harman international industries , incorporated is an american company that designs and engineers connected products for automakers , consumers and enterprises worldwide , including connected car systems ; audio and visual products , enterprise automation ; and connected services .

headquartered in stamford , connecticut , harman maintains major operations in the americas , europe , as well as asia and markets its products under more than twenty brands — including akg acoustics , amx , crown audio , harman/kardon , infinity , jbl , jbl professional , lexicon , dbx , digitech , mark levinson , martin , revel , soundcraft , and studer .

on november 14 , 2016 , harman entered into an agreement to be acquired by south korean company samsung electronics .

the sale was completed on march 10 , 2017 .

harman international industries

harman international industries engages in the development , manufacture and marketing of audio products and electronic systems .
samsung said it would pay $ 8 billion for harman international industries , an american automotive technology company .
not many people would guess that harman international industries inc . is an american company , let alone a washington one .
therefore , comparing the nps score of harman international industries with your own without any further context is not that useful .
top 100 : # 18 harman international industries inc . ,
washington post , april 9 , 1990 , p . e28 .
harman international industries inc . ( har : nyse ) – market cap as of 18 / 11 / 2016 : $ 7 . 622bn
jp morgan and lazard are advising harman international industries , while evercore is the sole advisor to samsung . additionally , jp morgan provided the fairness opinion to harman’s board .
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© 2018 harman international . all rights reserved . privacy policy | terms of use
consider an example : if harman international industries sends out nps surveys immediately after purchase , they are tracking their customers ' initial excitement and the checkout experience .
skopp , roberta ,
christopher stevens appointed harman kardon president ; harman international industries , inc . , acquires audioaccess , phoenix systems ,
pr newswire , june 3 , 1993 .
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we have estimated the net promoter score of harman international industries based on the publicly available information including the sentiment of the company - related tweets , 3rd party reviews , and alexa ratings .
accelerates innovations for expanded industries and markets : through greater global engineering scale and complimentary customer base , the acquisition will enable harman to rapidly develop and commercialize more innovative solutions and systems for a broader set of industries .
on november 14 , samsung electronics co . announced the acquisition of harman international industries inc . for a total equity value of approximately $ 8bn , and a value per share of $ 112 entirely paid in cash .
in december 2016 , harman international industries inc . invested in a startup that makes projection displays that sit in front of car windshields , signalling a new area it plans to explore under the ownership of samsung electronics co .
seoul ( reuters ) - samsung electronics has agreed to buy harman international industries in an $ 8 billion deal , marking a major push into the auto electronics market and the biggest overseas acquisition ever by a south korean company .
electronics giant samsung on monday said it will buy u . s . car and audio systems supplier harman international for $ 8 billion .
principal subsidiaries : akg ( germany ) ; allen & heath limited ( united kingdom ) ; audax industries , s . a . ( france ) ; bss audio ( united kingdom ) ; dod electronics corporation ; harman belgium nv ; harman consumer europe a / s ( denmark ) ; harman deutschland gmbh ( germany ) ; harman france , s . n . c . ; harman international industries , limited ( united kingdom ) ; harman international japan co . , limited ; harman - kardon , incorporated ; harman - motive , inc . ; harman motive limited ( united kingdom ) ; infinity systems , inc . ; jbl incorporated ; lexicon incorporated ; lydig of scandinavia a / s ( denmark ) ; soundcraft electronics , limited ; studer professional audio ag ( switzerland ) ; turbosound ltd . ( u . k . ) .
samsung , the south korean electronics giant — which already makes popular but recently problem - plagued smartphones — said on monday that it had agreed to buy harman international industries , an american automotive technology company , in an ambitious push into a whole different kind of mobile .
source : international directory of company histories , vol . 15 . st . james press , 1996 .
william blair & company initiated research coverage of harman international industries , incorporated ( har $ 105 . 31 ) , a leading manufacturer and distributor of infotainment systems , vehicle and consumer audio products , professional audio products , and connected services for automakers , consumers , and businesses globally .
harman international industries was to disappear from nyse in q3 / 2007 due to a buy - out by kkr and goldman sachs capital partners . [ 13 ] however , as of mid september 2007 , kkr announced they would back out of the deal . harman shares plummeted by more than 24 % that day , on the news .
harman international industries was to disappear from nyse in q3 / 2007 due to a buy - out by kkr and goldman sachs capital partners . [ 20 ] however , as of mid september 2007 , kkr announced they would back out of the deal . harman shares plummeted by more than 24 % that day , on the news .
samsung electronics today announced it has completed the previously announced acquisition of harman international industries , incorporated ( “harman” ) . under the terms of the merger agreement , harman stockholders will receive $ 112 . 00 per share in cash . the completion follows the satisfaction of all conditions to the closing of the transaction , including approval of the transaction by harman stockholders and receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals in the united states and certain foreign jurisdictions .
the first transaction was the u . s . $ 8 billion offer by kkr and goldman sachs for harman international industries , the maker of jbl speakers and harman kardon home theatre systems . harman was founded in 1953 by dr . sidney harman , the now 88 - year - old chairman , who will remain as executive chairman following the transaction . interestingly , harman had previously been sold by dr . harman in 1977 to the beatrice company , under whose ownership it performed poorly . dr . harman bought the company back in 1980 for u . s . $ 55 million .
stamford , ct – harman international industries , incorporated ( nyse : har ) , the premier connected technologies company for automotive , consumer and enterprise markets , today announced the successful completion of its acquisition of towersec , a global provider of automotive cyber security , specializing in onboard network protection for connected vehicles .
harman international industries is the global leader in connected car technology , lifestyle audio innovations , design and analytics , cloud services and iot solutions . it was founded in 1980 by sidney harman and bernard kardon , and is now headquartered in stamford , connecticut . harman has developed , both internally and through a series of strategic acquisitions , a wide product offering . the company is organized in four distinct segments :
harman international industries , inc . manufactures and markets a wide range of high - end , high - fidelity audio and video system components for consumer and professional markets . well - known brands sold by the company include jbl , infinity , and harman kardon . harman was expanding rapidly in the early and mid - 1990s , mostly through the acquisition of subsidiaries in europe , japan , and the united states .
despite gloomy predictions , harman proceeded during the 1980s and early 1990s to build harman international industries into a powerhouse in the niche for high - end consumer and professional audio equipment . he achieved that growth largely by acquiring smaller companies , reorganizing their management and operations , and allowing them to run relatively autonomously using his style of management . the strategy eventually proved to be hugely successful , and harman international became known as one of the few large u . s . audio - equipment producers to prosper during the 1980s and 1990s .
sidney harman and bernard kardon founded the predecessor to harman international , harman kardon , in 1953 . both harman and kardon were engineers by training and had worked at the bogen company , which was then the top manufacturer of public address systems . their collaboration helped to create a new industry : high - fidelity audio .
the sudden deterioration in conditions in the buyout market has had implications for deals big and small . the $ 25 billion buyout of sallie mae ( charts , fortune 500 ) and $ 8 billion deal for harman international industries ( charts ) are both in jeopardy after buyers balked at completing the deals as they are currently structured .
in february 2017 , harman international shareholders have voted in favor of the acquisition by samsung . [ 19 ] on march 10 , 2017 , the acquisition is complete , with harman becoming a subsidiary of samsung electronics . [ 5 ]
in an era when u . s . electronics companies have all but ceded the world consumer market to foreign competitors , harman international is a rare bird . its optimism and international scope seem more in line with the 1950s , when the u . s . audio industry was on top of the world .
sidney harman , from his station in washington , d . c . , watched from the corporate sidelines as beatrice drove his company toward ruin . when carter was ousted from office in 1980 , harman became determined to regain control of the enterprise and restore its former glory . in 1980 sidney harman and a group of investors paid $ 55 million for what amounted to about 60 percent of the assets of the company that harman had sold in 1977 . harman established a bare - bones headquarters in washington , d . c . , and began streamlining and organizing the newly created harman international industries to compete in the 1980s .
sidney harman and bernard kardon founded the predecessor to harman international , harman kardon , in 1953 . both harman and kardon were engineers by training and had worked at the bogen company , which was then the top manufacturer of public address systems . their collaboration helped to create a new industry : high - fidelity audio . harman bought out his partner in 1956 and then expanded harman kardon into an audio powerhouse , according to a biography written by the consumer electronics hall of fame . [ 6 ]
stamford , ct – harman international industries , incorporated ( nyse : har ) , the premier connected technologies company for automotive , consumer and enterprise markets , today launched a refresh of its corporate brand , unveiling a new logo and new division names . harman’s new logo represents the company’s mission to enable seamless , connected lifestyles for the home , car , stage and enterprise through its leading audio products , infotainment systems , software and connected services .
stamford , ct – harman international industries , incorporated ( nyse : har ) , the premier audio , visual , infotainment and enterprise automation group , today announced the successful completion of its acquisition of redbend ltd ) . israeli - based redbend is a leading provider of software management technology for connected devices , and over - the - air ( ota ) software and firmware upgrading services .
