THE CHURCH BELLS OF DORSET. IOQ 



5th of November. But the bells had to go, for Lord Milton, 

 "the autocrat," had spoken; and his friend, the Dean of 

 Norwich, had said that "bell-ringing caused much idleness and 

 drinking." The great tenor bell, weighing 35cwt., was sold to 

 Bath Abbey; two other of the bells were given to S. James' 

 Church, Milton (one of which was cracked by a carpenter 

 striking it with a hammer, at a wedding, just before it was 

 hung) ; but what became of the other Abbey bells is not known. 

 There is a record, however, that, when the parishioners saw 

 their old bells carted away, they stood at their house-doors 

 weeping. 



Motconibe. Treble : For " Giles read " Miles" 6th : Correct 

 inscription as follows : 



ets eou [sic] 8aav OeoScopa tf &e6boros 5eSw/ce /te. 



Netherbury.y& : To " P R M " add "I" A correspondent 

 thinks the date is intended for 1636 ; the third figure is inverted. 

 In the note read " Bridgewater" for " Bridport." 



Nether Cerne. Tenor: A common local type, I believe. 2nd 

 unknown. 



Osmington Treble : This belongs to a puzzling group of bells 

 which has some claim to be considered as the work of Peter de 

 Wesion (see Surrey Sells, p. 16), but the lettering is of a new 

 type. There are two sub-groups, distinguished by initials below 

 the initial * cross : 



(1) P W. Ridgewell, Essex, 5th. 



Whitwell, I. of Wight, 3rd. 

 Appledram, Sussex, ist and 2nd. 

 Broadchalke, Wilts, 6th. 



(2) R. Chale, I. of Wight, ist. 



Beeding, Sussex, ist and 2nd. 

 Washington, Sussex, ist and 2nd. 

 Yapton, Sussex, 4th. 



* The cross is given in Surrey Sells (loc. cit.). 



