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 .