but like all electronics companies in this country , harman has to include foreign - made components in much of its product line . and a factory owned and operated in japan by shin shirasuna turns out the entire harman - kardon line of products . for harman international ' s wares in general , the u . s . content is between 60 and 85 percent , harman estimates .
south korean electronics giant samsung looks to very quickly get up to speed in the highly - competitive smart car business with its $ 8 billion acquisition of u . s . car and audio systems supplier harman international
news broke monday morning that samsung had agreed to acquire harman international for $ 8 billion in an all - cash deal . the deal accelerates samsung ' s foray into the automotive market and offers new growth potential .
stamford , connecticut - - harman international industries , incorporated ( nyse : har ) , the premier infotment and audio group , today announced the successful completion of its acquisition of amx llc , from the duchossois group , inc . for $ 365 million . richardson , texas - based amx is the leading provider of enterprise control and automation systems as well as audio / video switching and distributing solutions and will be integrated into harman’s professional offerings servicing audio , video and it professionals .
after he left government in 1978 , [ 7 ] he created harman international industries and reacquired a number of businesses he sold to beatrice . the company continued its growth plan with a string of acquisitions throughout the 1980s that pushed harman international ' s sales from about $ 80 million in 1981 to more than $ 200 million by 1986 , and then to more than $ 500 million by 1989 . harman international went public in 1986 with a stock offering on the new york stock exchange . cash from that sale was used to , among many other purchases , buy soundcraft , a u . k . producer of professional mixing boards , in 1988 and later - salt lake city digital electronics producer dod electronics corp . by 1990 , harman international was selling consumer audio gear under such brands as jbl , harman kardon , infinity and epicure loudspeakers , as well as professional audio systems with such brands as jbl professional , urei , soundcraft , allen & heath , dbx , studer , dod , lexicon , akg , bss , orban , quested and turbosound ( the last one now under the control of music group ( company ) [ 8 ] ) .
after he left government in 1978 , [ 4 ] he created harman international industries and reacquired a number of businesses he sold to beatrice . the company continued its growth plan with a string of acquisitions throughout the 1980s that pushed harman international ' s sales from about $ 80 million in 1981 to more than $ 200 million by 1986 , and then to more than $ 500 million by 1989 . harman international went public in 1986 with a stock offering on the new york stock exchange . cash from that sale was used to , among many other purchases , buy soundcraft , a u . k . producer of professional mixing boards , in 1988 and later - salt lake city digital electronics producer dod electronics corp . by 1990 , harman international was selling consumer audio gear under such brands as jbl , harman kardon , infinity and epicure loudspeakers , as well as professional audio systems with such brands as jbl professional , urei , soundcraft , allen & heath , dbx studer , dod , lexicon , akg , bss , orban , dbx , quested and turbosound ( the last one now under the control of music group ( company ) [ 5 ] ) .
roopa unnikrishnan is vice president of strategy for harman . harman is a wholly - owned subsidiary of samsung electronics co . , ltd .
by 1990 the harman organization had grown into a loose conglomeration of several autonomous companies , each of which catered to a specific niche in the high - end audio equipment industry - - most of harman ' s goods , though , were marketed under the venerable jbl , infinity , or other top brand names . harman ' s sales topped $ 550 million in 1990 and net income was shy of $ 15 million . although harman international achieved growth and much success during the 1980s , it became clear to sidney harman that major changes had to be initiated if the company was going to compete successfully in the 1990s . that concern was reflected in a disappointing $ 19 . 8 million loss experienced by harman international in 1991 , during the recession .
segal , david ,
the hi - fi manufacturer that listens well ; d . c . ' s harman international stays close to the customer ,
washington post , september 4 , 1995 , bus . sec . , p . 10 .
novi , mich . – january 25 , 2016 – harman international industries , incorporated ( nyse : har ) , the premier connected technologies company for automotive , consumer and enterprise markets , today announced the official opening of its new north american automotive headquarters . located in novi , michigan , the 188 , 000 square - foot building with 1 , 000 employees focuses on engineering and development of advanced technology solutions for the connected car , automotive audio , and cloud services . developed by northern equities group , the harman north american automotive headquarters anchors the 400 - acre haggerty corridor corporate park .
since joining harman in 1997 , michael has held several senior management positions of increasing responsibility . michael was co - president of harman’s automotive division , as well as co - president of harman’s infotainment and lifestyle divisions . michael was also senior vice president of finance and chief financial officer of harman’s automotive division until 2010 .
in march 2017 , harman became a wholly - owned subsidiary of samsung electronics .
in connection with the proposed transaction , harman will file with the securities and exchange commission ( the “sec” ) and mail or otherwise provide to its stockholders a proxy statement regarding the proposed transaction . before making any voting decision , harman’s stockholders are urged to read the proxy statement in its entirety when it becomes available and any other documents filed with the sec in connection with the proposed transaction or incorporated by reference therein because they will contain important information about the proposed transaction and the parties to the proposed transaction . harman investors and security holders may obtain a free copy of the proxy statement and other documents that harman files with the sec ( when available ) from the sec’s website at urltoken and the “investors” section of www . harman . com . in addition , the proxy statement and other documents filed by harman with the sec ( when available ) may be obtained from harman free of charge by writing to harman international industries , incorporated , attention : corporate secretary , 400 atlantic street , suite 1500 , stamford , connecticut 06901 , or by calling ( 203 ) 328 - 3500 .
however , despite those concerns and the troubles that samsung is going through these days , harman international shareholders have voted in favor of the acquisition . this means that a major hurdle is now out of samsung’s way as it seeks to close this deal in the coming months .
samsung electronics announced in november last year that it had decided to acquire harman international for $ 8 billion . this acquisition gives samsung access to harman’s automotive business as well as its premium audio brands which include bang & olufsen , harman kardon , jbl , and more . there was some pushback from minority investors who felt that the price was too low . some even filed a lawsuit against harman’s ceo for deciding to sell the company at a price that they perceived to be lower than what the company was actually worth .
kardon retired in 1956 and harman bought his share of the blossoming enterprise . harman sold part of his company in 1962 . for several years thereafter , harman - kardon , under sidney harman ' s control , operated as the flagship division of an enterprise that owned other high - fidelity products interests . during the next several years , harman built the stereo company into a leading contender in the high - fidelity industry . at the same time , the innovative and intriguing harman was involved in a number of other pursuits .
the predecessor to harman international was founded in 1953 by sidney harman and bernard kardon . both harman and kardon were engineers by training - - the
dr .
in harman ' s title , interestingly , refers to a phd in social psychology that he earned at the union institute of new york . the two friends were working together during the early 1950s as engineers at the bogen company , which was then the top manufacturer of public address systems . high - fidelity technology that was emerging at the time had caught harman ' s interest , and he tried to persuade his superiors at bogen to become more involved in the burgeoning field .
harman bought out his partner in 1956 and then expanded harman kardon into an audio powerhouse , according to a biography written by the consumer electronics hall of fame . [ 3 ]
but through it all sidney harman ' s company , renamed harman international , continued to prosper , earning $ 9 . 1 million on sales of $ 136 . 6 million in the year that ended aug . 31 , 1976 . in 1977 came a major change : it was sold to the beatrice foods conglomerate of chicago . harman says he wanted to unload his 25 percent stake to avoid any conflict of interest after his appointment as undersecretary of commerce in the carter administration .
through acquisitions and internal expansion , harman international ' s sales have soared from $ 80 million a year when the company was reconstituted to an expected $ 460 million in the year that will end june 30 . in november 1986 it went public and is now traded on the new york stock exchange .
stamford , ct – harman international industries , incorporated ( nyse : har ) , the premier audio , visual , infotainment and enterprise automation group , today announced it has signed an agreement with symphony technology group to acquire symphony teleca , a privately - held global software services company . based in mountain view , ca , symphony teleca provides software engineering and integration services that help businesses rapidly design and develop products and technologies at the convergence of device , sensors , cloud and data . with the acquisition of symphony teleca , harman will add a fourth division to its three primary businesses : infotainment , lifestyle and professional . the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals and is expected to be completed by the end of harman’s 2015 fiscal year .
press - release - samsung - electronics - completes - acquisition - of - harman . pdf
redbend will operate within harman as an independent business unit led by its existing management team .
above : the six ' onion - like ' layers of harman ' s security system .
harman expanded to include lighting in 2013 with the acquisition of martin professional . [ 10 ]
with its $ 8 billion deal for harman , samsung targets the competitive smart car business .
harman shares rose 25 . 6 percent to their highest level in more than one year .
harman international was incorporated in 1980 by dr . sidney harman , a politician , philosopher , entrepreneur , and one of the founding fathers of the stereo industry . he formed the enterprise to purchase the jbl loudspeaker unit operated by the mammoth beatrice companies , inc . conglomerate . the roots of the company that harman created in 1980 , though , reach back to a venture that harman himself launched in the 1950s . indeed , harman purchased the jbl division as part of a plan to regain control of the company that he had started and , over the course of nearly three decades , built into a respected developer and manufacturer of cutting - edge , high - fidelity stereo gear .
