Page 10 - Jigsaw September 2019

Notes from the belfry...................................................................
Normal service at St. James’ Church will be resumed shortly...
St. James’ Bells are quiet at the moment. Due to a variety of overlapping holiday dates and some unexpected illness the Ringers are having a short Summer break but normal service will be resumed shortly.
Within the Benefice there are twenty bells. St. James’ have the lovely ring of eight, St Nicholas’ at Islip have a very pleasing ring
of six and although not heard, Denford
have a ring of six too. Just recently I was given an old ‘inventory’ of Church Bells of Northamptonshire, and glancing through it I came across the entry for Holy Trinity Church Denford. The last time some of the older local ringers can remember the bells at Denford being rung was some time in the late 1980’s as although the Bells were considered ‘sound’ the Bell Frame was under pressure from corrosion. Looking at the information provided by the inventory it became apparent the Bells at Denford are very historic in their own way. The Treble (Bell one) was cast by Thomas Norris in 1629.
The Norris Family were renowned bellfounders based at Stamford in Lincolnshire. Toby Norris purchased a building in St. Paul’s Street in 1617. This was the home of the Bell Foundry until 1689 when the works were moved to alternative premises, so the smallest bell at Denford was undoubtedly cast here. Toby Norris had cast bells well before setting up the St. Paul’s Street Foundry, the earliest recorded one being in 1603, but it is not known where the original site was. The Bell Foundry continued to operate throughout the rest of the 17th Century, through times of Civil War, Plagues and Fires. Three different Thomas and Toby Norris’s ran the business until 1699 when a Mr. Alexander Rigby from Pottersbury took over until closure in 1707.
The second Bell is probably even more intriguing. It was cast in 1581 by R Mot. The family ‘Mot’ go right back to the beginning of Bell Casting by the ‘Whitechapel Bell Foundry.’ The earliest records of note
are dated 1392 when a Bell Foundry
was established at Tewksbury Court in
10
Whitechapel. The earliest recorded bell cast by Robert Mot is at Danbury in Essex, dated 1575, so the Denford Bell was cast just a few years later. The early foundry also cast the original bells for St. Michael’s Cornhill and some of the original Westminster Abbey Bells. Robert Mot was buried in 1608 and the Foundry then passed to a Mr. Mears, eventually becoming Mears and Stainbank. The Whitechapel Foundry is still there, although circumstances have changed.
The original shop, fittings and records have survived all of London’s historic disasters and post war development and are still there to be visited, at least for the moment.
Bells three to six were all cast by Henry Bagley the Second and Matthew Bagley in 1680.
The Bagley Family were renowned Bell Makers from Chacombe near Banbury.
The Bell Foundry was very active between 1605 and 1785. Casting Church bells
took the Bagley Family way beyond the Northamptonshire borders including a notable ring of 10 bells for Lichfield Cathedral. In
1732 Henry Bagley Junior published a ‘Sales’ catalogue with over 400 itemised bells in it. Materials for the Bell Foundry were sourced in Northamptonshire and transported by water
to Banbury, then by wagon to Chacombe. Interestingly it is recorded that The Bagley’s used to ask the ladies of the Village to throw their silver jewellery into the molten metal at
the point of casting to give the bells a sweeter tone. It’s not recorded what the ladies said! The Bagley’s were known for their sense of humour when inscribing messages on bells. At Walsgrave one bell is inscribed ‘ring tunefully and you shall have as much beer as is good for you.’ Most bell ringers would agree with that! The only other footnote in the inventory is the Timber Bell Frame in the 18th Century. So, for the moment Denford Bells are still and silent.
Bell–ringing is a very interesting and absorbing activity. If you are interested in finding out more, please contact Ray Banner or Chris Jenkins.