2l6 THE CHURCH BELLS OF DORSET. 



His works remain at Mappowder, 1735; Hampreston, 1738; 

 Canford, 1739 ; Stoke Abbot, 1755 ; and the old bells at 

 Studland were his make. 



Another William, surnamed Cockey, of Frome, is found in a 

 knot of neighbouring churches Gillingham, Shaftesbury S. 

 Peter, West Stower, Todbere in the days of George II. 



Considering the importance of the Rudhalls' foundry at 

 Gloucester, it seems strange that there is so little of their skill 

 to be shown. The six at Wimborne S. Giles proclaim Abel 

 Rudhall, son of Abraham II., who made them in 1737. 



Now appears the great house of Bilbie, of which a few words 

 were said on p. 125. One of the name, without an initial for a 

 Christian name, made the bell for Dorchester Holy Trinity in 

 1732 and three for Caundle Stourton in 1743. He seems 

 identical with the Thomas Biibie, from whom came the old six 

 at S. Peter's in that town in 1734, and who cast the indifferent 

 octave for Cullompton at Chewstoke in 1746. Some years ago 

 I was told at Lyme Regis that he committed suicide in despair 

 of getting this Cullompton peal into tune. However this may 

 have been, a Thomas Bilbie cast a treble for S. Peter's, 

 Dorchester, at Cullompton in 1750, three for Cerne Abbas in 

 1762, and a treble for Stoke Abbot in 1764. Next year we find 

 him at Beaminster in a complicated record. There is an octave, 

 of which T. Bilbie by himself makes the second, third, fourth, 

 sixth, and seventh, but T. Bilbie, sen., and T. Bilbie, jun., made 

 the treble and tenor, while the fifth required the joint efforts of 

 T. Bilbie and sons. I think we may assume that the son 

 Thomas was the maker of Chardstock tenor in 1766 and of 

 others bearing his name later on, assisting with a brother James 

 for Stalbridge fifth in 1791, while brother William, returning to 

 the ancestral Chewstoke, cast the Folke fourth in 1777 and the 

 Stalbridge sixth in 1779. Abraham Bilbie is found at Winter- 

 borne Whitchurch in 1768. The latest date of the Bilbies in 

 Dorset is 1806, at Broad winsor, from Cullompton, without a 

 Christian name. From the same place in later days came 

 several bells made by the Pannells. 



