L^El^ 
 
 Earwaker 
 
 Bell -founders In Lancashire and 
 Cheshire
 
 Bell-Foiiiiders in Lancashire and Cheshire 
 
 and the Adjacent Coimties, in the 
 
 Seventeenth and Eighteenth 
 
 Centuries. 
 
 A TATEK, READ BEFORE THE 
 
 HISTORIC SOCIETY OF LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE, 
 
 6111 MARCH, 1890. 
 
 BY 
 
 P. EARWAKER, M.A., F.S.A. 
 
 LIVERPOOL : 
 PRINTED BY THOMAS BRAKELL LIMITED, 53, DALE STREET. 
 
 1S92.
 
 BELL-FOUNDERS IN LANCASHIRE AND 
 
 CHESHIRE AND THE ADJACENT 
 
 COUNTIES, IN THE SEVENTEENTH AND 
 
 EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES. 
 
 By J. P. Earwakcr, M.A., F.S.A. 
 
 THE history of the bells, which hang in the 
 towers of our churches, has always excited 
 the attention of antiquaries, and much has been 
 written and printed concerning them. In not a few 
 instances the church bells of a particular county 
 have been carefully examined and a full description 
 of them printed, together with any inscriptions 
 which they may bear, or any marks by which it is 
 possible to identify the bell-founders who cast them. 
 Thus there are volumes relating to the bells of 
 Northamptonshire, of Somersetshire, of Kent, and 
 other counties, whilst quite recently Mr. Lymans 
 has published one on the church bells of Stafford- 
 shire. So far, however, no one has been at the 
 trouble of writing an account of the bells of either 
 Lancashire or Cheshire, so that there is a very 
 interesting field open to anyone having the requi- 
 site leisure and love for his subject. But although 
 we have no special book dealing with these two 
 counties, yet in most of the volumes relating to the 
 history of places in Lancashire and Cheshire, which 
 
 718929
 
 2 Lancashire and Cheshire Bell-founders. 
 
 have been published of late years, the inscriptions 
 on the bells have been printed as a matter of course, 
 as well as occasional extracts from the old church- 
 wardens' accounts showing where the bells were 
 cast, &c. 
 
 In this paper I am anxious to direct attention to 
 the fact that during the seventeenth and the early 
 part of the eighteenth centuries there existed two 
 bell foundries, the one in Lancashire and the other 
 in Cheshire, which seem to have been held in good 
 repute, and which were largely employed in casting 
 bells for the various churches in the two counties, 
 and also probably for those in other counties as 
 well. These two bell foundries were situate, the 
 one at Wigan, in Lancashire, and the other at 
 CoNGLETON, in Cheshire, but until quite recently 
 little, if anything, has been put on record concern- 
 ing them. This is more especially the case with 
 regard to Wigan, (although Mr. Sinclair, in his 
 History of Wigan, has a few references to this sub- 
 ject,) but Mr. Head, in his recently printed History 
 of Congleton, has given several interesting particu- 
 lars about the Congleton bell foundry, which I shall 
 make use of. 
 
 Unfortunately there are very few sources of 
 information from which any particulars can now be 
 gleaned relating to these two foundries or to those 
 who worked them. The most important of these 
 sources of information, however, are the old church- 
 wardens' accounts belonging to the different parishes 
 (where these happen to be preserved), municipal 
 and corporate accounts, a few old wills, and an 
 occasional note in the parish registers. Had the 
 churchwardens' accounts been more carefully pre- 
 served, much information of interest would have 
 come down to us, but their loss, together with the 
 fact that such a large number of the old bells have 
 been recast since the 17th century, and consequently
 
 Congleton Bell-founders. ^ 
 
 the marks and inscriptions, which they bore, de- 
 stroyed, make the few facts which can be recovered 
 about these two local bell foundries all the more 
 valuable. 
 
 In mediaeval times Congleton possessed two 
 places of worship, under the mother church of 
 Astbury, called respectively the Higher and the 
 Lower Chapels. The first of these is now repre- 
 sented by the present Congleton church, but the 
 latter has totally disappeared. At the time of the 
 Reformation its revenues were confiscated, and in 
 1566 it is stated that there were then no lands or 
 tenements belonging to it ; that it was then con- 
 verted to no use, *' but stands upon the bridge end.... 
 " and the foundations of the said chapel form part 
 " of the foundations of the said bridge." It was 
 evidently a small chapel built on the end of the bridge 
 crossing the river Dane, on which Congleton stands, 
 and it is indeed sometimes spoken of as the Bridge 
 Chapel. When Camden visited Congleton in 1586 
 he states there was only one chapel, which would 
 be the Higher Chapel, there. How the Lower or 
 Bridge Chapel was utilized during the latter half 
 of the i6th century is not known, but early in the 
 17th century, part of it was used as a " store house 
 " for the town's use," and the remainder was used 
 as a bell foundry. 
 
 The earliest mention of this Congleton bell 
 
 foundry, which I have so far met with, is in the 
 
 Wilmslow churchwardens' accounts under the year 
 
 1602.* 
 
 Spente in taking down the Great Bell . v'* viij^' 
 Spente at Congleton in casting of the 
 
 Great Bell ix^ iiij^' 
 
 Item, for carrying of the Great Bell to 
 
 Congleton and home . . . viij^ iiij^ 
 
 Item, paid for the Bell .... xj'' x'^ [^11 los.] 
 
