PDGCBR Bell Inscription Inventory

The Mears family and their associates, London-based founders.

Chapman and Mears, 1781 to 1784

Location

Previous
bells

Other
details

Date

Northampton,
All Saints Church

{

(1/8
to 8/8)

rc2006

1782

........................................................................................................................................................................................................

Thomas I Mears, 1778 to 1805

Location

Present
bells

Other
details

Date

Location

Previous
bells

Other
details

Date

Clopton
(new Church)

1/1

1800

Eydon

(3/5)

rc1981

1795

...................................................................................................................................................................................................

Thomas Mears and Son, 1805 to 1810

Location

Present
bells

Other
details

Date

Harringworth

{

1/5

1805

{

3/5

1805

{

4/5

1805

Tiffield

{

2/3

1809

{

3/3

1809

...................................................................................................................................................................................................

Thomas II Mears, 1810 to 1844

Location

Present
bells

Other
details

Date

Location

Previous
bells

Other
details

Date

Blatherwyke

1818

Brockhall

1820

Bugbrooke

(4/5)

rc1931

1813

Bugbrooke

1813

Daventry,
St. James' Church
(demolished)

Now displayed at
Holy Cross Church,
Daventry

1839

Fotheringhay

1817

Great Oxendon

1/5

(1/4)

1820

Greens Norton

(1/5)

rc1906

1810

Harrington

1/6 to 6/6 unr

1817

Irthlingborough

{

3/8
to 8/8

(1/6
to 6/6)

1829

King's Cliffe

4/6

(3/5)

1832

Oakham

1840

Old

1/5

unr

1825

Orlingbury

{

2/6

(1/5)

1843

{

3/6

(2/5)

1843

Orlingbury

{

(3/5)

rc2000

1843

{

(4/5)

rc1919

1843

Orlingbury

6/6

(5/5)

1843

Pickworth

1/1

1821

Rushton

(3/5)

rc1896

1844

Upper Boddington

{

6/6

1812

{

1812

Watford

6/6

1820

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

Charles and George Mears 1843 to 1861

Location

Present
bells

Other
details

Date

Location

Previous
bells

Other
details

Date

Ashwell

1/6

1850

Benefield

4/6

(3/5)

1847

Blakesley

{

3/5

1854

{

4/5

1854

Deanshanger

1/3, 2/3, 3/3

c1853

Guilsborough

{

1/6 to 6/6

1847

Hollowell

1/1

1850

Little Brington

(1/1)

History
unknown

1856

Little Billing

3/3

1853

Maxey

1/6

1853

Peterborough,
St. Mark's Church

1/1

1856

Stamford Baron

{

1/6
to 6/6

1850

Upper Stowe

1/1

c1855

Whilton

{

(5/6)

rc1994

1853

{

(6/6)

rc1994

1853

....................................................................................................................................................................................................

George Mears, 1855 to 1865

Location

Previous
bells

Other
details

Date

Empingham

{

(1/5
to 5/5)

rc1895

1859

Oakham

{

(4/8)

rc1910

1858

{

(5/8)

rc1910

1858

...................................................................................................................................................................................................

G. Mears and Co. 1858 to 1865

Location

Present
bells

Other
details

Date

Location

Previous
bells

Other
details

Date

Bugbrooke

1/5

1863

Evenley

{

3/5

1865

{

5/5

1865

Fotheringhay

5/6

(3/4)

1860

Wappenham

(2/5) [1/4 ]

rc1994

1865

....................................................................................................................................................................................................

Mears and Stainbank 1865 to 1968

Location

Present
bells

Other
details

Date

Location

Previous
bells

Other
details

Date

Barby

1/5

c1871

Braunston, Rutland

{

1/6

1967

{

2/6

1967

Greens Norton

1/6 to 4/6

1906

Harringworth

{

1/6

1913

{

3/6

(2/5)

1913

King's Cliffe

6/6

(5/5)

