BARBY TREBLE TRANSFERRED FROM LLANDYBIE QUARRY

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Three clock bells were rescued from Llandybie quarry in South Wales by KELTEK Trust, the tenor of which is now at Barby as the treble of five. David Kelly, of the Trust, advised me that the two other bells are cast by "MEARS" and dated 1871 but the tenor bell itself bears no inscriptions, makers name or date.

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Weight of the treble at Barby

 

The weight I have for the treble is 6-3-25. As this is exactly the same as the weight D Kelly supplied, it means that we didn’t weigh it.

I can confirm that we didn’t tune it as the note was exactly correct (a remarkable coincidence).

We have it recorded as Mears 1871, but again, this is info from D.Kelly.

The third was not weighed; we have it recorded as 10-0-22.

Sorry I can’t be more helpful.

David J Marshall, Taylors Eayre and Smith Ltd., Freehold Street, Loughborough LE11 1AR

Thu, 5 Jul 2007 09:11:38 +0100

 

Keltek Trust Tonal Analysis of the five bells at Barby:

 

Bell                                5                     4                  3                 2                    1

Nominal Hz             709.5              798             892             949             1066.5

 

Date of Treble of Five at Barby

 

In August 2007, I asked Whitechapel Bell Foundry if they would search their records for 1871 to try to identify the bells. The search of their sales books for 1871 and January 1872 didn't bring forth any very likely candidates. Given the full details of the three bells, they carried out another search (for a fee) and Alan Hughes reported on August 28, 2007:

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Mr Geoff Pullin                                                                                                  Ref. AH/CB

25 The Glebe

Badby

Daventry

Northants NN11 3AZ

28 August, 2007

Dear Mr Pullin

 

Now that I have the information from the Keltek trust concerning the three bells I have gone back
through our casting records and Sales Day Book for 1871 and also 1872. I kept an open mind on
whether the largest of the three bells was provided with the two smaller ones and therefore considered
transactions both for single bells around 7 cwt, pairs of bells around 2 - 3 cwt and sets of three close
to the weights provided by the Keltek Trust. I was also aware of the fact that a bell cast in 1871 may
not actually have been sold until 1872. Additionally, I am aware that if a bell is sold from stock, and
if the bell had been cast some years prior to the date of sale, it may be that the original inscription was
ground off which would explain why the largest bell was completely free of inscriptions.

 

With all these considerations in mind I could find nothing in 1871 which came close to the bell details
provided by the Keltek Trust other than where these bells were clearly for some completely different
destination. My closest and only match is in a transaction on the 14th June 1872 for three bells the
weights of which come very close to those detailed by the Keltek Trust and which were destined for
Dinham House, Ludlow. Whether these bells are the three in question I cannot say. What I can say is
that they are the only three in the whole of those two years of sales which come anything like close.

 

I now enclose a photocopy from our Sales Day Book detailing these three bells and also our account
in connection with our search.

Yours sincerely,
p.p. WHITECHAPEL BELL FOUNDRY LIMITED

 

Alan Hughes

 

An entry in the Sales Day Book for 14th August 1872 transcribes :

 

220. R.Kyrke Penson.   Dinham House, Ludlow                   

       To 3 Bells.       7 . .0 .11

                               2 . .2 . 4           10 . = . =            7/0/0        70 .=  .=

                               2 . 1 . .2             1 . 3 . 17           7/18/8        15 . 1 . 9...

                              11 . 3 . 17           11 . 3 . 17

 

 

R Kyrke Penson of Dinham House, Ludlow - Original Purchaser of Bell

 

Extract from internet site http://www.llandeilo.org/dp_park.php.

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Small stone church of medieval origin but almost entirely rebuilt in later C19, possibly to designs by R Kyrke Pearson, architect of Oswestry who redesigned Newton House for Lord Dynevor.

The architect of Newton House mentioned above, Richard Kyrke Penson, was also responsible for building the impressive lime kilns at the Cilyrychen Quarry in Llandybie in 1857, still visible from the main road, though no longer in use. Modern fertilisers have long put paid to the older practice of spreading lime on farm land.

 

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Extract from internet site http://www.terrynorm.ic24.net/historichouses.htm

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5. CILYRYCHEN, Llandybie
Half a mile south of Derwydd, and a mile north of Llandybie village. Home of Meredydd B Mawr, a Royal officer whose son David ap Meredydd Boule of Iskennen was selected in 1415 to accompany Henry V's troops to France. ….

… In 1862 David Thomas held a lease of Cilyrychen lands, and Richard Kyrke Penson of Ferryside held a lease of the stone quarries there.

Grid Ref SN 6153 1714

 

Extract from internet site http://www.clearviewstoves.com/dinhamhouse.htm

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Welcome to Dinham House
.. It is the largest Georgian house in Ludlow and enjoys panoramic views across the River Teme to Whitcliffe beyond.

..At this time the house was the town residence of the Knight family who also owned Croft Castle and Downton Castle. Lord Powis lived here and also Lord Clive, once Governor of Madras. But perhaps the most famous occupant was Lucien Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon. He lived here as a prisoner on parole for six months in 1811.

Dinham House is now the home of Clearview Stoves and a wonderful showcase for the very best of traditional English country style.

 

Conclusion

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Mears' (Whitechapel's predecessor) customer R Kyrke Penson was the architect of Lime Kilns at Llandybie Quarry and was most likely the provider of the quarry clock chimes. The clock bells that he purchased on 14th August 1872 included the present treble at Barby. We cannot be sure of its year of casting, but 1871 looks most likely. I will recheck the bell for signs of grinding off of any cast inscription at some future date!

 

Geoff Pullin

August 30, 2007

 

Copies sent to Hazel Parsons, Barby; Keltek Trust; Whitechapel Bell Foundry; Dove Webmaster.

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Installed 23/4/2021  Last updated 26/5/2021

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