 * East ChesJiirc, vol. i. p. 104.
 
 4 Lancashire and Cheshire Bell-founders. 
 
 It is clear that the Congleton bell foundry cannot 
 have been long established prior to this date, for in 
 the same churchwardens' accounts for 1587, there 
 are entries of a bell being re-cast at Nottingham, 
 and it is not likely that the Wilmslovv church- 
 wardens would have sent all the way to Nottingham, 
 had there been at that time, 1587, a foundry at 
 Congleton, within ten miles of them. 
 
 The next entry relating to Congleton has reference 
 to the great bell of Nantwich, which weighed 
 20 cwt. and 6olbs., or just over a ton, and which as 
 appears from an entry in the Wilbraham MS. 
 Journal (quoted by Mr. James Hall in his History 
 of Nantivich, p. 119), was cast at Congleton in the 
 year 1608. This entry shews that the foundry 
 must have been one of some importance to have 
 been able to cast a bell of that size. The bell- 
 founder's name is also given, which lends additional 
 interest to this extract. 
 
 The Great Bell of this town of Nantwich being new 
 Cast the 17th day of Nov. in the year of our Lord 160S 
 and being of the weight of 2,3oolbs. {i.e. 20 cwt. 6olbs.) was 
 cast at Congleion by George Lee, the churchwardens being 
 
 whose names were set upon the Bell and this 
 
 verse and these letters. 
 
 H^EC CAMPANA SACRA FIAT TRINTrATE BEATA. 
 
 c. 
 
 R. G. 
 
 
 G. 
 T. C. 
 
 The meaning of the above letters is not at all 
 clear, and it is possible that they may have been 
 misread. This bell no longer exists. In the follow- 
 ing year, i6og, the fourth bell at Nantwich was 
 re-cast, and most probably at the same foundry. 
 
 1 his is the only instance in which I have met 
 with the nanie of George Lee as the then bell- 
 founder at Congleton. In 1612 some of the bells
 
 Congleton Bell-founders. 5 
 
 of Prestbury, in Cheshire, were re-cast at Congleton, 
 as shewn in the following extract from the church- 
 wardens' accounts.* 
 
 1612. For making a new bell and [re] casting 
 
 the old \1'' [;^4o] 
 
 ,, Charges at Congleton at the casting of 
 
 the bells ... ... ... ... xx^ nV]^ 
 
 Again too, the churchwardens' accounts of the 
 parish of St. Mary-on-the-Hill, at Chester, shew 
 that in 1617 they had a small bell cast at the Con- 
 gleton Foundry. Yet strange to say, in that very 
 same year, some brasses for the great bell in the 
 same church were cast at Wigan. 
 
 Pd. for castinge the Antom bell and the brasse 
 wayeing fourscore and 12'', and a halfe, and a 
 brasse for the fourth bell beinge caste w''^ it, all 
 vnder one after ij'^' a pound for castinge ... xv* 
 
 Spend uppon our selves goinge to Congerton w"^ 
 the Tanton bell and cominge whonie [home] 
 and beinge there ... ... ... ... iiij* vj 
 
 In 1623 the churchwardens of the same parish 
 wished to have another bell re-cast, and so they 
 appear to have seen the bell-founders from Congleton 
 and from Holt, co. Denbigh, finally deciding to 
 employ the latter. One of the many entries in this 
 year's accounts relating to the bells and the bell- 
 founders, is 
 
 Bestoed vppon Congerton Bellfounders ... ... ij* 
 
 In 1628 and 1629 other of the Wilmslow bells 
 were also cast at Congleton. f 
 
 Spent in going to enquire for the bell caster at 
 Congerton ... ... ... ... ... j*^ 
 
 Spent when wee went to Congerton to procure 
 the bell ffounder to come unto Wilmslow to 
 vewe our bell, of our horses and ourselves ... ij=* 
 
 • £as/ Cheshire, vol. ii. p. 223. In 1576-15S0 some bells for Piestbury 
 seem to have been cast at Chesterfield, in Derbyshire. 
 t East Cheshire, vol. i. p. 107.
 
 6 Lancashire and Cheshire Bell-founders. 
 
 Spent of the bell founder and his man when hee 
 did take the tune of our Bell, of there horses 
 and ourselves ... ... ... ... ... xMiij^ 
 
 Spent when wee did take downe the Bell forth of 
 the top of [the] Steeple, of workmen and our- 
 selves in meate and drinke ... ... .. iiij= 
 
 Spent when wee did bring the Bell unto Conger- 
 ton to be cast and staying unlill it was cast, of 
 horses and ourselves ... ... ... ... xvJMj'^ 
 
 Paid for leadinge the bell unto Congerton in and 
 
 home againe ... ... ... ... ... vij* viij"^ 
 
 Paid unto the Bellfounder for castinge the bell 
 
 the sume of fourteene pound and twelve pence xiv" xii'^ 
 
 Spent when wee did meet the Bellfounder to looke 
 uppon the newe bell ... ... ... ... xx"^ 
 
 There are further entries in the Wilmslow church- 
 wardens' accounts for 1629, ^s follows: — 
 
 Spent when wee went unto Congerton to see 
 
 our bell cast, of ourselves and horses ... xiiij^ viij^ 
 
 Paid the Bell founder for metle when hee cast 
 
 the Bell 3" 12^ o^ 
 
 Then again, a year or two later, another of the 
 Prestbury bells was cast at Congleton, as shewn 
 by the following extracts of the year 163 1.* 
 
 1631. Paid to the bell founder for castinge the 
 first bell and for 62" of mettle w'^^ was 
 added to it ... ... ... ... ix'' xij'' 
 
 Spent at Congleton about the castinge 
 
 of the said bell ... ... ... xviij^ viij'^ 
 
 In none of these entries is there any mention of 
 the bell-founder's name, which is unfortunate. But 
 according to some extracts from the town accounts 
 of Congleton, given by Mr. Head in his History of 
 Congleton, p. 167, Paul Hutton was the bell- 
 founder there in 163 1. 
 
