Manx Bells by R. W. M. Clouston File 01: The Entire Book 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 MANX BELLS Ranald W M. Clouston BSc Eng FSA PUBLISHED PRIVATELY 7986 2 Feltham and Wright in their tour of the Isle of Man in the summer of 1797 made sketrhes of the churches they visited; these all show open bellcotes and quite small bells. At that time Kirk Patrick was ruinous and had no bell; St. Patrick's Church in Peel Castle, Kirk Braddan, Kirk Marown and Kirk Halew each had double bellcotes with two small bells. The remainder had only small single bells. Some of these have survived, but none were cast earlier than the 18th Century. The larger bell at Kirk Braddan Old Church, 23'1,, inches diameter, bears the date 1780 incised on the shoulder. This fabric was re-erected in 1773 on the site of a much older church. The bell bears a normal arrangement of moulding wires, six canons and an argent. While incised dates and inscript­ ions can be put on a bell at any time after casting, the details of the bell do support 1780 as the likely casting date. Probably from an English foundry, as the design shows that the founder was quite used to casting bells and moulding the quite intricate canons and argent, the loops on the crown. The companion bell, 17~ inches diameter, is a little later, say 1800; there are no moulding wires on the shoulder or by the inscription band, and though there are argent and six rectangular section canons, the moulder has made a mistake in putting the cast-in crown staple, which supports the clap­ per, 90° out compared with the canons. So the bell appears quarter turned with the single canons under the timber headstock and the double canons show­ ing on each side. There is no inscription or evidence as to the founder; probably English. Lezayre has a small bell, 16 inches diameter, which bears on the waist the date 1788 and a representation of what seems to be a liver bird, which suggests Liverpool as the site of the bell foundry. The original chapel dedicated to St. Matthew in Douglas was consecrated in 1708. A clock, now in the Manx Museum, was given before 1740 and struck the hours on the present bell before the old church was demolished in 1895. The present bell, 211,, inches diameter, is uninscribed, and has every app­ earance of having been cast in the late 18th Century by a founder who was not very experienced at casting bells. There are three moulding wires just by the thickest part of the soundbow; this latter is most unusual as it would be at this point that a clock hammer should strike. Six rectangular section canons have tapering bases. These latter streng­ then the junction of them with the crown and were introduced by the White­ chapel Foundry in London in the mid-18th Century. This bell is not one of Ha. nd. -&-e H (Town""'-~~~;;;;;;~ S-ftou{dtT T~~(. A;gt:n) (TOWn2 ~~:J LL-/\.. Names of parts of a. bell. B Single bell hung as for change ringing. A. Rcndswck. E. Slider. 13. Wheel. F. Clapper. C. G. Frnme. D. Stay. H. Pulley. 3 theirs, and so a rather later date is indicated to allow the idea to reach other founders. As at Kirk Braddan, the inexperienced moulder has put the cast-in crown staple 90° out compared with the canons. The two bells at Malew St. Lupus are both about 20 inches diameter, the deeper toned or tenor is apparently uninscribed when viewed through a tele­ scope, and has two moulding wires on each side of the inscription band. Rect­ angular section canons and a casting date of about 1780. The treble here is som~what later, circa 1830, with no moulding wires by the inscription band and probably cast with a solid pattern. On the west side the waist bears a garlanded head and on the other what appears to be a shield, the upper part of which bears a face and the lower roots or tentacles. The writer has not found this mark elsewhere· and is not aware of its significance. The Douglas Grammar School bell, now in the Manx Museum, is said to be 18th Century. The bell is completely blank with no moulding wires, but with a step at the top of the soundbow and two slight ridges by the shoulder. 14i inches diameter. The handbell type argent is bolted to a wrought iron head­ stock. The bell could date from 1780, but might be somewhat later. The 19th Century was a period of considerable activity in casting or re­ casting bells for Manx churches and other buildings , and we find for the first time bells which can definitely be said to have been cast on the Island. The earliest of these is the treble at Castletown St. Mary which has a decorative border all round the inscription band and incised on the waist:- T. GELLING FECIT . 1835. 18~ inches diameter. The crown is set hard on the underside of a large tim­ ber headstock and any canons and argent that there might be are completely enclosed in the timber. A directory of this period shows Thomas Gelling as a founder on South Quay, Douglas. This bell is the only one so far discovered bearing his name. The Patrick bell weighing about 2 cwt bears the . inscription:- J G G (Manx escutcheon) 1861 The initials clearly stand for James G. Gelling who is noted in the directory to have been a brass founder in Market Place, Douglas, while Richard Gelling carried on as an iron founder on ·South Quay. The canons are unusual; the singles are much wider than usual, and the whole is turned 90° compared with the crown staple. There are no moulding wires below the shoulder. The Baldwin St. Luke bell, about 18 inches diameter, is also from the Douglas foundry. The Manx escutcheon appears at the top of the waist with a 4 border of arcading immediately below all round the bell. There is a step by the shoulder, four moulding wires at the top of the soundbow, and one just above the border. The canons are again unusual with only two wide loops to the argent and no single canons. The church was consecrated in 1836; the bell could be as old as this, but more likely to be a little later, say circa 1850. The Peel former Primary School has a small bell, about 10 inches diameter, hung in an open bellcote. Only part of the inscription is visible from the ground, but Mr G. Palmer of Peel kindly informs the writer that it reads:­ PRESENTED BY ROBERT ~IOORE ESQ 1848 (Manx Escutcheon) The inscription is on a raised flat band just below the shoulder and a hand­ bell type argent is bolted to a wrought iron headstock. The bell from the former Cornelly Mine of the Isle of Man Mining Company is preserved in the Manx Huseum in Douglas. 14 "/" inches diameter with an ornamental border all round just where the inscription would normally be with the Hanx escutcheon on the waist. The argent has no hole through it and two very large section canons are located one on each side where the double canons would normally be. No moulding wires and only two ledges above and below the soundbow. This bell is very similar to the Patrick bell, and was most prob­ ably cast by James G. Gelling of Douglas around 1860. It was used at the Cornelly Hine in the period 1860 to 1886. Dealing with the other bells dating from the first half of the 19th Cent­ ury we first have the uninscribed tenor at Castletown St. Mary, 23~ inches diameter, which is unlike any other bell seen on the island. One large mould­ in~ wire at mid-waist and three just above the soundbow and a ledge just be­ low the shoulder. Any canons and argent are recessed into a large timber headstock and are not visible. The soundbow inside and outside curves are flatter than normal and the maximum thickness of 1~ inches is not limited to just one point. The casting date would seem to be around 1800. Marown Old Church has a double bellcote with one bell in the southern opening. This bell, about 16 inches diameter, has three spaced moulding wires below the shoulder, and two at the top of the soundbow. Six rectangular sect­ ion canons. No visible inscription or marks, but the design suggests a date of about 1800. The tower of the ruined church of German St Peter in Peel built in 1872 houses a bell, 221 inches diameter, inscribed: E • PERRY WHITEHAVEN· 1809 Large and rather rough letters between two large moulding wires just below 5 the shoulder in the normal position. Pairs of moulding wires on the crown and at the top of the soundbow, but none by the lip. Oval section canons secured to a massive timber headstock. No other bells by this founder are known either in Cumbria or elsewhere, so he probably combined bell founding with some other trade. The bell is not easy to reach, being hung from six stout iron rods attached to some beams above. The bell is mouth uppermost and the six rods ar~ secured to the ends of the timber headstock.