

102 THE CHURCH BELLS OF DORSET. 



French of Halstock, Dorset, butcher, a churchwarden of 

 Halstock, that the latter should at his own cost bring the 

 great bell of Halstock to Stoford, where Purdue was to weigh 

 the same & " to cast & make tuneable the sayd Bell in sound 

 & harmony accordinge to art & musicke w th & unto the other 

 bells of Halstock," French on his part agreeing to pay nine 

 shillings for every "hundred casting" which the bell weighed. 

 Also Purdue was within three months to make all the bells of 

 Halstock "concordant & agreable in musick tune sound & 

 harmony " & to allow French eighteen shillings towards carrying 

 the bell from Stoford to Halstock & gave a bond of 20 for due 

 performance of the work, guaranteeing to make good at his own 

 charge any failure of the bell due to bad workmanship. 



And in the same year [1634] Purdue entered into a further 

 agreement with the said French & with William French of 

 Halstock, yeoman, both being churchwardens of the parish, that 

 the churchwardens should at their own expense bring to Stoford 

 their second bell which Purdue was to weigh & make tuneable 

 with the third bell, the churchwardens agreeing to pay twelve 

 pence per Ib. for any metal added up to 100 Ibs. & Purdue 

 promising to allow ten pence per Ib. for any metal by which the 

 bell should be reduced in recasting. Purdue was also to put a 

 new staple to the third bell & gave the same guarantee as before 

 and another bond of 20. 



Plaintiff had also recast a bell for the parish of Yeovil, 

 Somerset, under an agreement with Dr. Seward, the vicar, & 

 the churchwardens, who had confederated with the church- 

 wardens of Halstock in defrauding Purdue of the money due to 

 him. 



From Exchequer Bills & Answers. William & Mary. Dorset 



No. 9. 



In his bill, filed in Trinity term, 2 William & Mary, Joseph 

 Hardy, churchwarden of Bothenhampton, sues Thomas Young, 