harman is also increasing its focus on the telematics business focusing on connected tcu’s and adding the v2x focus on this . daimler is one of the biggest clients harman has in this space .
meanwhile , harman continued to pursue additional interests , including politics . indeed , in 1976 newly elected president jimmy carter appointed sidney harman to the post of undersecretary of commerce . harman accepted the job and in 1977 sold his 25 percent stake in harman - kardon to chicago - based corporate behemoth beatrice foods . harman pocketed $ 100 million from the sale and went on to achieve notable successes in the carter administration . beatrice , in contrast , mismanaged its harman - kardon subsidiary ( one of 200 under the beatrice umbrella ) and promptly ran it into the ground .
sanjay dhawan is executive vice president and president of harman’s connected services division & the company’s chief technology officer . harman is a wholly - owned subsidiary of samsung electronics co . , ltd .
michael mauser is executive vice president and president of the lifestyle audio division and regional head of harman europe . harman is a wholly - owned subsidiary of samsung electronics co . , ltd .
smart cars behind samsung ' s $ 8b bid for harman with its $ 8 billion deal for harman , samsung targets the competitive smart car business . check out this story on urltoken urltoken
harman credited the prosperity of his companies to the success of a strategy that emphasized three tactics : 1 ) all of the company ' s products were built in factories that it owned , rather than purchased from companies that contracted to manufacture the goods for harman ; 2 ) harman international vigorously marketed all of its products globally ; and 3 ) the company honored its employees and treated them with respect . the success of that three - pronged strategy was evidenced by one of harman ' s first acquisitions , a car stereo company that he purchased in 1982 and dubbed harman motive . when harman bought the small company it was generating sales of about $ 8 million per year . before the end of the decade , however , the division was churning out a big $ 100 million in annual revenues .
this communication also makes reference to harman’s awarded business or “backlog” , which represents the estimated future lifetime net sales for all of harman’s automotive customers . harman’s awarded business does not represent firm customer orders . harman reports its awarded business primarily based on written award letters . to validate these awards , harman uses various assumptions including global vehicle production forecasts , customer take rates for harman’s products , revisions to product life cycle estimates and the impact of annual price reductions and exchange rates , among other factors . the term “take rate” represents the number of units sold by harman divided by an estimate of the total number of vehicles of a specific vehicle line produced during the same timeframe . the assumptions harman uses to validate these awards are updated and reported externally on an annual basis .
department of commerce exchange of letters on the resignation of sidney l . harman as under secretary .
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emerging in june that year , this new harman international had about 60 percent of the old company ' s assets . washington was home for harman by this time , so he put his lean corporate headquarters here ( it currently has only seven people ) . in 1985 , the company scored a first of sorts by regaining some territory lost by the u . s . industry . it bought back the harman - kardon label from the japanese company that had acquired it , shin shirasuna , now part of the giant hitachi group .
in 1994 akg became a part of harman international industries , inc . the following years brought a time of restructuring and sharpening of the product line and distribution strategy . the wireless microphone line was extended with great products used on tour by rod stewart , peter gabriel and simply red . 1995 brought the introduction of the world ' s smallest dual - diaphragm system in the world , the ck 77 / c 577 - big in sound , smaller than a thumbnail in size , specifically designed for theater , tv and film uses . akg also developed the new performer series - affordable microphones for karaoke , home - recording and performing musicians .
excluding transaction costs and purchase accounting adjustments , harman expects the transaction will be dilutive to operational earnings by approximately $ 0 . 05 in fiscal year 2016 . this was previously stated during harman’s second quarter fy16 conference call . the towersec acquisition will be reported as part of the harman connected car division .
mentors play an influential role in helping today’s young professionals become experienced leaders . # harman ’s inter… urltoken
with leading brands including akg® , harman kardon® , infinity® , jbl® , lexicon® , mark levinson® and revel® , harman is admired by audiophiles , musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world .
more than 50 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with harman audio and connected car systems .
just as important as management strategy was a string of acquisitions throughout the 1980s that pushed harman international ' s sales from about $ 80 million in 1981 to more than $ 200 million by 1986 , and then to more than $ 500 million by 1989 . notable among harman ' s early acquisitions was urei , a manufacturer of professional amplifiers . of greater significance was the purchase in 1985 of the original harman - kardon operation from shin shirasuna . that buyout represented one of the few acquisitions of a japanese electronics company by a u . s . firm during the 1980s . harman international went public in 1986 with a stock offering on the new york stock exchange . cash from that sale was used to , among many other purchases , buy soundcraft , a u . k . producer of professional mixing boards , in 1988 , and salt lake city digital electronics producer dod electronics corp . in 1990 .
the annual and semi - annual consolidated statements of financial condition of william blair & company , l . l . c . , and its wholly owned subsidiary , william blair international , limited ( collectively the
company
) are available below .
seoul , korea and stamford , ct – samsung electronics ( krx : 005930 ) ( “samsung” ) and harman international industries , incorporated ( nyse : har ) ( “harman” ) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which samsung will acquire harman for $ 112 . 00 per share in cash , or total equity value of approximately $ 8 . 0 billion . upon closing , the transaction will immediately give samsung a significant presence in the large and rapidly growing market for connected technologies , particularly automotive electronics , which has been a strategic priority for samsung , and is expected to grow to more than $ 100 billion by 2025 [ 1 ] . harman is the market leader in connected car solutions , with more than 30 million vehicles currently equipped with its connected car and audio systems , including embedded infotainment , telematics , connected safety and security . approximately 65 % of harman’s $ 7 . 0 billion of reported sales during the 12 months ended september 30 , 2016 are automotive - related , and its order backlog for this market at june 30 , 2016 was approximately $ 24 billion .
harman international bucked criticism with its performance during the early and mid - 1990s . the company focused on growing existing operations , but also continued its aggressive acquisition drive . sales jumped from $ 604 million in 1992 to $ 862 million in 1994 , while net income rose from $ 3 . 5 million to $ 25 . 6 million . harman also continued to streamline and consolidate , reducing its entire operation to just three divisions : professional , automotive , and consumer .
harman is best known for making car audio systems under brand names popular with audiophiles such as harman / kardon and jbl . but harman’s appeal to samsung comes from what it calls its connected car business — an operation that supplies a car’s navigation services , its onboard entertainment systems and its connectivity to the rest of the world .
ralph has responsibility for 197 employees across four business units and drives all aspects of harman’s worldwide marketing strategy . this includes brand stewardship , artist relations , event sponsorship , market research and product innovation for all harman product and technology brands including akg® , harman / kardon® , infinity® , jbl® , lexicon® , mark levinson® and revel® .
your use of the william blair website is subject to all applicable local , state , national and international laws and regulations , and you agree not to use the william blair website for purposes that violate such laws and regulations . in addition , you agree that :
beatrice effectively butchered the company , selling off some chunks of the business and mismanaging what remained . by 1980 only about 60 percent of the organization of which harman - kardon had been a part before sidney harman exited remained . the original harman - kardon division , in fact , had been sold to a japanese company named shin shirasuna , which was later absorbed by the giant hitachi group of companies . basically , all that was left of harman ' s original company was jbl ( a loudspeaker business ) and some international distribution companies . although beatrice had damaged it , jbl remained a respected manufacturer of high - end professional speaker systems ; jbl , founded in 1946 , had helped to pioneer the loudspeaker industry .
jimmy carter : department of commerce exchange of letters on the resignation of sidney l . harman as under secretary .
harman has over 70 years of engineering expertise with audio and voice . it’s the core of everything we do .
in june , 2014 , harman completed the acquisition of amx llc , from the duchossois group , bringing enterprise control and automation systems as well as audio / video switching and distributing to harman ' s offerings . [ 11 ]
“the internet of things ( iot ) is ushering in a rapid convergence of experiences , content and commerce and advancing technology from digital to connected to intelligent systems . software is driving this evolution and as a result , software solutions and services will be key to harman’s continued success , ” said dinesh c . paliwal , harman chairman , president and chief executive officer . “the acquisition of symphony teleca is a transformative step for harman that gives us immediate scale in software services . with the addition of cloud , mobility and analytics competencies , we will accelerate solutions for the connected car and for a broader set of industries and markets . we look forward to welcoming the symphony teleca team to harman and working closely with them to fulfill our customers’ desires for building a seamless , safe and secure connected lifestyle . ”
amx products and operations will be integrated into harman’s professional division , the professional audio and lighting unit of harman , featuring legendary brands like akg® , bss audio® , crown® amplifiers , dbx® , jbl® professional , lexicon® , soundcraft® , studer® and martin® lighting . as with other product brands in the harman professional portfolio it will be referred to as amx by harman . harman’s professional division designs , manufactures and markets leading professional audio and lighting products for recording and broadcast , musicians , cinema , touring sound , commercial applications like airports , stadiums , hotels and concert halls . harman systems are installed in world renowned entertainment and hospitality complexes , transportation centers , and cultural and academic institutions around the globe .
