The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-07
OLD CHURCH BELLS.
Some Famous Castings That Are stu
I'm England.
From the london TImea.

From the London Times.
The last forty years have witnessed the
rise on antiquarian hobby which concerns
itself with church bells, and more espe-
olally the few medieval bells which still
hang in church towers or lie cracked on
belfry floors. The ancient founders cast
very fne-toned bells and adorned them
with deliberately nodded inscriptions and
devices. But, though our churches have
been noted and described in numberless
publications, bells till quite lately re-
ceived little notice. and were too often
neglected in every sense Of the word. The
compiler of one OF the latest accounts
of the church bells of country records
that belfry keys were constantly handed
to him with the friendly caution, I'm
afraid you will find a great mess up there,
but. to tell the truth, ! have never been
up myself"
The medieval bells usually bear inscrip-
tions, very commonly in rhyming leonine
hexameters. plous lnvocations, or staves In
honor of their supposed benehcent pow
ers. The Oldest founders rarely put on the
bells their own names or the dates; but
most of them have been identified by the
foundry stamps and other devices with
bells were introduced in England about
the sixth century, the earliest founders
being monastic Dunstant concerned him
self with bell-founding. The Corylapd
Abbey ring. cast by monkish experts, per-
ished by fire in 1897. A manuscript In the
library of Corpus Christi, Cambridge, con-
tains directions for bell-founding by a
monk OF Evesham In the time OF Henry
iii. The modern art of change ringing,
which took its rise In the seventeenth CEN
fury, led to rings OF eight and even twelve
rings being hung in some towers; but IN
very early times cathedral and abbey
churches often had rings OF heavy bells,
and some of the Oldest surviving parish
churches, such as Bridgstock and Brix-
worth. IN Northamptonshire, and Bene't
church. in Cambridge, were evidently de-
signed to hold several bells.
The medieval bells now surviving are
Comparatively few In number In Sur
reg, out of 1080 bells, only a trIfie over 2
per cent. were found in date before the
year 1900. In Lincolnshire the proportion
was 17.5 per cent. In Norfolk about one
bell In six dates before the reign of Queen
Elizabeth. The monastery bells seem to
have vanished when the monasteries were
suppressed. Some disappeared in private
hands; others were sold by the crown. The
Augmentation rolls show that In Henry
Ills reign one lot Of 10000 pounds of bells
and bell metal were sold for $500, with H.
cense to convey. utter and sell" the same
beyond sea- A very few monastery bells
still hang in stu. Forde Abbey, in Dor
set, still possesses one OF the old bells
cast by the Brasyers, who had foundry
at Norwich about the fifteenth century.
bearing their foundry stamp and a hand
somely nodded invocation Of ST. Margaret
THE parish church bells were inyento-
rled and valued under commissions about
Edward WIS time and some may have dis
appeared by private dishonesty but such
Instances were probably few. Between
that time and this the greater part OF the
old bells have disappeared from various
causes. Many were sold from time to
time, as money was needed for repairs. or
even desired for secular purposes. At Nor
wich, in Queen Elizabeths time, the dean
and chapter were selling bell metal whole
sale. The corporations were also selling
parish church bells. Three Devonshire
parishes gave away bells In aid of making
harbor, and the Pensioners of Lin
colnshire village sold two bells and spent
part Of the money in securing out their ha-
ven. Very many bells disappeared in the
neglectful times OF the eighteenth century.
Five bells were sold from Salisbury CATH
dral In I7T Kings College, Cambridge.