Unlock the story of London’s bell-founders and the Surrey roots of a long tradition.
This concise, carefully researched volume surveys the early makers of bells in London and their Surrey connections, drawing on archives, rubbings, and early inscriptions to illuminate a little‑known chapter of English craft.
The book frames the scope and value of the study with practical detail: it traces the transition from Lombardic to black‑letter inscriptions, notes where bells were cast, and explains how researchers gathered information from City records, churchwardens’ accounts, and foundry rubbings. It also anchors the narrative in concrete places—from Chertsey and Horsham to other Surrey sites—without venturing beyond the material at hand, offering a clear, readable account of sources and methods.
You’ll experience:
- A clearly laid out look at London bell-founders up to about 1420 and the shift in inscription styles.
- Notes on how inscriptions and stamps were made, including woodcut “stamps” and the plates that show them.
- Insights into the roles of local workshops in Surrey towns and the broader history of bell‑making in the region.
- Attentive documentation of sources, permissions, and the author’s method as part of scholarly, accessible storytelling.
Ideal for history enthusiasts, local researchers, and readers curious about medieval crafts and the life of London’s churches.