in june , 2014 , harman completed the acquisition of amx llc , from the duchossois group , bringing enterprise control and automation systems as well as audio / video switching and distributing solutions to harman ' s offerings . [ 8 ]
harman ( harman . com ) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers , consumers , and enterprises worldwide , including connected car systems , audio and visual products , enterprise automation solutions ; and services supporting the internet of things .
on july 1 , 2008 , sidney harman was succeeded by dinesh paliwal as chairman of the board . [ 15 ]
on july 1 , 2008 , sidney harman was succeeded by dinesh paliwal as chairman of the board . [ 22 ]
jimmy carter : department of commerce exchange of letters on the resignation of sidney l . harman as under secretary
harman rejects the idea that his company ' s success lies in a protected niche approach . ( the japanese , he says , have made repeated efforts to grab his business but have failed . ) the principles that guide his company , he says , could be applied by any u . s . manufacturer serious about reentering the mass electronics market . but he concedes that harman international , for the time being at least , is not going to stray from the high - end business line by which it has done so well .
kaplan , fred ,
sidney harman ,
regardies : the business of washington , september 1989 , p . 94 .
in the 1970s , harman accepted an appointment in the carter administration as undersecretary of the department of commerce . when harman took office in 1976 , he sold his company to conglomerate beatrice foods to avoid a conflict of interest . beatrice promptly sold many portions of the company , including the original harman kardon division , and by 1980 only 60 % of the original company remained .
many electronics industry insiders doubted the wisdom of harman ' s decision to jump back into the now - hyper - competitive stereo equipment industry . aside from his age - - harman was 61 at the time , and some critics wondered if he lacked the vision to compete in the rapidly evolving , increasingly global electronics industry - - the u . s . electronic components industry was experiencing global upheaval . the primary culprit in the downfall of many u . s . electronics and related equipment manufacturers was intense overseas competition , particularly in japan . u . s . companies had ceded the bulk of their domestic market share to the japanese , and pressure on companies like harman international was intensifying .
the company will host a conference call with the investment community thursday , january 22 , 2015 at 10 : 00 am est . to participate call 1 - 800 - 763 - 6564 ( north america ) or 1 - 212 - 231 - 2924 ( international ) , access code 21760117 . a replay of the call will also be available following its completion at approximately 1 : 00 p . m . est . to listen to the replay , dial 1 - 800 - 633 - 8284 ( u . s . ) or 1 - 402 - 977 - 9140 ( international ) , access code 21760117 .
samsung is offering $ 112 in cash for each harman share , 28 % higher than the stock ' s friday closing price .
harman engineers solutions to enhance life’s experiences , simplifying the way people interact with technology and connecting them to the world around them .
rt @ harmanservices : harman introduces cruise industry ' s first voice - enabled personal assistant . read to know more . … urltoken
harman expanded it ' s portfolio of professional solutions to include lighting in 2013 with the acquisition of martin professional . [ 7 ]
dinesh paliwal is president and chief executive officer of harman , a wholly - owned subsidiary of samsung electronics co . , ltd .
nick parrotta is chief digital and information officer at harman , a wholly - owned subsidiary of samsung electronics co . , ltd .
david slump is executive vice president of operations at harman , a wholly - owned subsidiary of samsung electronics co . , ltd .
the deal , which is subject to approval by harman shareholders and regulators , is expected to be completed in mid - 2017 .
actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward - looking statements . in addition , the forward - looking statements represent harman’s and samsung’s views as of the date on which such statements were made . harman and samsung anticipate that subsequent events and developments may cause their respective views to change . however , although harman and samsung may elect to update these forward - looking statements at some point in the future , each specifically disclaims any obligation to do so . these forward - looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the views of harman or samsung as of any date subsequent to the date hereof . additional factors that may affect the business or financial results of harman are described in the risk factors included in harman filings with the sec , including harman’s annual report on form 10 - k for the fiscal year ended june 30 , 2016 , which risk factors are incorporated herein by reference .
after months of negotiations , samsung has agreed to acquire harman using part of its $ 64bn cash on hand to finance the transaction . samsung will buy harman’s shares at $ 112 each . the price represents a premium of 27 . 8 % with respect to harman’s closing share price of $ 87 . 7 on november 11 , the last day of trading prior to the announcement . the deal involves a 100 % acquisition of harman for a total equity value of $ 8bn . it is yet unclear if and how samsung will support harman’s existing debt , the rating of which has been put under review for upgrade by moody’s following the transaction announcement .
audiophiles from every generation call on harman to deliver the best in sound in the studio and on the stage , at home and on the go . harman’s portfolio of legendary audio brands includes akg® , harman kardon® , infinity® , jbl® , lexicon® , mark levinson®and revel® . more than 50 million vehicles on the road today enjoy an enhanced driving experience , thanks to harman audio and infotainment . we extend the same spirit of innovation to the world’s leading performance and sporting venues , providing everyone with the best seats in the house .
burgess , john ,
harman profits in electronics market abroad ,
washington post , june 6 , 1988 , p . e5 .
koehler , ron ,
sidney harman talks success ,
grand rapids business journal , november 10 , 1986 , p . 5 .
in the 1970s , harman accepted an appointment in the carter administration as deputy secretary of the department of commerce . when harman took office in 1976 as head in charge , he sold his company to conglomerate beatrice foods to avoid a conflict of interest . beatrice promptly sold many portions of the company , including the original harman kardon division , and by 1980 only 60 % of the original company remained .
bogen showed little interest in harman ' s desire to pioneer high - fidelity equipment for the home . so , in 1953 , harman and kardon left the company to form their own enterprise : harman - kardon inc . drawing from their $ 10 , 000 in funds , the pair developed an advanced stereo system that could be used to play records at home . when their friends heard the system , they were amazed .
we knocked the hell out of them ; they were trembling with shostakovich ' s fifth ,
harman recalled in the september 1989 regardies - - the business of washington .
nobody had heard anything like that in his living room ,
harman added .
department of commerce exchange of letters on the resignation of sidney l . harman as under secretary . ,
october 11 , 1978 .
a full cinema quality 5 . 1 surround sound theater showcasing harman ' s expertise in professional audio , as well as home and multimedia ;
sandy rowland is executive vice president and chief financial officer of harman , a wholly - owned subsidiary of samsung electronics co . , ltd .
ralph santana is executive vice president and chief marketing officer of harman , a wholly - owned subsidiary of samsung electronics co . , ltd .
on november 14 , samsung and harman will host a webcast presentation to discuss the transaction at 8 : 00 am est / 10 : 00 pm kst . links to the webcast and accompanying documents will be available on samsung’s investor relations website urltoken and harman’s investor relations website urltoken .
establishes harman as unique provider of application engineering services for connected experiences : with the competitive advantage of established systems solutions , and global expertise across analytics , mobile development and cloud , harman will be able to provide a comprehensive application services offering across the automotive , enterprise and consumer markets .
in connection with the completion of the transaction , harman’s common stock will cease trading prior to market open on march 13 , 2017 and will be delisted from the new york stock exchange . harman will operate as a standalone samsung subsidiary , overseen by a board of directors led by mr . sohn . mr . paliwal will remain ceo of harman , leading the company with his management team , and will continue to serve as a member of its board . samsung is retaining harman’s work force , headquarters and facilities , as well as all of its consumer and professional audio brands .
john stacey is executive vice president and chief human resources officer of harman , a wholly - owned subsidiary of samsung electronics co . , ltd .
upon closing , harman will operate as a standalone samsung subsidiary , and continue to be led by dinesh paliwal and harman’s current management team . samsung is pursuing a long - term growth strategy in automotive electronics , and plans to retain harman’s work force , headquarters and facilities , as well as all of its consumer and professional audio brands . samsung believes the combination will increase career development and advancement opportunities for the employees of both companies .
samsung’s $ 112 - a - share offer for harman represents a 28 percent premium from where its shares traded on friday , but that is still well below the roughly $ 145 that each harman share was fetching early last year . harman’s results from its professional solutions business — which makes sound and lighting for concerts and other events — have weakened . the company has said it will work to bring the operations back to their previous strength .
you may best associate the name with audio equipment , but harman is big on cars , too . the acquisition is samsung’s largest to date and a big deal for its automotive ambitions . around 65 percent of harman’s sales — which totaled $ 7 billion over the last year — were for car - related products . samsung added that harman products , which included connected car devices and audio systems , are installed in an estimated 30 million vehicles worldwide .
it said that dinesh paliwal , harman’s chairman and chief executive , would continue to run the operation , and that it would keep the company’s facilities .
