INDUSTRIES 



For over a century, beginning from the latter 

 part of the 1 3th century, when bell-founders in 

 London begin to be recognizable, they were 

 almost always styled ' Potter,' or by the Latin 

 equivalent 0//ariui. Patter was a common 

 name in Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire from 

 at least as early as 1213, and its very natural 

 corruption Porter appears from 1275. In the 

 Visitation of Bucks., by Wm. Harley, claren- 

 ceux king at arms, 1566, the arms of a John 

 Porter of Barton Hartshorn, who married about 

 the first half of the 1 4th century, are given as 

 * sa. 3 Bells ar.' ll This certainly seems a likely 

 coat to be borne by the descendant of a bell- 

 founder, although a local bell-founder would 

 hardly have had a coat of arms. 



In the History, etc., of the Prebendal Church, 

 ttc., of Thame (Oxon.) by the late Rev. F. G. 

 Lee (1883), are many quotations from the oldest 

 known volume of Churchwardens' Accounts of 

 that parish. 11 * Among them a bell-founder named 

 Thomas Swadling is mentioned, who was em- 

 ployed there in 1450. No hint is given as to 

 his locality, but if he was a veritable founder 

 he was probably ' local.' Under 1465 'A man 

 from Ewelme ' (Oxon.) was perhaps a bell-hanger 

 or carpenter, rather than a founder. Dr. Lee 

 states that 'The Powells, or Ap Powells, of 

 Buckingham, had been likewise employed at 

 Thame, as early as the year 1503.' In the 

 same accounts for 1548 ' Richarde Hylton' 

 purchased the great bell and three little hand- 

 bells, but that is no reason why he need have 

 been a bell-founder. 



Beginning in December 1552, the name of 

 John Appowell appears frequently in the Records 

 of the Borough Court of Buckingham. In July 

 1556, he is first described therein as 'Bel- 

 founder.' 



In the Churchwardens' Accounts of Wing 

 (Buckinghamshire) for 1556, is: 



If payde for ou' coftp at buckyngam 



when we made bargayne for 



the bell xxjV. 



II payde for oure coltf at )>" caftynge 



of the bell iiij/. \d. 



If payd to the bell founder . . iiij/7. viij/. \yl. 



Other items follow proving the existence of a 

 bell-foundry in Buckingham at the above date, 



" Ch. Bells of Bucks. 8 and 17. 



"MS. B.M. 5181, fol. 80, and three other 

 copies, in one of which, No. 5867 (printed 1883), 

 the tincture of the field is given as Gules. 



lu This exceptionally interesting volume was pre- 

 sented to the library of the Bucks. Archit. and 

 Arch. Soc., during the 'fifties of last century, but 

 had disappeared. Long search ultimately resulted in 

 discovering it at the Bodleian Library, Oxford, to 

 which it had been sold for 20 ! It was eventually 

 recovered by the exertions of the late Messrs. J. 

 Parker and E. J. Payne, and the present writer ; but 

 several years too late for references to be included in 

 the Cb. Belli of Bucks. 



but mentioning no name ; but in the following 

 year's account, 1557, comes : 



If payde to John appowell for the 



bell ........ iijA vj/. viijV. 



According to the above Borough Records, he 

 seems to have been continually before the court, 

 sometimes as plaintiff*, sometimes as defendant, in 

 actions to recover very small debts. 14 He was 

 Bailiff of Buckingham in 155960. 



In the Thame Churchwardens' Accounts for 

 the year ending Ascensiontide, 1560, is : 



Ifm payd to John Appowell for Makyngc 



of Certayne Iren about the bells . . . iijV. 



and in the following year's account is : 



Itm p d to John Appowell for xv 

 finale barrf of Iren for the 

 west wyndow in the Churche. iij/. \d. 



It seems very probable that the founder may 

 have had a contemporary namesake, who was a 

 blacksmith, and lived at Thame. 



In the Visitation of Buckinghamshire, by Wil- 

 liam Harley in 1566, already referred to, John 

 Appowell is mentioned among the ' Burgefses 

 and late Baylifrs.' 



In the Thame Churchwardens' Accounts for 

 the year ending Ascensiontide, 1567, is : 



Payd to John Appowell of Buck- 

 ingnm the bellfoundre for 

 Caftinge of the bell . . . xliij/. 



with confirmatory entries in the same and two 

 following years. 



In 1569 John Appowell served the office of 

 Bailiff of Buckingham for the second time, and 

 in 1572 he was churchwarden. 



In the Churchwardens' Accounts of Shillington, 

 in Bedfordshire, 1 ' for the year 1575, the foundry 

 is proved to have been in existence : 



Payd when they went to buckyng- 

 ham when they went w' the 

 great bell .... 



and a few lines further on : 



[George Edwards] He laid forthe 

 at buckingham when they 

 went w' y* bell ..... 



xxijV. 



ij/. iiijV. 



with various other entries concerning the trans- 

 action, but no mention of the founder's name. 

 John Appowell was Bailiff of Buckingham for 

 the third time in the year beginning i May 

 1576. His death is recorded in the Bucking- 

 ham Register, thus: 



1577 Johes Appowel grosj et Ballivus Bucking 

 fepultz good friday bonus dies veneris. 



14 Detailed in Cb. Bells of Bucks. 175 et eq. 

 " North, Ch. Belli of BeJs. 1 86. 



119 



