The church bells of Kent: their inscriptions, founders, uses, and traditions . issupposed to have lived when at home. He has a weaknessfor reversing his inscription, and for spelling by BI.— VideShadoxhurst, in loco. We come now to the London-made bells, and among theseI will deal first with the treble at Loose, bearing simply theinitials jj, and the impress of four coins round the is a bell at Navestock, in Essex, similarly inscribed ;sufficient evidence, I consider, to reckon them both as by aLondon maker. Now Loose is one of the few parishes thathave preserved their old churchwar
The church bells of Kent: their inscriptions, founders, uses, and traditions . issupposed to have lived when at home. He has a weaknessfor reversing his inscription, and for spelling by BI.— VideShadoxhurst, in loco. We come now to the London-made bells, and among theseI will deal first with the treble at Loose, bearing simply theinitials jj, and the impress of four coins round the is a bell at Navestock, in Essex, similarly inscribed ;sufficient evidence, I consider, to reckon them both as by aLondon maker. Now Loose is one of the few parishes thathave preserved their old churchwardens accounts, and theyare extant from very nearly the commencement of the seven-teenth century. But they contain no mention whatever ofthe casting of this bell, which is reasonable proof that it mustbe earlier. And as there was a London bell-founder in themiddle of the sixteenth century whose name was John Hard-ing (Surrey Bells, p. 130), I think we may fairly concludethe bell to be his. The next bell is, so far as is yet known, the sole remain- 62 Chronological Fig. ing example of a London bell-founder whose name we haveknown for a long time, oneLawrence Wright, whose well-designed foundry-stamp is heregiven (Fig. 39) taken from thebell now under review, whichis the 3rd at Thurnham. Ithas the donors name—in notill-formed black letter withrather wonderful old Englishcapitals — and the date 1586. As this is probably the only occasion when Wrights namewill come under notice, it may be as well to give here whatlittle is known about him. He was employed in the year 1587by the authorities of St. Michaels Church, Cornhill, London, torecast their great bell, called Rus, after its donor, WilliamRuss, Alderman and Goldsmith, who gave it about 1430. Thefollowing entry occurs in the vestry minute book, under date17th December, 1587 :* agreed yt the bellfownder shall have xiiij^ payd hym now and upon ye lykynge off it here aft y^ pishe will consider off hym better yff y^ b
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectbells, bookyear1887