1917

Middleton Cheney

4/6

1888

Moreton Pinkney

{

(1/5) to Towcester c4

1893

{

(2/5) to Towcester c6

1893

Moreton Pinkney

{

(4/5)

rc1996

1893

{

(5/5)

rc1996

1893

Northampton,
Holy Sepulchre

{

(1/8)

rc1927

1898

{

(2/8)

rc1927

1898

Northampton,
St Matthew's Church

Hemi-
sph

1893

Northampton,
St. Alban's Church

1/1

1937

Oundle

1/8, 2/8, 3/8
and 8/8

1868

Ryhall

5/6

(4/5)

1867

Sibbertoft

{

1/5

1877

{

2/5

1877

Towcester

c2/9

1871

Towcester,
ex.
Moreton Pinkney

{

c4/9

MP 1/5

1893

{

c6/9

MP 2/5

1893

Warmington

{

1/6

1912

{

3/6

(2/5)

1876

{

6/6

(5/5)

1876

Weldon

{

1/6

1964

{

6/6

1964

Whilton

(4/6)

rc1994

1900

...................................................................................................................................................................................

Robert Stainbank of Whitechapel, London, 1861 to 1883

Bugbrooke

2/5

1868

^^^ Bell locations, table layout only ^^^

Bell No.		(Previous/earlier bell No.)		Date		Founder		Special attributes		Inscription
Column 1		Extra columns 1a,1b, displayed where applicable. (Bell No.) in brackets.		Column 2		Column 3		Auxiliary column 3a, displayed where applicable		Column 4

All tabulated abbreviations :
c = circa .......... ? = uncertainty .......... preR = pre-reformation date ............... rc = recast ............... unr = unringable ..............

Auxiliary bell types >>> S = Sanctus; Sv = Service; C = Clock; A = Angelus; B = Bourdon; Un = Unused; Dis = Disused;

Special attributes abbreviations :
KT = Keltek Trust ...... RH = Royal-headed bell ...... RHrc = Royal-headed bell recast ...... ChCT = Churches Conservation Trust ......

Branch abbreviations as and where used.
Cw = Culworth; ..... Dav = Daventry; ..... Gsb = Guilsborough; ..... Kett = Kettering; ..... Ntn = Northampton; ..... Pet; ..... Peterborough; ..... Rut = Rutland; ..... Thr = Thrapston; ..... Tow = Towcester; ..... Well = Wellingborough;

Founder abbreviations.

A : EA - Edward Arnold......... B&RA - Bartholomew & Robert Atton...... BA - Bartholomew Atton...... RA - Robert Atton;

Bagley : Bg - Bagley (generic)...... HB - Henry Bagley...... H1B - Henry I Bagley...... H2B - Henry II Bagley...... H3B - Henry III Bagley...... MB - Matthew Bagley...... M1B - Matthew I Bagley...... M3B - Matthew III Bagley...... WB - William Bagley;

B : JhBb - John Barber...... JB&C - James Barwell & Co...... TmBt - Thomas Bett...... RcB - Richard Benetlye...... WmBs - William Blews & Sons...... TB - Thomas Bond...... AB - Alfred Bowell...... BrF - Brassfounders...... JB - John Briant...... TmsB - Thomas Bullisdon...... BsEF - Bury St. Edmunds Foundry;

C : CC - Charles Carr...... JsC - Joseph Carter...... RbC - Robert Catlin...... RC - Robert Chamberlain...... WC - William Chamberlain...... R3C - Richard III Chandler...... Ch&M - Chapman & Mears...... P&C - Pack & Chapman...... TC - Thomas Clay...... JdeC - John de Colsale...... CvSS - Covington of Stony Stratford;

D : JDB - John Danyell successor 'Brede' ...... MD - Michael Darbie...... WmD - William Dawe...... WD - William Dobson;

Eayre : JE - Joseph Eayre...... T1E - Thomas I Eayre...... T2E - Thomas II Eayre...... T&JE - Thomas & John Eayre;

E : IE - Islip Edmunds...... Eijs - Eijsbouts...... B2E - Bryan II Eldridge...... WmE - William Emerton;

F : WdeF - William de Flint;

G : G&J - Gillett & Johnson...... CG - Christopher Graye;

