The Church Bells Of Lincolnshire

s Hall, Durham, then a lad, took ruhhings of the inscriptions on the church bells of Whitton in this county.That was the commencement of a collection which Mr. Fowler subsequently determined to make, with the intention of providing material for an account of the Church Bells of Lincolnshire, illustrated by drawings of founders' marks and mediaeval letters, from casts taken for that purpose.The collection was increased as time went on, until very many of the belfries of the numerous churches in North Lincolnshire were visited.In the intervals between the excursions which Mr. Fowler was able to make, he made notes from the rubbings which he had recently taken.That was a fortunate circumstance •, for travelling with his collection, the bag which contained the rubbings was stolen, and has never been recovered.Two persons, doubtless, felt extreme annoyance on that occasionthe thief, whose chagrin and disappointment must have been great as he conned over his (to him) useless, mysterious and unintelligible haul; and Mr. Fowler, whose enthusiasm in bell hunting was, not unnaturally, so effectually damped by his loss that the further prosecution of the work lay for several years in abeyance.At length, in 1878, Mr. Fowler, in a very obliging manner, offered to place his collection of notes and casts in my hands if I would attempt to complete the work 011 the plan of my volumes 011 the Church Bells of the three counties comprised in the diocese of Peterborough.Having been promised help from Mr. Jerram, and from several friends 111 the county, and in dependence upon the courtesy of the clergy generally (which has not failed me), I have been, since that time, as hard at work as enfeebled health will allow upon the very pleasant task, the interest of which has so grown with its progress that one almost regrets to see its completion so near.Whilst almost every bell in the county has now been examined and measured, parochial and public records have been searched for information, and careful notes made of local traditions, customs and uses.It was doubtless the knowledge of these facts which induced Canon Venables to propose to me a few weeks ago that I should contribute a Paper to this Meeting 011 the Church Bells of Lincolnshire, which he was good enough to say would be an attractive subject.My knowledge of the help which he himself is always ready to give to

Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Historical and Archaeological Studies · Historical Influence and Diplomacy · Historical Studies of British Isles · History

• English Bellfounders, 1150–1893

  R C Hope•Archaeological Journal•1893

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