“from the addition of martin lighting and duran audio in 2013 to the completion of the amx acquisition today , harman professional is aggressively pursuing opportunities to provide customers and partners with systems solutions that advance the integration and application of av technology in the enterprise , ” said blake augsburger , president , harman professional division . “the completion of this acquisition expands harman’s preeminent role on stage and in the studio to the enterprise as a leading supplier of turnkey av solutions “
the harman kardon acquisition of bang & olufsen automotive is now completed . the $ 156 million acquisition of bang & olufsen automotive , a danish supplier of …
abrahms , doug ,
big quake didn ' t shake great year for harman ,
washington times , august 20 , 1994 , p . d5 .
mike peters is executive vice president and president of the connected car division at harman , a wholly - owned subsidiary of samsung electronics co . , ltd .
mohit parasher is executive vice president and president of the professional solutions division at harman , a wholly - owned subsidiary of samsung electronics co . , ltd .
the transaction , which is subject to approval by harman shareholders , regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions , is expected to close in mid - 2017 .
previously , dinesh served on the board of directors of tyco international ltd . ( nyse : jci ) , adt security services ( nyse : adt ) , and embarq , now centurylink inc . ( nyse : ctl ) , and served as chairman of abb india ltd . ( a publicly - listed company with a multi - billion dollar market capitalization ) . he also has served as chairman of the u . s . national foreign trade council and on the boards of the u . s . - india ceo forum , the u . s . china business council , the national symphony orchestra , and the international swimming hall of fame . he served for three years as economic advisor to the governor of guangdong province , china .
towersec’s ecu shield and tcu shield embedded automotive software security products will be integrated into harman ' s 5 + 1 security architecture , to protect the critical vehicle systems and functions from hacking and intrusions , a necessary prerequisite in all connected and autonomous vehicles . towersec is an award - winning global automotive cyber security company that has been recognized by leading automotive trade groups . in 2015 , towersec was named the north american international auto show’s hottest startup , and received the 2016 new product innovation award from industry analyst firm frost and sullivan .
terms of the deal will see samsung pay $ 112 . 00 per share . that’s a healthy premium on harman’s current share price of $ 87 . 65 , and it gives the deal a total value of approximately $ 8 billion . the transaction is expected to close by mid - 2017 , at which time harman will become a standalone subsidiary of samsung . dinesh paliwal will continue to lead the firm as its chairman , president and ceo , both harman and samsung said .
above : a diagram illustrating harman ' s security system that incorporates the ' ecu shield ' technology from the company ' s acquisition of towersec in early 2016 .
furthering its commitment to the city of novi , harman today announced a $ 10 , 000 grant to the novi educational foundation to support educational opportunities and program enhancements for the novi community school district and greater community . joined by customers , elected officials and community leaders , harman executives commemorated the official opening with tours and prese
rt @ harman : # 5g connectivity
will be key to the future of the connected car .
with 5g networks ' ability to analyze massive amo… urltoken
as head of the harman strategy group , roopa will oversee the integration with samsung and the company’s longer - term growth strategy . roopa is responsible for overseeing harman’s strategy process and drives box 3 innovation efforts as well in partnership with business and technology leaders . she reports to president and chief executive officer , dinesh paliwal .
“harman was missing , in our opinion , a meaningful presence in displays and cockpit electronics ; samsung has these , ” baird equity research said in a report .


beating the bounds is an ancient custom still observed in some english and welsh parishes .

under the name of the gangdays the custom of going a-ganging was kept before the norman conquest .

a group of old and young members of the community would walk the boundaries of the parish , usually led by the parish priest and church officials , to share the knowledge of where they lay , and to pray for protection and blessings for the lands .

beating the bounds

see also beating the bounds on wikipedia ; and our 1911 encyclopædia britannica disclaimer .
to see pictures of the event , go to the beating of the bounds photo gallery .
jurymen and pirates stage mock battle at beating of the bounds ceremony . poole , dorset .
beating the bounds , again outside the fox and goose in 1898 . source : ealing as it was hendon publishing 1993
beating the bounds was a kind of medieval data backup , a way to pass the knowledge of the parish boundary to the next generation .
beating the bounds , hungerford 1913 ; an example of the ritual of ‘bumping’ heads upon boundary markers . with kind permission of hungerford virtual museum
beating the bounds , hungerford 1913 . this demonstrates the extremes that parishioners went to , walking through the river thames . with kind permission of hungerford virtual library .
despite it being very much an important part of the parish calendar , the tradition of beating the bounds has dwindled over the last hundred years . in a small few pockets of the county , there have been recent revivals of perambulations . in 2005 , holt held a beating the bounds festival with numerous activities , blending the old traditions with new .
on ascension day each year brasenose ( along with other colleges and several shops ) welcomes two groups of visitors carrying out the ancient tradition of beating the bounds .
boys are used to beat the bounds at meopham in kent . soundtrack missing .
beating the bounds has taken place in a variety of forms in britain for over 2000 years and has developed from many different cultures from across europe and beyond .
other ceremonies such as dancing around a may pole , ' clipping ' ( which is holding hands around the church ) and even the beating of the hobby horse in padstow are all obliquely connected to the ' beating of the bounds ' . in scotland the perambulations are known as ' riding the marshes ' .
branches cut from willow trees have been used to beat the bounds for hundreds of years .
boys from st . mary of the angels school beat the bounds of their new school at addlestone .
pupils beat the boundaries with sticks . photo from 2010 by ianvisits from the londonist flickr pool . one of the more peculiar traditions in london ' s well - stocked cupboard of oddities is the ceremony of beating the bounds .
it is unfortunate that these ancient customs are dying out but with advancing technology and a massive reduction in rural church congregations , the ‘beating of the bounds’ will soon be just a distant memory of our generation .
the festival of rogantide appears to have originated in 467ad in france when the bishop of vienne was desperate to seek god’s intervention , following a series of devastating events that plagued the inhabitants . his action resulted in “beating the bounds” becoming a christian ceremony . rogantide derives from the latin
this is one of the last remaining observances in the uk of “beating the bounds , ” a tradition with a 600 - year history . a procession of church dignitaries and parishioners mark the borders of their parish by walking them and hitting marker stones with willow wands .
in britain the custom involved walking around the parish boundary and beating it with a stick , or stripped willow branch known as a wand .
the custom of beating the bounds goes back to the anglo saxon period at least . in the days before maps and written title deeds a knowledge of the physical boundaries of property was very important . so the custom grew up of walking the boundaries , stopping at intervals to strike boundary stones to ‘mark ' the bounds . the practice was often linked to rogation days , days set aside by the church for prayers for the crops ; walking the boundaries of the parish was an obvious opportunity to do so .
the ritual of beating the bounds of the ancient borough of llantrisant originated during the early history of the town when in may or june every seven years the clergy and town officials went in procession around the boundary . the charter of 1346 conferred many privileges on the burgesses of llantrisant and these were exercised within and bounded by the “liberties of the borough” – in other words , the boundary . by undertaking the ceremony in may or june none of the harvests would be spoilt by the great procession trooping through the field and the daylight hours long enough for the ceremony . according to former clerk trefor rees , the earliest recorded existence of beating the bounds in llantrisant took place in 1555 , although the ceremony has its origins back in the 9th century .
a tradition that has long since died out in winchester is that of beating the bounds . it involved young boys being
bumped
at various points along the city boundary . the purpose , lost in antiquity , was probably a memory of some primitive ritual to bless the land .
traditionally beating the bounds took place on ascension day or in rogation week and would also involve prayer and intercessions for spring and a good harvest . in england the tradition stretches back at least as far as the anglo - saxons and probably has both roman and pagan origins .
the tradition of beating the bounds still continues in many parishes around britain although sadly is not as prevalent as it once was . british pathe has some delightful archive film of the tradition which can be found on their website . the clip above is of a revival in hereford in 1933 .
the traditional day for beating the bounds of the parish was holy thursday ( ascension day ) 40 days after easter . the rogation days fall on the four days from the fifth sunday after easter which itself falls on the sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox . in different places these may be called cross days , gang days or grass days .
a tradition which has been rejuvenated within cholesbury - cum - st leonards parish in more recent times has been the periodic ' beating of the bounds . ' no doubt this custom would have occurred at regular intervals around the manors and later church parish boundaries that historically constituted this parish . immediately prior to 1934 covering the area of the current parish there were four principle civil parishes ; buckland , cholesbury , hawridge and st . leonards . in more recent times and in recognition of the establishment of the civil parish a beating of the bounds ceremony occurred in april 1974 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the parish .
“i’ve been ‘beating the bounds’ of westerham the last few years” , malcolm tells me , “and i enjoy the day for a number of reasons . a good walk in the countryside around westerham , i like the focus it brings to the town and i also believe that we should appreciate and keep alive our local traditions” .
this is a podcast made by the making suburban faith team when we took part in the beating the bounds walk on may bank holiday monday 2015 . beating the bounds is an ancient tradition , carried out once a year when the parish priest , churchwardens and congregation would walk around the formal boundary of the parish . they would mark the boundary stones of the parish , sometimes by ‘bumping’ the boys of the parish on the stones . the walk served a practical purpose to determine the true extent of the parish , ensuring the extent of those required to contribute to the church , or who might require its services , such as burial . the young boys were supposed to ensure that this knowledge of the parish boundaries was passed on through oral tradition .