 1 63 1. Payd to John Newton ffor leadinge the 
 great bell from the over ChappcU to the 
 lower Chappell [to be recast] ... ... 1^6"^ 
 
 * £asi Cheshire, vol. ii. p 223.
 
 Congleton Bell -founders. 7 
 
 Payd to Paul Hutton, Bell founder, in 
 p [ar] te of the dcbtt owinge him by the 
 towne for the greate Bell ... ... 3 5 o 
 
 Then again, in 1635, he cast a peal of bells for 
 Brereton Church, which is quite near to Congleton. 
 These extracts are from the Congleton town's 
 accounts. 
 
 1635. Payd to Peter Hodgkinson for one pottle 
 of Sacke and one poltle of Claret wyne 
 that was bestowed upon tlie Lord Brere- 
 ton at the castinge of Brereton Bells... 040 
 
 ,, Paid to Mr. Paul Hutton for foure score 
 and fouer pounds and a halfe of mettall 
 in the 2 bells w*^'' they weyghed more 
 after they were [relcast... ... ... 4 10 o 
 
 „ Paid for waste of mettal in the great bell 
 
 being 13 hundred weight and a halfe... 326 
 
 „ Spent upon them who helped to gett 
 downe the bells and to gett them up 
 again ... ... .. ... ... o 2 6 
 
 „ Payd Mr. PauU Hutton for the little bell... 4 10 o 
 
 „ Paid to Mr. Paul [Hutton] w*^*^ was agreed 
 to give him 40^ for the new castinge of 
 the great bell, that is 30* in money and 
 iqs ;ych he owed of townes rent for the 
 lower Chappell... ... ... ... iio o 
 
 Mr. Head also states that he cast three bells for 
 the church of Astbury, which is also quite near to 
 Congleton. Two of these bear the dates of 1639 
 and 1647 respectively. 
 
 The next bell-founder at Congleton bore the name 
 of Oldfield, and it is not improbable that he may 
 have been a descendant or relation of Henry Old- 
 field, the well-known bell-founder of Nottingham, 
 at the end of the sixteenth century. In an in- 
 teresting document, dated 1595, which I printed in 
 the Local Gleanings Magazine,'^ some few years 
 
 • Local Gleanings Hfiigazine. 1879, pp. 109-10. In the document there 
 printed. Henry Oldfield, of Nottingham, bell-founder, agreed to keep in rep.-iir 
 " two newe bel.s lately cast by yc said Henrie, that is to say the first ar.d 
 '' y= second bels now hanginge in the steeple at ye chappell at Congleton 
 " foresaid."
 
 8 Lancashire and Cheshire Bell-founders. 
 
 since, I shewed that this Henry Oldfield was con- 
 nected by marriage with Congleton, his wife being 
 Mary, daughter of Richard Spencer, of Congleton, 
 gentleman, who was on several occasions mayor of 
 the town. It is possible that he was descended 
 from the Cheshire Oldlields, and that one of his 
 sons or grandsons had settled in Congleton as a 
 bell-founder. Anyhow his name occurs in 1658 and 
 later, as follows : — 
 
 1658. Receaved of Mr. Ouldfield for Rente for 
 
 the Ould Chapel ... ... ... o 10 o 
 
 166S. Receaved from the Belfounder ... .,.076 
 
 1670. Receaved from WilHam Newton for Rent 
 due from Mr. Ouldfield for the ould 
 Chappell the somme of ... .. ■ o 5 o 
 
 1677. Received from Mr. Oldfeld the Bell- 
 founder ... .. ... ... ... 076 
 
 I have not yet met with any references to any 
 bells having been cast at Congleton during ]\Ir. 
 Oldfield's time, and after this date his name ceases 
 to be met with in the town's accounts. In 1682 
 the name of " Mr. Noone, bell-founder," occurs as 
 paying £1 8s., and in 1708 there is the following 
 entry : — 
 
 1708. Rec"^' from Gabriel Smith for the casting 
 
 of a bell... ... ... -.. ...070 
 
 This is the last entry of any bell founding at 
 Congleton, but a few years earlier, in 1705, I find 
 from the Goosetrey churchwardens' accounts, that 
 one of the bells now existing there had been cast 
 at Congleton by Mr. Gabriel Simitii. It bears 
 the following inscription and letters : — 
 
 GOD SAVE HIS CHVRCH 1705 | G S j 
 
 with the names of the two churchwardens.* The 
 
 * Sec the History of Sandbach, co. Cheslcr, 1S90, pp. 230 and 249. 
 
 I
 
 Comleton Bell-founders. 
 
