INDUSTRIES 



As this is in the neighbourhood of Leicester, and 

 as the name appears in the registers of Leicester, 

 but not in those of Buckingham, Richard 

 Bentley was evidently founding at the former 

 town, whether on his own account, or as an 

 assistant. A Richard Bentley was married at 

 All Saints* in that town in 1571, and four chil- 

 dren of presumably the same Richard Bentley 

 were christened there between 1577 and 1585.'* 

 Further proof of the origin of Bartholomew 

 Alton is afforded by two bells, 1 ' one at Treding- 

 ton, Worcestershire, inscribed in ornate capitals 

 I in. high : 



+ BARTELMEW ATON ^cB? 



preceded and followed by a cross and crown, 

 which are known marks of the Newcombe Foun- 

 dry ; the other bell is at Baddesley Clinton, 

 Warwickshire, and is inscribed in the same let- 

 tering, with Thomas Newcombe's shield. 



In the Churchwardens' Accounts of Wing for 

 the year ended 14 June 1590 is the earliest 

 documentary evidence of Bartholomew Alton 

 founding bells at Buckingham : 



pd vnto Bartholomewe Alton of Buck- 

 yngam for the caftyng of the 

 fecund bell W pultyng in ij C I xfi. 

 weyghl of new mcttell more then 

 the old bell weyghed 



As some of the entries referring to this trans- 

 action precede the charge for ringing on St. 

 Hugh's Day, Alton must have been at work in 

 Buckingham before November 1589. At Hard- 

 wick the tenor, dated 1590, is inscribed 



ROBART MEWCOME MADE ME 



with an ornate cross, and ihe shield (fig. 2) ; 

 in the same year, the tenor at Loughton, and 

 ihe treble at Stoke Hammond have the other 



Fie. 2 



"In the Trans. Leici. Archil, and Arch. Soe. viii, 173 

 (1896), is recorded the will of a Richard Bentley, of 

 Sharnford, 1582, who was therefore probably not the 

 father of the above children. 



" Ex inform. Mr. H. B. Walters, F.S.A. 



partner's name, which continues regularly from 

 that year to appear on bells. Robert Newcombe 

 was buried according to the Buckingham Parish 

 Register on 2 February 1591-2. 



In 1598 and iwo following years, Bartholo- 

 mew's name appears several times among the lists 

 of burgesses in the court rolls already mentioned. 

 In 1605 he was Bailiff of Buckingham. A bell 

 at Great Horwood dated that year is inscribed in 

 lettering (togeiher wilh an ornameni) belonging 

 to this foundry : B A R A. A Robert Atlon 

 was chamberlain of ihe borough of Leicesler in 

 '592-3, but judging by ascertained dates it seems 

 likely thai he was father lo Bartholomew, and lhal 

 Robert ihe bell-founder whoappears from ihis date 

 was a son of Bartholomew. The Baptismal 

 Regisier of Buckingham is missing from May 

 1589 lo March 1592-3, during which interval 

 some of Bartholomew's children were probably 

 born ; and Robert may either have been among 

 ihe number, or he may have been baptized 

 before his parents left Leicester. 



Two leaves* from the Churchwardens' Ac- 

 counts of Woodford Halse, Northanls, were 

 found loose in an old book purchased al a sale al 

 Byfield ; one of ihem dated 1609-10 enumer- 

 ates certain expenses of a deputaiion who 

 personally attended ihe casling of a bell : 

 Imprimis payed for ihe earring of the 



Bell unto Buckingham .... vu. 

 It. payed for alle when the Bell ware a 



melting viijV. 



It. payed for alle when the Belle ware 



a running vjV. 



It. payed for the Berriying of the Bell- 

 founder xj/. 



It. payed for ale when the Bell ware a 



taking up out of the mold . . . vjV. 

 It. payed Bell money unto the Bell- 

 founders men iij/. iiijd. 



It. payed for a Band making that wee 



did take of the Bellfounder . . . vjV. 



It. payed for the casting of the Bell . . liij/. iiijd. 

 It. payyed for mettill for ihe Bell . . xlvij/. iijd. 

 It. payed for our charis in our dial in 



ling Bockingame ziij/. 



As ihe negalive evidence of ihe Regislers 

 goes to show that no Buckingham bell-founder 

 died just when the deputation from Woodford 

 Halse were seeing their bell recast, it may be 

 that ' burying of the bell-founder ' is a slang 

 term meaning a big drink on ihe occasion." 



" Transcribed in Northanti. N. and Q. (vol. i, 

 Northampton, 1886). 



" ' Burying a wife ' is a feast given by an apprentice 

 at the expiration of his articles (Halliwell, Diet, of 

 Archaic and Provl. Words). In the above quotation 

 'earring' is not an accidental mis-spelling, but the 

 Buckinghamshire pronunciation of the word to the 

 present day (and no doubt the Bedfordshire as well) ; 

 a ' Band ' is of course a Bond, or Agreement ; 

 'charis' probably means chargfs, or possibly shares; 

 and ' ling ' no doubt wants a mark of abbreviation, 

 and means leaving, . 



121 l6 



