Lewes, Anne of Cleves House
Bell |
Weight |
Diameter |
Nominal |
Note |
Founder |
Cast |
Canon |
Hanging |
1 |
15.13" |
Iron founder |
1774 |
Hung Dead |
About the Bell
1 Bell
The Anne of Cleves House museum in Lewes is home to a 18th century bell.
The bell is hung supported on two metal bars bent at the end the gudgeons rest on.
The bell itself originally came from the Southover Manor house and was used as their fire alarm bell. It features what is left of a conventional canon. I say that because all the six canons have broken off and we are just left with the argent in the middle. There are iron canons welded on to act as a canon so it can be hung. It is strapped to a wooden headstock with gudgeons to hang it up. The bell has an interesting moulding wire configuration which goes: 1.1.1.1.
The inscription is an interesting feature of this bell: The inscription on most bells is usually pressed into the mold of bell to make the letters, numbers and Figures stand out. However, this bells inscription goes inwards. Instead of being engraved, the stamp for the numbers were pressed into the wax model. Elphick says that this bell could be an example of a cast from an ironfounder. The sunken inscription is on the inscription band between a moulding wire above and below.
The lip of the bell appears to have been filed smooth at some point, either when it was made of by someone else. But it was likely done by the founder to make it look presentable.
The bell is not hung in a specific frame layout, it is simply hung up on the wooden beam to structure the building.
The closest frame to it is an interior timber A Frame. It would require either a tall chair or a small ladder to reach the bell.
The house was given to Anne of Cleve by King Henry VIII towards the end of her life although she never lived it. It is wooden framed. The house is 16th century and features the black and white Tudor style exterior walls.
Visited:
.20/06/2022
The Anne of Cleves House museum in Lewes is home to a 18th century bell.
The bell is hung supported on two metal bars bent at the end the gudgeons rest on.
The bell itself originally came from the Southover Manor house and was used as their fire alarm bell. It features what is left of a conventional canon. I say that because all the six canons have broken off and we are just left with the argent in the middle. There are iron canons welded on to act as a canon so it can be hung. It is strapped to a wooden headstock with gudgeons to hang it up. The bell has an interesting moulding wire configuration which goes: 1.1.1.1.
The inscription is an interesting feature of this bell: The inscription on most bells is usually pressed into the mold of bell to make the letters, numbers and Figures stand out. However, this bells inscription goes inwards. Instead of being engraved, the stamp for the numbers were pressed into the wax model. Elphick says that this bell could be an example of a cast from an ironfounder. The sunken inscription is on the inscription band between a moulding wire above and below.
The lip of the bell appears to have been filed smooth at some point, either when it was made of by someone else. But it was likely done by the founder to make it look presentable.
The bell is not hung in a specific frame layout, it is simply hung up on the wooden beam to structure the building.
The closest frame to it is an interior timber A Frame. It would require either a tall chair or a small ladder to reach the bell.
The house was given to Anne of Cleve by King Henry VIII towards the end of her life although she never lived it. It is wooden framed. The house is 16th century and features the black and white Tudor style exterior walls.
Visited:
.20/06/2022
Inscriptions:
*Underlined text is inscriptions within the inscription band*
1 |
1774 |
Photographs:
