign, or even later.