' now we must make a shout here that we may recollect the bounds . ' the people then huzzard and took off their hats . '
it is likely that beating the bounds was carried out in high wycombe for centuries until it died out early this century . the revival of 1985 was repeated for a couple of years but has lapsed again . how wonderful if this piece of history could be revived .
a collection of archive footage and old clips in which boys go about ' beating the bounds ' . an ancient english tradition in which boys parade about their local area marking out the territory with sticks . traditionally a public school event , or conducted in london by beafeaters .
before the roman invasion of britain rituals connected with spring were performed each year as part of the pagan festival of beltane . birch twigs or besoms were struck against the boundary marks as part of the ritual . ( modern - day pagans still perform a form of beating the bounds ceremony when occupying a house for the first time ) .
it has been almost impossible to find anyone who remembers the beating of the bounds in high wycombe but thanks to help of olive howes of wycombe age concern , one gentleman recalled it last being carried out in 1928 and having gone through sands , terriers , and wycombe marsh .
dating back to medieval times , every ascension day a group of people — a
beating party
— made up of clergy , schoolchildren and ( if in the square mile ) city bigwigs , walk around the edges of the parish , beating boundary markers with long sticks , and praying for protection of the land .
a photo from 1893 taken outside the ranelagh pub in bounds green , showing members of the community at a beating the bounds ceremony . photo from haringey pubs by chris & hazel whitehouse . although many churches mark the occasion , the most eye - catching is that at the parish of all hallows by the tower , the city ' s oldest church . because the southern border of the parish is halfway across the thames , the beating party — made up of students from st dunstan ' s college , catford , livery company masters and clergy — takes a boat out into the river , where a student strikes the watery marker from the safety of the vessel . it used to be that they were dangled off the side to perform their duty , but safety concerns have put paid to that .
the beating the bounds of the old parish of hanwell been revived in recent years in hanwell as a community event which raises money for hanwell carnival , one of the oldest carnivals in london . it is no longer led by priests , although it does include , of course the parish church of st mary’s in hanwell and the famous gospel oak tree , which once marked the site of outdoor services between the parishes of hanwell and brentford . like the carnival procession itself , beating the bounds blends secular and religious understandings of suburban space , and their intertwined and changing histories . the route takes in the canal , tube - station , semi - detached houses and back gardens , allotments , the golf course , a housing estate and edge city green spaces along the roadside .
the beating party is made up of students from st dunstan ' s college , catford , who return to their roots in the parish of st dunstan - in - the - east to take part in the proceedings , together with the clergy and the masters of our associated livery companies . the south boundary of the parish is mid - stream of the thames and the beating party board a boat which takes them out onto the river to beat that boundary mark . they then return to shore and the procession moves around the parish , stopping at various points to allow the beating party to mark the boundaries with canes as they go . the ceremony is followed by a service of
beating the bounds played an important part in reinforcing anglo saxon charters and the royal and baronial charters of the later medieval period . being legal documents that recorded rights over property and people , the assertion of these rights was of crucial importance to the landowner who would define the extent of their territory and ensure corrections or repairs were instigated where there had been an encroachment .
today it’s the congregation of st michael at the northgate , the city church of oxford , beating its bounds . st michael’s is the oldest building in the city . its boxy tower , now lost in a jumble of modern store frontages , once looked down on the muddy street grid of the anglo - saxon town , nearly a thousand years ago . its parish lies roughly over the area enclosed by the medieval city wall .
in britain at least , ' beating ' of a parish boundary for both the christian and legal ceremonies have become woven together as church jurisdiction succeeded that of the manorial estates .
beating the bounds is an ancient custom still observed in many english parishes . its roots go back to mediaeval times when parishes reaffirmed their boundaries by processing round them at rogationtide , stopping to beat each boundary mark with wands and to pray for protection and blessings for the land . at all hallows we beat the bounds of our parish every year on ascension day , and this year ' s ceremony will take place on thursday 10 may , starting at 4 . 15pm .
later , the anglo saxons changed a largely lawless society , and through land ownership , established a new rule of law that needed periodic enforcement . it was crucial that demarcations between neighbouring communities were clearly recognised to avoid boundary disputes breaking out . beating the bounds would have played an important part in reinforcing anglo saxon charters .
christianity , which probably arrived in britain by the 4th or 5th century ad , incorporated a number of pagan , roman and anglo - saxon festivals and customs . beating the bounds was not originally been part of religious celebration but became gradually integrated . remember in many cases early christian churches were built on sites considered sacred by ancient britons .
malcolm and neil’s comments provide a true testament to the local traditions that are sometimes forgotten as times move on . ‘beating the bounds’ may not be something that everyone has heard of , but for many who have , it’s an important local event that provides a sense of pride and enjoyment at continuing one of the country’s oldest , and possibly most bizarre , customs .
traditionally beating the bounds ceremonies took place on ascension day or else during rogationtide , the fifth week after easter of which ascension day is a part . it was the original intention to hold the 1985 revival in high wycombe on ascension day but it could not be organised in time for this and the invitation for it to be held after the new mayor ' s first civic service on june 9th seemed the most appropriate time to settle for .
other traditions on bealtaine include walking the circuit of one ' s property ( beating the bounds ) , repairing fences and boundary markers as well as feasting , dancing and drinking . according to the ancient irish book of invasions , the first settler of ireland , partholan , arrived on may 1 , and it was on may 1 that the plague came that destroyed his people . years later , the mythical group knows as the milesians , were said to have conquered the tuatha de danann on may day .
( 1761 ) pp . 213 - 214 ) . bequests were sometimes made in connexion with bounds - beating . thus at leighton buzzard on rogation monday , in accordance with the will of one edward wilkes , a london merchant who died in 1646 , the trustees of his almshouses accompanied the boys . the will was read and beer and plum rolls distributed . a remarkable feature of the bequest was that while the will is read one of the boys has to stand on his head .
) the divine blessing upon the parish lands for the ensuing harvest . this feature originated in the 5th century , when mamercus , bishop of vienne , instituted special prayers and fasting and processions on these days . this clerical side of the parish bounds - beating was one of the religious functions prohibited by the injunctions of queen elizabeth ; but it was then ordered that the perambulation should continue to be performed as a quasi - secular function , so that evidence of the boundaries of parishes , & c . might be preserved ( gibson ,
they went under the subway past the anchor pub , the back of the falcon pub and to the angel pub , almost on the same site as the old angel pub mentioned in the 19th century account of the beating of the bounds . from the angel they walked up st pauls row and stopped to look at the standing stone in front of the guildhall . this was another marker point and the last place a boy was bumped . they walked along frogmore past the old red cow pub ( now demolished ) then into temple end past the red cross knight pub and turning into priory avenue . after going along priory avenue they went into amersham hill and back down to birdcage walk .
he expressed the hope that
winchester might extend itself up to those downs
- - he did not think it would ever do anything of the kind [ laughter ] - - at least , not in their time . and so the procession and ceremony continued until they arrived back at bar end , where the volunteer band was waiting . three cheers for the new boundary were given and the mayor was hoisted shoulder high . to round off the event , there was a dinner at the guildhall . it seems the beating of the bounds had last been carried out in 1836 .
this tradition has almost died out ( thank goodness the boys might say ! ) but was revived in 1985 as part of the town ' s 700th mayoral anniversary . the original 1920s ' box ( pictured ) used to ' bump ' the boys ' heads on was found in an archive and re - used . the custom of beating the bounds , was once found in almost every english parish and besides its more usual name was also known as ' riding the marches ' , ' riding the fringes ' or ' common riding ' .
the custom of ' beating the bounds ' has existed in britain for well over 2000 years . precise origins are unclear although it can be found as part of ritual celebration within many different cultures across europe and beyond . in simple terms it involves people in the locality perambulating their farm , manorial , church or civil boundaries pausing as they pass certain trees , walls and hedges that denote the extent of the boundary to exclaim , pray and ritually ' beat ' particular landmarks with sticks .
the boundary line between the state of new hampshire and the state of vermont shall be perambulated and markers and bounds renewed wherever necessary once in every seven years forever by the attorney general of this state in conjunction with the attorney general of the state of new hampshire or by such person as the attorney general shall in writing appoint for that purpose .
today modern maps show the parish boundary and it is no longer crucial to remind people through beating the bounds of their local boundaries however , reliance on definitive maps may still result in ancient rights of way being forgotten . maps sometimes fail to accurately reflect the extent of the boundaries of commons and village greens or precise route of footpaths and bridleways . often these are unfenced , and local people may not only be unsure about the boundaries , but totally unaware that this land has any special status .
the ceremony used to be very important and one of the highlights of the town ' s year . it served several purposes : to bless the field and crops , to emphasise exactly where the parish boundary was , to enable the poor to have a celebration and good time , and simply to bring the people of the town together . the actual boundary line and marker stones were considered almost sacred and woe betide anyone who had removed one of the stones or built their house on the boundary line . there are reports of the whole procession in one parish marching , termite - like , through the front door of a house built on the boundary and out of one of its windows . one elderly gentleman told strange folklore society that when the bounds were beaten near his village of piddington , close to west wycombe , young boys were made to climb up or down chimneys where the house was on the boundary . during the beating of the bounds in london on one occasion a driver refused to move his stage coach off the boundary line . those taking part then promptly climbed in one side of the stage coach and out the other .