 •^f> 
 
 " great bell " at Alderley was in the year 1706 sent 
 to Congleton, and was there re-cast by Mr. Gabriel 
 Smith.* 
 
 Soon after this date this foundry must have been 
 given up ; for in 1720 the five bells from the 
 Higher Chapel at Congleton were re-cast into six, 
 by Abraham Rudhall, of Gloucester, which is strong 
 evidence that the Congleton bell foundry had ceased 
 to exist. Again too, in 1730, there is an entry in 
 the Congleton Corporation minutes to the effect, 
 that " the old chapel at Dane Bridge End shall, at 
 " the Corporation's charges, be converted into a 
 "workhouse for the poor." 
 
 There is one curious fact about these Congleton 
 bell-founders, and that is that there is not the 
 slightest reference to any one of them in the lists 
 of wills now preserved at Chester, and though the 
 names are distinctive enough, there is no will of any 
 George Lee, Paul Hutton, — Oldfield, — Noone, 
 or Gabriel Smith to be found between the years 
 1600 and 1750. Nor are there any wills of any 
 persons of any of these names connected with 
 Congleton at all ! I have not yet examined the 
 Astbury or Congleton Registers. 
 
 Before finally leaving Cheshire, reference may 
 be made to Chester and some bell-founders, who 
 are said to have been living there in the sixteenth 
 century. In an article contributed to the Cheshire 
 Sheaf in 1879, f Mr. Thomas Hughes, F.S.A., 
 states that in 155 1 the Treasurer's accounts of the 
 Dean and Chapter of Chester, record the payment 
 of ^^34 for a bell weighing eighteen hundred pounds, 
 at 38s. the hundred, to Mr. William Aldersey and 
 Seth Rosomgreve. He then adds, " we had several 
 
 * Churchwardens' accounts of the parish of Aklerley. 
 t The Cheshire Sheaf, vol. i. pp. 151-2, Jan. 22ncl, 1879.
 
 I o Lancasliire and Cheshire Bell-founders. 
 
 " founders settled at Chester, both long before and 
 " after Edward the Sixth's reign ; Mr. Seth Rosom- 
 " greve, who was himself one of that craft, may have 
 " melted his weighty acquisition on the spot. One 
 " Simon Montford was a Chester founder at the 
 " date of the dissolution of the monasteries, as were 
 " others of his family before and since that date,"* 
 I am not able to confirm or disprove these state- 
 ments, but in the absence of any authority for them, 
 I am a little sceptical as to their accuracy. I have 
 never met with any " bellfounders " at Chester, 
 although several "founders," or " brassfounders " 
 occur in the eighteenth century. 
 
 I find in Harl. MSS., 2177, in a series of ab- 
 stracts of the old churchwardens' accounts of 
 Trinity Parish in Chester, now lost, that in the 
 year 1600 a new bell was cast by " Robert Orrell, 
 " bellfounder," but it is not stated where he lived. 
 The name is a well-known Lancashire one. 
 
 We now come to the Lancashire bell foundry at 
 WiGAN. The business appears to have been in the 
 hands of a family named Scott, which was one of 
 old standing in the town, and to whom there are 
 many references in the parish registers, &c. The 
 will of John Scott, of Wigan, brazier, dated 
 26th December, 1646, was proved at Chester on the 
 25th January, 1647-8.! The will itself is not of 
 much interest, but in the schedule of debts owing 
 to him there are the following entries, which shew 
 that he was a bell-founder. 
 
 • It is also noted lliat in 155S the churchwardens of Chiidwall, in Lanca- 
 shire, sold one of their cliurch bells to "John Piymmer, of Ciiester." 
 
 t In it he mentions his wife Kilen, liis dauc;hters ^Tary and Alice, his grand- 
 daughter Elizabeth Scott, daughter of Kichard Scott, his son Kauffe Scott, 
 who had then a wife and two children, and his grandson John Scott, son of 
 the said Rauffe,
 
 Wigan Bell-founders. ii 
 
 Item, owing to me by Mr. Edmund Molyneux and 
 Christopher Robie late churclnvardens att 
 Holland iiij'' which is yett in arrear and unpaid 
 to me of the some of xxij'' for a Dell, of which 
 iiij'' I have received in wheate 6^^ so remaineth, iij'' xiiij^ 
 
 Item, oweing to me and William Gardner brazier 
 by William Laithwaite and Thomas Marshden 
 panmakers for a small hundredweight of plate 
 at vij'' pound ... ... ... ... ... iij'' v'* 
 
 In the inventory of his effects, which is a long 
 one, there are many items of " brasse " such as 
 " item, in old pot brasse 3*-*^^ and xxiiij'' [324lbs.] 
 " at sixe score to the hundred and at 5^^ the pound 
 "viij''." 
 
