BELL 178903

Description: An irregularly shaped cast pewter fragment from a later post-medieval bell known as a 'rumbler'. It consitutes around just over one third of the lower hemisphere of the original bell. One side is straight as it is formed of the sound slot, with the holes evident towards each end in the form of shallow semi-circular indentations; the other curved edge is jagged. The fragment is naturally curved. The outer surface is decorated with incised pattern of the 'sunburst' type radiating out from a double line semicircle. Each 'ray' is defined by two lines; there are fives 'rays' in total, with the outer incised edge shared by adjoining rays until they diverge. Within the semicircle is a letter 'I' flanked by ring and dot on either side. It is impossible to identify the bell's manufacturer on the basis of a single letter, especially as the 'I' is most likely to refer to a first name such as John or James. However, this style of attribution with initials and annulets seems to be characteristic of a long 18th century (see Bailey 1995, 42). The fragment has started to corrode slightly evident in blue-green product on a largely grey metal.

Date: 1680 - 1820

Object type: BELL

Last import: August 15, 2017