SHERBORNE ABBEY AND SCHOOL. 171 





In 1599 a sum of ^4 was paid "for casting of the 5th bell" 

 i.e., the Lady Bell. 



In 1 60 1 three men were paid is. 6d. for weighing the 6th 

 bell (Wolsey's Bell) ''after he was new cast" by Purdey. Who 

 paid for this is not stated, but evidently the parish did not. 



In 1602 Purdey was paid ^5 i6s. 8d. for recasting the 4th 

 (present 6th) bell. One almost suspects that " 6th bell " in the 

 account for 1601 is a mistake for " 4th bell." 



In 1613 the sum of 12 us. was paid for re-casting the 3rd 

 (present 5th) bell and for metal. Who recast it is not stated. 



In 1652 Robert Austin and his son recast the ist (present 3rd) 

 bell. 



In 1653 Robert Austin and his son recast the Lady Bell. In 

 the same year the same men recast the fire bell ; it must have 

 been made much larger, for 15 gs. 6d. was expended in metal 

 for it. The recasting of these three bells cost 4.0. 



In 1670 Thomas Purdey recast the great bell on the 2oth 

 October, and was paid 21 for it. Such is the evidence down 

 to 1670. From that date down to 1720, when the old account 

 rolls cease, there is no further mention of recasting bells. 



Where the parish accounts from 1720 onwards are I do not 

 know ; if they are still in existence, they should be placed in the 

 muniment room over the south porch of the Abbey Church. 



From the bells themselves we learn that the ist bell (present 

 3rd) was the gift of Thomas Gerard ; I suppose he gave it in 

 1568. In 1557 the old ist bell had been used for bell metal. 

 Thomas Gerard's Bell was recast by John Warner and Sons, of 

 London, in 1903 ; it weighs newt. 3qr. iglb. We learn also 

 that the 2nd (present 4th) bell was recast by Thomas and James 

 Bilbie, of Chewstoke, Somerset, in 1803; that the 3rd (present 

 5th) bell was recast by William Bilbie, of Chewstoke, in 1767 ; 

 that the present 6th bell was recast by G. Hears, of London, in 

 1858 ; that the Lady Bell was recast by John Warner and Sons 

 in 1903 (it now weighs 2gcwt. 3qr. i3lb.) ; and that the great 

 bell was recast by John Warner and Sons in 1866. It now 

 weighs 46cwt. 29lb. 