 Item, in bell brasse one C and a halfe and 8'' 
 
 weight at C'' the pound... .. ... ... iiij'' 
 
 Item, in old lead ... ... ... ... ... xx* 
 
 Item, in new brasse pots 3'^'^'^ and a halfe and 5'' 
 
 [355lbs.] weight at 6"^ ob. the pound ... ... xj'' x^ vj^ 
 
 Item, more new pot brasse 23'' weight ... ... xij'^ 
 
 Item, in liverpoole 2 dozen of old pot brasse ... x** 
 
 The earliest bell of which I have at present any 
 record, as being cast at Wigan, was probably cast 
 by this John Scott in the year 1647. This is a 
 bell now in Trinity Church, Warrington, which 
 formerly hung in the old Market Hall or Court 
 House at Warrington, and which was taken down 
 a few years since and removed to the church. It 
 bears the following inscription and initials in small 
 capitals.* 
 
 EX DONO JOHANNIS BOOTH 
 COLONELLI ET RECTORIS 
 EMPORII DE WARRINGTON 
 ANNO DOMINI 
 
 1647 C.S, J.I5. G.J. 
 
 W. 
 
 I. S. 
 
 • IVarnngion Church N'oles, by W. Ikamont, p. 152. But in Walks abotii 
 IVarrini^ton toukiid.'; ike l)c\qinning of the present century, the same author 
 gives itiis inscription somewhat differently, as " Donum Johannis Booth 
 Colonelli et Rectoris hujus Emporii de Warrington, 1647," that is, " the gift 
 of Colonel John Booth, governor of this market town of Warrington."
 
 12 Lancashire and Cheshire Bell-founders. 
 
 The above mark stands for John Scott, Wigan. 
 
 On the 27th November, 1649, there is an entry 
 in the Liverpool Corporation Records that there 
 was " some conference with the bell-founder of 
 " Wigan about the casting of 2 bells."* 
 
 Again, in 1657, ^^^ Wilmslow churchwardens' 
 accounts contain the following entriesf : — 
 
 Item, spent when wee did meete concerning the 
 sendinge of the bells unto Wiggan to be caste, 
 of ourselves and those w'^'^ came from Wiggan 
 concerning the same ... ... ... ... o 2 o 
 
 Spent when the Bells were brought from Wigan... 030 
 
 Item, paid unto the bell founder with that which 
 
 hee had reC^ before, the summc of ... ... 18" o o 
 
 This bell still exists in the tower of Wilmslow 
 Church and bears the initials 
 
 I. s. 
 
 One of the bells still remaining in the tower of 
 Taxal Church, co. Chester, has this lettering and 
 date i)\ 1656, showing that it, like the Wilmslow 
 bell just mentioned, had been cavSt at Wigan by 
 John Scott. t 
 
 Some years ago I met with a bell in one of the 
 Welsh churches in the Vale of Clwyd, which showed 
 by the initials and date that it too had been cast 
 at Wigan, but unfortunately I have mislaid the 
 note I made about it. 
 
 Mr. Geoffrey Scott appears to have succeeded 
 Mr. John Scott as a bell-founder at Wigan, but I 
 have not been able to ascertain the exact relation- 
 ship between them. He was casting bells in 1657, 
 as shewn by the following entries from the church- 
 
 • Liverpool Mtinicipal Records, vol. i. p. 212. 
 t East Cheshire, vol. i. p. II2. 
 \ East Cheshire, vol. ii. p. 541.
 
 Wigan Bell-founders. 13 
 
 wardens' accounts of the parish of St. Mary-on- 
 the-Hill, Chester.* 
 
 1657- 
 Payd for carrying of the broken bell mettle to 
 
 Wigan, staying there till the bells were new 
 
 cast and bringing them to the church againe ... 300 
 Spent when we went to Wigan to see the bells 
 
 cast being foure dayes out horses and men ... i o o 
 Payd to Geffrey Scott the bell-founder for 
 
 casting of foure bells, with their brasses .••25 o o 
 
 Spent in drinke amongst his workemen & given 
 
 them in Barrages ... ... ... .. 0^5 8 
 
 Spent on the Belfounder & his soiie in Chester 
 
 they being here six dayes to see the bells hanged 
 
 & to chipp them to make them tunable ... o 9 4 
 
 1658. 
 
 Imprimis, Spent when we agreed with the Bell- 
 founder for casting of the great bell ... ... o 2 o 
 
 Payd to the bell founder for casting of the great 
 bell, he being at ail charges of taking it downe 
 out of the Steeple, carrying of it to Wiggan & 
 back againe to hange it vp & fitting the Irons 
 and head Stock to it ... .. ... ...12 o o 
 
 Spent on the Belfounder & seuerall of the 
 Genttm: of the parrish when they were about 
 the consultation of the tunablenesse of the 
 Bells & in drinke to the Ringers ... ... o 3 4 
 
 In the Wigan churchwardens' accounts for 1662 
 there is an entry of a payment of £$ 9s. 6d. to 
 '' Jephraie Scott for casting the bell steppes and 
 " overweight. "t 
 
 He made his will in 1665, as " Jefferey Scott of 
 " Wigan Bell Founder," and it was proved at 
 Chester on the 27th June in that year. He desired 
 to be buried at Wigan Church amongst his ances- 
 tors. He mentions his house in the Mill gate, and 
 refers to Alice his wife and William his son, his son 
 
 * Copied from the original accounts, kindly lent to me by the Rev. H. 
 Grantlnam, Rector of St. Mary's. 
 
 t History of the Church and Manor of IVigaii, by the Rev, G. T. O. 
 Bridgeman (Chet. Soc. N.S., vol. xvii. p. 552).
 