following the re - establishment of the christian festivals the priest led the congregation during rogantide in ceremonial procession from the church around the lands falling within ecclesiastical jurisdiction .
the annual tradition of ‘beating the bounds’ or ‘perambulations’ has been carried out for many centuries in our parishes in england , scotland and wales . in scotland , the tradition was known as ‘riding the marshes’ ; a method of reaffirming the parish boundaries from way before the introduction of maps . in some parishes , this annual ritual is still very much part of village or town life . it is believed that this religious practice was first introduced in vienne , france , around ad 470 by the holy bishop mamertus . there were many reasons for the ceremony but the parishioners believed that it would ‘avert great calamaties’ . it would affirm their devotion to god ; ask him for forgiveness from sins and for protection from evil and to bless the congregation and the fruits of their labour .
in 2015 , as part of the ahrc’s connected communities festival we took part in the carnival , holding a stall to share our research project ‘making suburban faith’ with the public and inviting them to share their own stories of religious and secular walks in hanwell . we decided to join the beating the bounds walk to learn more about this ‘reinvented’ tradition and what it means to those who take part . in this short podcast we share conversations with some of those involved in re - establishing the walk , hearing about how the special boundary stones song was composed and how new boundary stones have been unearthed each year , as well as talking to some of those who have chosen to join the walk .
how much ? - - democracy has bad taste : what is quality , how might we judge it , whose opinion counts , and does it even matter any more ? - - beating the bounds : what counts as art ? although we live in a era when anything can be art , not everything qualifies ; nice rebellion , welcome in ! : is art still capable of shocking us or have we seen it all before ? - - i found myself in the art world : how do you become a contemporary artist ? - - the end .
in a built environment that is increasingly off - bounds , owned , restricted , charged for , and in a technological age that increasingly divorces us from the physical , this is a kind of alternative cartography . it’s a mapping with the feet that charts the city of the past and pays little attention to the modern landscape of retail and business ; a neural pathway in a community’s memory .
one of the most significant dates in prehistoric and early historic ireland was the festival of bealtaine . the first of may is the ancient festival of bealtaine or beltane , the cross quarter day marking the midway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice .
it is exactly six months away from samhain - the new year on november 1 . like many ancient festivals the date has an agricultural significance as it marks the end of the unfarmable winter in the northern hemisphere and symbolised the start of the summer - when the cattle were moved to the high pastureland . the word bealtaine is still used in the irish language and translates as the month of may .
the event ' s organisers , high wycombe ' s strange folklore society , had some difficulty deciding which bounds to beat . the official parish boundary for high wycombe now stretches more than 20 miles around cressex , west wycombe , downley , micklefield and almost up to loudwater . many felt this was too far to walk even if it was divided over a couple of days . so strange member clive harper suggested they beat the bounds of the old municipal borough of chepping wycombe . there was a detailed account of this boundary being beaten on august 13th , 1846 ( note , not during rogationtide ) published by henry kingston in his book the history of wycombe with reflections of my native town .
rogationtide is the ancient festival to invoke a blessing on fields , stock and folk emerging after a sequence of natural disasters in fifth century france . by the eighth century in england it involved parishioners ' ganging ' after the cross around the edge of the parish . this helped everyone to remember the boundaries before maps were commonplace . along the way prominent trees often became places for preaching  gospel oaks . locations of various landmarks - stones streams , hedges , ponds were impressed upon the children : in the past by ducking them , ritually beating them and then giving them a treat .
this sunday 1st may , westerham will continue its long held tradition by inviting locals to ‘beat the bounds’ of the kent town . the 12 . 5 mile walk of the town’s boundaries , an annual event run by the westerham society and westerham ramblers , permits seasoned walkers and pleasure - seekers alike to trek through some of the county’s most picturesque walks , including views of the north downs and other areas of outstanding natural beauty . and although the tradition isn’t unique to westerham , the town is proud to note that the first recorded walk of its kind was in 1715 , although the route and purpose were no doubt different to those of today .
may 25 is ascension day in the christian calendar . on this day a priest with a white beard , robes flowing behind him , strides past a display of sunglasses followed by 40 people all carrying long willow wands , taller than themselves . store staff stand aside , shoppers pause to stare . the group gathers around the metal plaque . the priest kneels and writes on it with chalk , steps back and the crowd shout “mark ! mark ! mark ! ” , beating the plaque with their willow wands .
the celebration of spring ( rogantide ) as part of the roman church ' s litany reached england from italy via gaul around the 8th century . the name ' rogantide ' derives from the latin rogatio to intercede , ask or beseech . the rogation days being the time of the year when god ' s blessing was asked for the seeds sown in the spring . the perambulation is thought to derive from the ' gang days ' of the anglo saxon / viking traditions ( from the norse gangen ' to walk ' . )
this printed account inside a parish register held in our archives at the history centre , give details of the 12 - 14 mile route taken during the ceremony along the parish boundary of leigh delamere . the start of the route begins with ; ‘from the old ditch on the streta fosseway . here there is a cottage and a junction of a road to littleton drew . the cottagers came out and joined in the short service , the sign of the cross was made on the ancient roadway and the long walk began along the old roman road . . . ’
the romans worshipped a number of gods associated with fertility and the purification of the land . in a festival called
every third year the ceremony includes a ' battle ' with the governor and yeomen warders of hm tower of london at the boundary mark shared by the tower and the church . during the middle ages the boundary was always in dispute , and this meeting commemorates an occasion in 1698 when a riot took place between the people of the tower and those of the parish . the battle will next take place in 2020 following the service of evensong and , fortunately for all concerned , the exchange in present times is rather more peaceful than in the past !
the oldest marker stone is in the back wall of the staff bike lock - up of the clothing store zara . when the procession reaches it , a store manager is waiting to unlock it .
four years ago minister alan kelly turned the sod on the south kerry greenway .
establishment of church festivals led to a revival of rogantide as an important feast day and processions once again walked around the boundaries of the parish . however the tradition died out towards the end of the 19
the boundaries of the parishes of st . michael at the northgate and st . mary the virgin pass through the grounds of brasenose college . on ascension day groups from both parishes visit to mark the boundary stones by marking them with the year in chalk and striking them with willow wands .
markstones are small boulders usually used simply to mark a boundary or a route , but which are often thought by the town folk to be of much more importance . they will sometimes have a ghost or devil legend attached to them . from this markstone they walked down to the london road , a40 , and to the river wye on the northern side of the rye . to beat the bounds properly they would have to walk through the river - or at least send one of the boys through it . three or four brave fellows did just that although the river was deeper than it looked resulting in quite a soaking ! the others walked westwards to the bridge by pann mill and then back along the rye . they followed the river bank ( south side ) to rye mill garage and then crossed the rye to the dyke . on their left was holywell mead and on their right the rye . as they got near to the open air swimming pool , clive harper pointed out that this was a likely spot for high wycombe ' s holy well , filled in during the 1950s .
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century , largely as a result of the impact of the enclosure acts and the transfer of church parish jurisdiction to local government .
they continued across the rye to the dyke - the ornamental water way formed in 1923 by the marquis of lincoln . then they headed westwards ( on the northern side of the dyke ) to the teashop . they carried on round to wycombe abbey school entrance where the ruins of the elm tree could be seen in the driveway . this is probably the same elm tree referred to in the 1846 account when kingston writes
. . . to a large elm tree on the north front of the abbey , nearly opposite the entrance hall , where the company were regaled with bread , cheese and beer , the gift of the said lord carrington
. this is where attempts to follow the 19th century route had to end and they carried on through the town to frogmore and back to birdcage walk . they crossed marlow hill and queen alexandra road , around the college and into lily ' s walk .
the enclosures of the 18th and 19th centuries which ' fixed ' so many lands into common , field and bounds killed many of the perambulations . but where they do survive they prove a wonderful way of getting into the countryside , different domestic customs are still practised or have been revived in secular ways to offer a friendly way of looking at the place from its edges , checking its corners are in good heart whilst getting to know people . on returning ' home ' you may be lucky enough to be offered ganging beer and rammalation biscuits .
every three years the church ' s ceremony includes a ' battle ' with the governor and yeomen warders of the tower of london , marking the time in 1698 when a dispute with the tower of london over where the boundary lay , erupted into a riot .
once back on dry land the group tours the remaining markers before attending a church service .