H : EH - Edward Hall...... TmHr - Thomas Harrys...... WH - William Haulsey...... SdeH - Symon de Hazfelde...... GgH - George Hedderly...... T1H - Thomas I Hedderly...... EdwH - Edward Hemins...... JsHe - Jo[h]anna Hille...... RHe - R. Hille...... JH - John Hodson...... RcH - Richard Holdfield;

K : JhK - John Kebyll...... JK - James Keene...... RK - Richard Keene...... E1K - Ellis I Knight;

L : RgL - Roger Landen...... L&P - Lester & Pack...... LeicF - Leicester Foundry...... LdnF - London Foundry...... LBS - London Foundry, Balcombe Shield;

Mears : CGM - Charles & George Mears...... GMc - George Mears & Co...... GM - George Mears...... GMs - George Mears & Son...... TMs - Thomas Mears & Son...... T1M - Thomas I Mears...... T2M - Thomas II Mears...... M&S - Mears & Stainbank...... Ch&M - Chapman & Mears;

M : Mg - Mellours (generic)...... RcM - Richard Mellours...... RM - Robert Mellours...... RbMt - Robert Mot;

Newcombe : N - Newcombe...... Ng - Newcombe (generic)...... N&W - Newcombe & Watts...... EN - Edward Newcombe...... T1N - Thomas I Newcombe...... T2N - Thomas II Newcombe...... R1N - Robert I Newcombe ........ R2N - Robert II Newcombe;

N : NV&C - Naylor Vickers & Co...... WmNn - William Noone;

Norris : MwN - Matthew Norris...... TmN - Thomas Norris...... Tb1N - Tobias I Norris...... Tb3N - Tobias III Norris;

O : H2O - Henry II Oldfield...... TO - Thomas Osborn;

P : P&C - Pack & Chapman...... L&P - Lester & Pack...... HP - Henry Penn...... RPd - R. Purdue;

R : AxR - Alexander Rigby......TR - Thomas Russell;

Rudhall : A1R - Abraham I Rudhall ........ A2R - Abraham II Rudhall ........ TRud - Thomas Rudhall ........ Rd-g - Rudhall (generic);

Rufford : Rg - Rufford (generic) ........ JR - John Rufford ......... WR - William Rufford;

S : RcS - Richard Sanders...... Skg - Seliok (generic)...... JS - John Seliok...... Rc2S - Richard II Seliok...... JhS - John Sleyt...... RS - Robert Stainbank...... M&S - Mears & Stainbank...... JStd - John Sturdy...... StmF - Stamford Foundry;

Taylor : JT - John Taylor & Co...... JTs - John Taylor & Son...... JTss - John Taylor & Sons...... JTy - John Taylor (Buckland Brewer, Oxford, Loughborough)...... JTBF - J. Taylor Bell Founders......
RT - Robert Taylor...... RTs - Robert Taylor & Son...... RTss - Robert Taylor & Sons...... W&JT - William & John Taylor...... WT - William Taylor...... TE&S - Taylor, Eayre & Smith;

W : JWs - J. Warner & Sons...... WG - Wesley Group...... WBF - Whitechapel Bell Foundry...... JhWy - John Woolley...... RcW - Richard Wood...... WorcF - Worcester Foundry...... RdeW - Richard de Wymbis(h);

Watts : W - Watts......Wg - Watts (generic)......FW - Francis Watts...... H1W - Hugh I Watts...... H2W - Hugh II Watts...... WW - William Watts...... N&W - Newcombe & Watts;

Y : JY - John Yorke (John of York)

Acknowledgements :

Daventry branch inscription inventories; Guilsborough branch inscription inventory;
John Taylor Bellfoundry Archives, (kindly extracted by Chris Pickford, co-archivist at the J.T. Bellfoundry Museum and Archives).
Geoff Pullin - PDGCBR; Barry Care - Moulton; Brian Hardie - Nassington; Chris Dalton; Ringing World; Michael Lee - Fotheringhay;
The Bells of St. Lawrence, Towcester;
"Church Bells of Northamptonshire" & "Church Bells of Rutland", both books by Thomas North;
Dove's Guide;
1989 PDGCBR inventory by Denis Pearson;
Inventory of The Church Bells of Northamptonshire and Rutland in 1938 by Rev. E. S. Powell, M.A.

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