 14 Lancashire and Cheshire Bell-founders. 
 
 Roger, and his younger children Charles Scott, 
 Margery Scott, and Mary Scott. " Such goods as 
 " shall be fit for my son William's trade " were not 
 to be valued in his inventory. These included 
 " the work house ballis dudle and work loomes." 
 In the inventory of his goods, debts, &c., the 
 following items have a special interest, shewing that 
 he did a good business in bell casting. 
 
 Item, in clay moulds ... ... ... ... i^' 
 
 Item, owing by the churchwardens of Bevington 
 
 [? Rivington] for bells casting... ... ... ii 15 o 
 
 Item, owing by the churchwardens of Great 
 
 Neston .. ... ... ... ... ...21 7 o 
 
 Item, owing by the churchwardens of Trafford ... 3 5 o 
 Item, owing by the churchwardens of ffearfeild 
 
 [Fairfield] ... ... ... ... ... 2 19 o 
 
 Item, owing by the churchwardens of Hefeild 
 
 [Heyfield] ... ... ... ... ... 2 10 o 
 
 Item, owing by the churchwardens of Salford ... 2 10 o 
 
 William Scott appears to have succeeded his 
 father as a bell-founder, and the following entries 
 occur in the Wigan churchwardens' accounts in 
 the year 1677.* 
 
 Paid unto William Scott for kesting [casting] the h s d 
 first bell... ... ... ... ... ...1010 o 
 
 Pd unto William Scott for overweight of the newe 
 bell being six score and nineteen pounds at is 
 y* pound ... ... ... ... ... 619 o 
 
 Pd William Scott for kesting the bell steps and 
 
 overweight ... ... ... ... ...420 
 
 Itm, spent at the agreement for kesting of the 
 
 newe bell ... ... ... ... ... o 2 6 
 
 Itm, spent of the workmen at y^ kesting of y^ 
 
 bell 036 
 
 Itm, spent of ye weighing of y"= newe bell ... o 2 6 
 
 In 1682 more of the Wilmslow bells required 
 re-casting, and once more they have the work done 
 at Wigan. t 
 
 • See T/ie History of Wigan Chureh, Chetham Society, N.S., vol. xvii. p. 553. 
 t East Cheshire^ vol. i. p. 1 1 7.
 
 VVigaji Bell-founders. 15 
 
 Spent when we agreed with Mr. Scott about the 
 
 bells 086 
 
 Paid for carriage of the Bells and spenses 
 
 [expenses] at Wiggan 3 8 4 
 
 Paid to the Bellfounder for casting the bells and 
 
 spent the same time ... ... ... ... 38 o o 
 
 In 1684 the Prestbury churchwardens had one 
 of their bells cast at Wigan, and the following en- 
 tries occur in the accounts of the churchwardens.* 
 
 When Mr. Scott the Bellfounder came to Prest- 
 burie, when we agreed with him for the casting 
 of the 4''' Bell 00 04 06 
 
 Paid for carrying the s^ bell to Wiggan and 
 
 recarrying to Prestburie ... ... ... 00 15 00 
 
 Pd Mr. Scott the Bellfounder for casting the Bell 
 afores'^ and for one hundred and twelve pound 
 of mettle ... ... ... ... ... 18 00 00 
 
 Mr. William Scott was still carrying on his 
 business at Wigan in 1692, when these entries occur 
 relating to a bell at Denton, near^Manchester.f 
 
 1692. [Pd] William Scott for the new Bell being 
 226 lb, the old 223 lb at 6^' a pound for 
 casting and 12^^ a pound for new ... 05 14 06 
 
 ffor carriage of y= Bell to and from 
 Manchester ... ... ... ... 00 01 00 
 
 ffor expenses in wayinge [weighing] y^ 
 Bell old and new ... ... ... 00 01 00 
 
 ffor spent at hanging y^ Bell by order of 
 y*^ Chappell Warden ... ... ... 00 01 00 
 
 In 1694 the Wigan churchwardens' accounts shew 
 that the fourth bell was taken down and recast by 
 Mr. William Scott, who was paid ;r20 for casting 
 it, and ;fii 7s. for additional metal, amounting to 
 eleven score and seven pounds. J 
 
 The will of William Scott, of Wigan Wood- 
 
 * Easi Cheshire, vol. ii. pp. 227-S. 
 
 t Booker's History of Denton Chapel (Chet. Soc), p. 116. 
 
 X History oj Wigan Church, p. 5S7.
 
 i6 Lancashire and Cheshire Bell-founders. 
 
 houses, brazier, was made gth June, 1702-3, and 
 proved at Chester on the nth May, 1703.* He 
 mentions his wife Ann Scott, but does not appear 
 to have had any children, and no other persons of 
 the name of Scott are mentioned. It is probable 
 that with him the trade of bell founding, which had 
 been so long in the family of Scott, came to an 
 end. The last bell, probably cast by him, of which 
 I have any note was the great bell at Chapel-en- 
 le-Frith, in Derbyshire, which was re-cast at Wigan 
 on the 6th August, I70i.t 
 
 It is probable that the trade of bell casting was 
 continued at Wigan by other hands, for in 1717 a 
 new bell, ordered by the churchwardens of that 
 town, was cast by Ralph Ashton, bell-founder 
 there, at a cost of ^49 7s. 6d. including the cost of 
 the new metal, which exceeded the weight of the 
 old metal to which it was added. J 
 
 A few years later, when a new set of five bells 
 was ordered for the parish church of Wallasey, in 
 Cheshire, the sum of £^0 lis. 7d. was " pade to 
 " the bell founder Luke Ashton of Wigan." These 
 five bells remained in the tower of that church 
 until the disastrous fire of 1857, when they fell to 
 the ground, and were much damaged and broken. 
 The inscriptions which they bore were as follows§ : — 
 
 1^' bell. Luke Ashton in Wigan made us all 1723. 
 