“we’ve got to pick up the pace ! ” shouts the priest , dashing out of the doors and crossing the street into a shopping mall , followed closely by his motley congregation .
baines elizabeth : balancing on the edge of the world ( dgr asks . . . )
between 1598 and 1834 the care of the poor was the responsibility of the parish under successive poor laws , the necessary means being raised by local poor rates . the parish had to relieve needy , apprentice children and care for the destitute . the responsibility was for all those settled in the parish ; this included illegitimate children , which sometimes led to parish officials trying desperately to remove pregnant unmarried women to another parish so that they would not be responsible for the baby ! the poor laws provided another reason for ensuring that everyone knew the boundaries of the parish . the inhabitants needed to know which authorities to apply to for help , and the authorities to know which inhabitants were entitled to that help
century , it would have existed alongside pagan traditions . the celebration of “rogantide” as part of the church’s litany probably reached england around the 8
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during the reign of elizabeth i the incorporation of church and state led to the event becoming a more subdued affair and part of the formalised liturgical calendar known as rogantide . cromwell banned all such celebrations and the use of colourful banners .
clive harper worked out that at least half of the route described by kingston could still be followed . on june 9th about 30 people including the new mayor , reggie goves , and several councillors met at high wycombe ' s parish church . a group of high wycombe cub scouts had been recruited as ' victims ' to be beaten . after a short introduction and an ample bumping of one of the boys on a ' bumping box ' they started the beating proper . it began at birdcage walk near the railway station with the first bumping . they then walked along to the irish club and crossed saffron platt into easton terrace and then stuart road . on the corner of stuart road there is what appears to be an old markstone , perhaps one mentioned in the 1846 account . they though this a good spot to bump one of the boys .
in 1548 the protestant reformers prohibited the carrying of banners in processions by the clergy although queen mary later rescinded this particular church law . during the reign of elizabeth 1 the unification of church and state led to the annual rogation festival becoming a more subdued affair once again . in the 1640s , oliver cromwell banned all such celebrations as part of the puritan’s prohibition of religious ceremonies .
prior to the roman invasion , and well before the arrival of christianity in britain , celtic rituals that recognised the passing of the seasons were of great significance . springtime was important , particularly for rural communities , dependent on the fertility of crops or plentiful supplies of fish . the festival of
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but there’s something more . the beaters are clearly enjoying this strange peregrination behind the facades of the city , ploughing over flowerbeds , crossing quads , blocking roads , jostling through the goods entrance of the town hall while tourists gape and take photographs .
during the middle ages , the christian jurisdiction became entwined with that of the manorial estates , as land was often granted by the lord of the manor to the church . literacy was limited to the clergy and a few educated estate owners . therefore processions made sure that boundaries were recognised by parishioners and had not been encroached on by neighbouring landowners .
the use of willow wands may also be significant as the willow was a sacred tree of the druids . the connection between boundaries and child sacrifice , in some ways , parallels the antique custom of burying the body of a sacrificed child in the foundations of a new building . according to geoffrey of monmouth , the british king , vortigern , was advised to do this when he proposed to build a new citadel and it was the search for a suitable victim which brought the infant merlin to his court .
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the procession headed across fields and over fences and more stones were laid and boys bumped . town clerk , walter bailey , laid the third stone in a field off stanmore lane and gave a short speech wishing the newly - enlarged city great prosperity . he told the crowd that he hoped the space between the stone and the city
. . . would ultimately be filled up
. this was greeted by shouts of
hear , hear !
the report continued :
it might come in the distant future beyond their ken , that their children ' s children , walking where they at that moment stood , would declare that the time had again come for the removal of the stones to the north , to the south , to the east and to the west , and would include a still larger area within the city ,
adding in brackets [ applause ] .
the stone used to stand in an alleyway that was later engulfed by the store . it marked the boundary between three ancient church parishes , its original position shown by a metal plaque in the floor nearby .
on the morning of may 1 many people would rise at dawn to collect flowers and boughs from the mountain ash or rowan tree to hang across doorways or on the outside of the windows of their homes . the usual traditions of hospitality and generosity were turned on their heads as anything taken from the home on may day could be used for malicious spells against the owner and guests were turned away at the door .
in ancient times the main beltane fire was lit at the hill of uisneach in county westmeath - regarded as the centre of the country and traditionally known as the navel of ireland . prior to the lighting of the main fire , hearth fires were extinguished and cinders and torches from the main bonfire would pass from townland to townland where each community would light their own bonfires . passing between two bonfires was seen as a rite of purification and herds of cattle were driven between two fires in many villages . members of the community would also pass between the fires and it was considered lucky to do this while the more daring would leap the bonfire to ensure their fertility in the coming year .
in medieval times the ceremonial processing around the land also served to reinforce the power and influence the holder of the charter had over tenants and serfs and was an important means of asserting the primacy of the law in defining the rights of tenants . where all but a very few would be illiterate it was essential that no disputes arose over the ownership of land or rights over tithes . regular perambulation at least every seven to ten years ensured each succeeding generation understood to whom they owed their allegiance .
at a time when maps were neither common nor accurate , all these actions made sure the exact location of the boundary was imprinted on successive generations of the community .
the celebration of the second millennium has coincided with a resurgence of the importance of belonging to a local community . the strengthening of powers exercised remotely has reinforced the importance of local people understanding their locality . parish maps of which this website is a digital example are another demonstration of this phenomenon . a useful account of the value of parish maps can be found on the common ground website .
sinead kelleher the top of coom in kilgarvan is the place to be this sunday for the annual top of coom shearing competitions , which celebrates their 40th birthday this year .
similar ceremonies , accompanied by feasting , drinking and merrymaking , were also found in places outside britain . in jersey there was the tradition of the ' visite royal ' in which the various parish boundaries were inspected by the magistrates of the island ' s royal court . in cork , in the last century , the mayor , in full regalia of office , annually threw a dart into the harbour , its landing - place marking the limit of municipal authority . examples are even to be found in russia and norway .
the story goes that the clergy used to beat the choirboys with the wands at each stop , to impress upon them where their parish boundary was . that , unsurprisingly , is an element that’s been phased out . today the beaters are mostly middle - aged parishioners , tourists and students .
the modern feast of rogantide ( originally a period of fasting ) is celebrated during the monday , tuesday and wednesday ahead of ascension day , being part of the fifth week after easter . in fact the name easter derives from an incorporation of the pre - christian worship each spring of eostre .
probably the last occasion it was carried out in winchester was in november , 1900 , when the recently - enlarged city boundary was marked out . stones bearing the inscription
city of winchester 1900
were set at strategic points on the boundary . the one pictured still exists in dean lane .
the hampshire chronicle ' s report of the event adds :
another young fellow named yates was involuntarily a victim and was pulled out of the water drenched . the boat , thus lightened , righted itself and was got safely across .
when he came to the church reverend wilkes inherited a map of the boundary stones and a spreadsheet of contact numbers for the people with keys to doors behind which hidden markers lurk .
meaning to intercede , ask or beseech . “rogation days” were fixed in the church’s calendar to coincide with the time of the year when god’s blessing was sought for the seeds sown in spring ; it also coincides with ascension day , which is five weeks after easter . it became a major event in the church calendar and evolved into a walk led by the priest .
“we go through here , ” shouts reverend wilkes , pointing at a grimy door in the wall . “it’s a restaurant kitchen . don’t all come in at once . ” the procession files through the kitchen , pausing to beat the stone in its back wall then out past the smiling chefs and confused diners .
so this year celebrate the festival of bealtaine , but not by burning your rubbish - that was never part of the tradition .
nonetheless , westerham is keen to maintain the traditional aspect of the walk , and on its 301st anniversary in the town , there are plenty of planned festivities to celebrate the landmark . the bi - weekly farmers’ market will be out for those not walking , whilst for those who are , a whole host of events will be the greeting upon arrival in the town centre after the hike . a barbecue and live music are all planned , alongside a unique ‘dance around a maypole’ , a convention not observed in the town since 1919 , as well as performances from the town crier . and with a bank holiday soon after , it’s great fun that can be enjoyed ( and then probably regretted ) the day after too .
the romans who settled in britain brought with customs and the worship of gods such as pan or faunus to ensure fertility and purification of the land . this often involved sacrifice of a goat the blood of which was smeared on the foreheads of young boys who would also parade around the boundaries and whipped , walls or trees with sticks as well as any bystanders foolish enough to be in their path .
, which coincided with may day , marked the second half of the celtic year and included elements closely associated with the marking of boundaries . birch trees , one of the first to come into leaf , were especially significant . it is suggested that maypole dancing is derived from the tradition of dancing round a birch tree to celebrate springtime .
an excellent account of this decennial perambulation was given by the late dr arnold baines [ 1 ] and published in the buckinghamshire archaeological record in 1986 . the article makes a number of interesting observations such the parishioners pausing where boundaries with two other parishes occur to cut crosses .
subsequent ' beatings ' have taken place in 1984 , 1994 to mark the 50th and 60th anniversaries . the most recent perambulation was in 2009 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the parish . a similar walk to celebrate the queen ' s silver jubilee took place in 1977 and a more modest perambulation was undertaken in the year 2000 as part of the millennium celebrations . as to walks , which occurred prior to 1974 , no information has yet been forthcoming but would be much welcomed .
curiously , certain stones , trees or other marker points around the boundary would also be beaten by literally bumping a boy ( often a choirboy ) against the mark . the boy would be suspended upside down and his head gently tapped against the stone or he would be taken by the feet and hands and swung against a tree ! nobody knows why or how the tradition originated . one explanation advanced is that it was intended to teach the young their parish ' s limits and that the bumping of choir boys - at one time all the local children would have been involved - was ' to help them remember ' .