The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-06-23
OLDER THAN METHUsELAH-
An Ancient Bell In Possession of n
Connecticut Parish


At East Haddam. only a short distance
from the Nathan Hale schooIhouse.
which was dedicated With such in
posing ceremonies by the Sons Of the
Revolution and the people OF the town
Wednesday. is an old bell which ante
dates the schOoIhouSe by more than 800
years II has a position on the stone wall
al the rear OF the pretty little stone church
just on the edge OF the cemetery. ana from
its appearance. no one would suppose that
il had known the heat Of summer and the
cold Of winter for almost eleven centuries.
Il IS not very large, and the greeuness of
old age 50 common 20 copper has made but
slight inrOads upon it.
When Nathan Hale died for his country
this old bell was Of the age Of Methuselah
the oldest patriarch OF Bible record. Al
the time Christopher Columbus discovered
America il had been ringing cut the DAYS
Of more than half a thousand years. Il
tolled the deaths OF the thousands OF Span
iaTds who were lost in the destruction OF
the great Armada; Witnessed the incur
sions Of the Moors and Arabs across the
Straits Of Gibraltar as they despoiIed the
fair vineyards of CASTLE. and for more
than 4C0 years knew none but Moorish
rule.
Europe was but a Wild unsettled. sav-
age country when this old bell was cast
and the British Isles were but so much
territory ruled by elAnnish bar0ns, with
might the only known law.
When Ferdinand and Isabella assembled
the throne Of Spain the little old bell in
the East Haddem churChyard helped to
ring cut the tidings TO all the country
/ round. II was then in the tower OF one
OF the churches of AFagOn. the home prov
ince OF Ferdinand. For more than six hun
dred years il had been there, calling the
peopIe-rich and poor-to service; ringing
out the joy Of their marriage celebrations
and tOlling the death requiem.
Early in this century. when Napoleon
started on his sacking tour OF Spain, and
was finally overthrow by Wellington, this
bell, together with many others. was taken
from its place in the belfry OF the stone
church which 1t had occupied so long and
then RACED TO the ground. Twenty years
afterward in 1884 or 80. a shipload OF
bells from Spanish churches. which Ma
poleon had destroyed were sent to this
country consigned to various bell foun-
dries. to be recast Tor bells for American
churches. The old East Haddam bell was
in the lot William WHY'S Pratt. a New
York ship chandler. was in business at
that time. His wife was a daughter OF
the late Captain oliver Atwood. Of East
Haddem- Mr.. Pratt and his wife were in
terested in St Stephens Episcopal Church
at East Haddam and as the church was
without a bell, Mr. Pratt purchased the old
Spanish bell from among the hundreds OF
others in the shipload. IL was sent TO East
Haddam and mounted in the church belfry
the old church. which stands on IN emf
nence to the north and east OF the town
For years the Spanish bell di. its duty
Loyalty, but finally it became cracked and
its tone was broken and harsh. When the
new church was built. close by where the
old Nathan Hale schOOlhOusV now stands,
the bell was taken from the steepIe of the
old church and has not since been used
but rests quietly in the churehyard,
viewed reverently by hundreds every year
1t was cast in the year SIS. The marks
Of the tongue, where for years it struck
against the side, are deep and broad The
Arabic numerals which form me date show
that il was cast not long after Spain was
conquered by the Moors. The inscription
on the ancient bell is in Spanish and can
be read very plainly 1t is as follows:
The prior being tire Most Rev Father
Miguel Villa Murva The procurator, the
Most Rev Father Josef E'Stivan. Cor
rales made me. Made in year A d. SIS"
The people OF st. Stephens Church value
the old bell very highly, and it VIII doubt
less always remain IN possession OF the