 2"*^ bell. Gloria Deo in Excclsis. 1723. Wiggan. 
 
 3''^ bell. John Robinson, Joshua Young Churchwardens 
 1723. Wiggan. 
 
 * I have also full abstracts of the wills of James Scott, of Wigan, Aldfer- 
 man, 1696, and Geoffrey Scott, of Wigan, pewterer, 1699, the latter of whom 
 was the son of the former. 
 
 t 77ie Reliquary, vol. vi. (1865-6), p. 67. 
 
 \ Hislory pj M'igaii C/uin/i, p. 618. 
 
 § Kindly sent, with other information about the Walla'^ey hells, by Mr. 
 W. C. A. Pritt, of Wallasey. The account of these bells by Mr. Prilt was 
 printed, subsequent to the reading of this paper, in the Cheshire Sheaf {qx. 
 April, 1891.
 
 Wii^aii Bell-foiniders. 17 
 
 4''' bell. Let us sound to the lionour of Christ and to the 
 glory of All Saints. 
 
 6''' bell. I to the Church the living call and to the grave 
 do summons all. Memento Mori 1723 
 Mr. Thomas Arson. 
 
 These bells were also ornamented with a crowned 
 " G. R." on the waist, a band of oak leaves round 
 the top, and another of roses round the rim. 
 
 Mr. Luke Ashton was probably the last of the ^{sJULcsU- 
 
 Wii^'an bell-founders, for in 1732 the bells of Wigan /) . 
 
 Church were sent to Gloucester to be recast by Mr. f^^**"^ '^'^"^p 
 
 Abraham Rudhall of that place, which would hardly ^-{^^ 2^ ^ 
 
 have been the case had there been an}' ^^ood foundry / 'TJQ 
 
 in that town. I have in vain searched for anv wills ^ aLa^ 
 
 of this Ashton familv. " ^^ 
 
 I would only add that for quite a hundred 3'ears 
 or more, during the whole of the 17th century, the - ' "' ' 
 
 town of Wigan appears to have been the home of /i^e^ ^' 
 a large number of persons who carried on the trade y^h^^^j-^^;^ 
 of braziers, pewterers, &c. This is shewn by the ' - c^ 
 lists of wills, now preserved at Chester, where their 
 names occur. The families of Forth or Ford,* 
 Marsden, Orrell, Banks, Baldwin, Boyes, Cooper, 
 Markland, and Harveyf may be mentioned, and it 
 is noteworthy that in 1669 Edward Markland, of 
 Wigan, describes himself as " founder," but he 
 was probably a "brass-founder," and not a " bell- 
 founder. "J 
 
 * 'I'lms, ill tlie year 1617, in llie churciiw.iiilens' accounts of llie paiisli of 
 St. Mary-on-tiio-liill, Cliesier. there is the followinsj entry : — 
 
 I'd to Rol)crt [•'Diirde of Wigine forcasiui^e of towe br.issLS for the gieate Tiell wayeinje 
 sevcnteone j)oiind at vjd a pouiule, and iiij li and a lialfc of tliere owne Ijrasses at xijd 
 a pound, tlic wiiolo some is .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. xiijs 
 
 t I Ii.ivc fall alistracls of the follmvinc; Wigan wills in aiuliuDn to those of 
 the Scoit family already iiolcii, lohn Ilarvey, of \\'ii,'an, hrazier, 1614 (a very 
 long will) ; Edward Markland, of Wigan, founder, 1669 ; William Fairbrother, 
 of Wigan, founder, 1726 ; and Robert Orrell, of Wigan, brazier, 1734. 
 
 \ I recently examined the will of " William Terrey, of Chester, founder," 
 proved at Chester in 172S, and found from internal evidence that he was a 
 •• brassfounder."
 
 i8 Lancashire and Cheshire Bell-foiinders. 
 
 Before concluding this paper I would like to 
 refer to a few instances of bell-foundeis in the coun- 
 ties adjacent to Lancashire, and Cheshire, which I 
 have met with from time to time. 
 
 Thus, in the year i66g, the "great bell" at 
 Nantwich, already referred to as having been cast 
 at Congleton in 1608, was re-cast, but this time at 
 Wellington, in Shropshire. 
 
 "Our Great Bell in Nantwich, being above 2000'' [/>., 
 about a ton] in weight, chaunced to be cracked, aad was 
 cast anew at Wellington in Shropshire by one Clitheroe 
 an° 1669, which cost the parish near 30''.'"''' 
 
 In the 3'ear 1636 the bells belonging to St. 
 Nicholas' Church, Liverpool, required attention, 
 and the following interesting minute relating to 
 them occurs in the Liverpool Corporation accounts, 
 shewing that they were sent to Walsall, in Staf- 
 fordshire, to Thomas Hancock, the bell-founder 
 there. 
 
 [13 Oct. 1636.] 
 Whereas heretofore as appeth by anciente Records, There 
 hath beene a Ringe [of] Bells, w'^in this Towne, and some 
 of them have beene taken downe and otherwise Converted, 
 And whereas alsoe there hath beene since (to witt) in or 
 about seaven yesues laste jxaste three other Bells intended to 
 bee suteableto the said Bell, But by negligence of one Rodt]': 
 OuLDFiEi.D, a Bell founder who caste or made the said three 
 Bells of such Base Mettall that they were altogether disonante 
 or disagreeinge to the said fnste Bell and altogether dis- 
 likeinge to the whole Corporacbn. The said AL"" Maior w"^ 
 the full assente consente and goodlikinge of the Aldermen, 
 Bailives and Burgesses of the same Corporation Agreed and 
 concluded w'"' one Thom's Hankock of ^VALSALI, in the 
 County of Stafford, Bell founder^ to Alter and Chaunge the 
 said Bells for fower other more Consonante and Tuneable, 
 for w*^^ Exchange the said Corporation is to give and Allowe 
 unto the said Hankock two pence for eiiy i)Ounde, and the 
 said Bellfounder Hancock to allowe Ten pence the ])ound 
 for euy pound waighte of the Ouldc liells ov and abo\e the 
 
 * Roger Wilbraham's ^LS. Journal, quoted Ijy Mr. James Llall in liis 
 History of Nantwich, p. 198.
 
 Bdl-foundcys at Walsall and Holt. ig 
 
 wait^htc of the said fower New Bells. And for the further 
 ExplanacM)!! hereof the firste of the New Hells weic^heth 
 after the rate of five score and Twelve pounds to the hun- 
 dred, i^wQ hundreth one quarter and Twenty i)oundes. The 
 Second sixe hundreth and fourteene pounds. The Third 
 Eight hundreth, and the T'ourth Nyne l.undrelh and Tiiree 
 f|uarters, w' ■' is iii the whole Two Thousand Nyne hundreth 
 'i'hirty and fower poundcs. And the Ould Iiells exchanged 
 as aforesaid weighcth Three Thousand and fifty one pounds. 
 
 Early in the 17th century there appears to have 
 been a noted foundry at Holt, in Denbighshire, a 
 few miles from Chester. The following; entry occurs 
 in the reregisters of Wallasey, co. Chester.* 
 
 1624. M''" that vp})on the .Seventeentli day of June 
 Ano Dhi 1624 the first Bell belonging to this Church was 
 new cast by William CLiiiUFRY Bi^lfounder at y*" Holt ats 
 the Towne of Lyons ; The new Casting whereof Cost 
 7'' & 12'' [£,-] IS. That is to say 4" iC for Casting ir and 
 51" for ftifty-one Pound of metall that was added vnto it. 
 Henry Bird, 1 Churchwardens 
 CiLO. 'Walkicr,) for that yeare. 
 
 In 1623 and again in 1632, the churchwardens 
 of the parish of St. Mary-on-the-Hill, at Chester, 
 decided to have their bells cast at this foundry. 
 In the former year, as already noticed, they appear 
 to have rejected the Congleton bell-founders in 
 favour of those at Holt, the following entries being 
 found in that year's accounts. 
 
 Spent vppon the V>t\\ founder ... ... ... vj^' 
 
 Spent vppon the Bellfounder for to agree w''^ him xx*^ 
 
 Bestoed vppon Congleton Bellfounders ... ... ij* 
 
 Pd when we agreed w'*' the Bellfounder ... ... ij'' 
 
 Pd for takeinge downe of the belles ... ... iij^ vj'' 
 
 Pd at the Hoult in casiinge the two biggest great 
 
 belles ... ... ... ... ... ... xvj' 
 
 Pd to William Cliukrie [Cliverie] bellfounder 
 
 for Castinge the Belles all iiewe ... ... xij'' 
 
 * Trattsaclioiis of the Historic Sociciv of Laucashire ami Cheshire, vol. xxxv. 
 p. 75. See nlso ^tr. rritt's paper on the Wallasey Bells in the Cheshire Sheaf, 
 April, 1891.
 
 lUJ^ XJ^ 
 
 xxii^ 
 
 VJH 
 
 20 Lancashire and Cheshire Bell-founders. 
 
 Then again in 1632 are these entries* : — 
 
 Pd for takinge downe the greate bell & spentt att 
 boiTOweinge die windles att the Minster and 
 for sendinge to Holtt for the helfounder 
 
 Pd for Carriage of the bell to the hoult and backe 
 againe 
 
 Pd to William Cliuery Xliveiy] for Castinge 
 of the greate bell 
 
 Pd for a hundred (S: odd weight of newe mettall 
 that was added to the bell more than the weight 
 was before ... ... ... ... ... v'' 
 
 A few years later, in 1640, the following entr}- 
 occurs in the parish register of Cerrigydrudion, in 
 North Wales. t 
 
 " The lesser bell caste by Mr. Clyrery of Holt for 2'"' 5'' 6'' 
 
 In conclusion, I will only add that I shall at all 
 times be much obliged for any references to original 
 documents, churchwardens' accounts, bell inscrip- 
 tions, &c., &c., which may in any way add to this 
 account of the Bell-founders of Lancashire and 
 Cheshire and the adjacent counties. 
 
 • From the original accounts lent me by the Rev. H. Grantlmm. 
 . t The Rev. D. R. Thomus's History of the Diocese of St. Asaf/i. p 534.
 
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