Arthur Anderson Johnston
Gillett, Bland & Co was a Croydon-based foundry that was active from 1877 through to 1884. In 1877, a Beverly-born man named Arthur Anderson Johnston bought a partnership in the firm of Gillett & Bland, which later became Gillett, Bland & Co. The company's name changed to Gillett & Co in 1883 which is probably the year that Charles Bland passed away. 110
Johnston married Amelie Brownea and had a family of 3. Their daughter Gertrude passed away as a baby; Cyril Frederick Johnston was born in 1884 which we will see later. In 1887, their third child Nora was born.
Gillett, Bland & Co cast many bells around the Northern part of Sussex with Crawley especially being a hot spot for their bells. Crawley district alone has 9 of their bells with the 3rd at Crawley, St John the Baptist being recast in 1931. As a result, Crawley had 10 bells before then.
A chime of 12 at the Hove town hall with each bell having Fig. GBC, 2 on it was damaged by a fire. These were hung in a frame so there could have been plans for these to be a ring at some point.
Not only were they a bell foundry but also a large clock-making company with an example of their clocks at Balcombe, St Mary.
During the time they cast bells, they seem to have used the Doncaster canon a lot. All the bells at Crawley and Highbrook contain a Doncaster canon. Although Highbrook was cast by Gillett & Co, it shows that the techniques for casting were still the same.
Observing most of their bells, they used old Gothic roman styled letters.
Their most used ornament was Fig. GBC, 2.
On either side of the date, "1880" on Crawley's tenor, Fig. GBC, 1 consisting of a flower, is present and doesn't appear anywhere else in Sussex. Smallfield in Surrey has a slight variation of it, having fleur de lis for petals.
Gillett, Bland & Co was a Croydon-based foundry that was active from 1877 through to 1884. In 1877, a Beverly-born man named Arthur Anderson Johnston bought a partnership in the firm of Gillett & Bland, which later became Gillett, Bland & Co. The company's name changed to Gillett & Co in 1883 which is probably the year that Charles Bland passed away. 110
Johnston married Amelie Brownea and had a family of 3. Their daughter Gertrude passed away as a baby; Cyril Frederick Johnston was born in 1884 which we will see later. In 1887, their third child Nora was born.
Gillett, Bland & Co cast many bells around the Northern part of Sussex with Crawley especially being a hot spot for their bells. Crawley district alone has 9 of their bells with the 3rd at Crawley, St John the Baptist being recast in 1931. As a result, Crawley had 10 bells before then.
A chime of 12 at the Hove town hall with each bell having Fig. GBC, 2 on it was damaged by a fire. These were hung in a frame so there could have been plans for these to be a ring at some point.
Not only were they a bell foundry but also a large clock-making company with an example of their clocks at Balcombe, St Mary.
During the time they cast bells, they seem to have used the Doncaster canon a lot. All the bells at Crawley and Highbrook contain a Doncaster canon. Although Highbrook was cast by Gillett & Co, it shows that the techniques for casting were still the same.
Observing most of their bells, they used old Gothic roman styled letters.
Their most used ornament was Fig. GBC, 2.
On either side of the date, "1880" on Crawley's tenor, Fig. GBC, 1 consisting of a flower, is present and doesn't appear anywhere else in Sussex. Smallfield in Surrey has a slight variation of it, having fleur de lis for petals.
Alphabets & Ornamentation
Fig. GBC,1 - Crawley 8th
Fig. GBC,2 - Crawley 8th
Fig. GBC,2 - Crawley 8th
Gothic Set
Block Roman Capital Set
Inscriptions
- CAST BY GILLETT, BLAND & CO CROYDON 1879.
- CAST BY GILLETT, BLAND & CO CROYDON 1879.
- CAST BY GILLETT, BLAND & CO CROYDON 1880
- CAST BY GILLETT, BLAND & CO BELLFOUNDERS & CLOCK MAKERS CROYDON [Fig. GBC,1] 1880 [Fig. GBC,2] / [Fig. GBC,2]
- GILLETT BLAND & CO CROYDON 1880
Sussex bells by Gillett, Bland & Co in chronological order |
.Balcombe, St Mary (Former 1,2,4,6) 1879 .Crawley - Tilgate, Holy Trinity 1879 .Crawley, St John the Baptist (1,2, old 3, 4,5,6,7,8) 1880 .Crawley - West Green, St Alban 1880 |
🟢 G,B&Co bells that have been recast
🔵 G,B&Co still original
🔵 G,B&Co still original
Sources:
.Sussex Bells & Belfries by George P Elphick
.Sussex Bells & Belfries by George P Elphick
