A HISTORY OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 



and his will 30 was proved by his widow Bridget 

 on the 22nd of the following November. His 

 eldest son Anthony was baptized in August 

 1622, and was, therefore, probably not sixteen 

 at the time of his father's death. Very likely 

 he kept the smithy going with the help of a 

 journeyman, but the bell-foundry appears to have 

 ceased until 1650, when he cast the treble at 

 Simpson (recently melted), which was quite a 

 curiosity ! It was hardly of greater diameter at 

 the lip than at the shoulder, while the waist, 

 about half-way between crown and lip, was of 

 considerably less diameter. It was inscribed, as 

 were most of his bells, CHAMDLER MADE ME 

 with no Christian name or initial, followed by 

 the pattern (fig. 7). Orders at once came to 

 him in steady succession. 



Meanwhile there were certainly two Richard 

 Chandlers connected with the business besides 

 the first of the name who died in 1638 as 

 above mentioned. 



figures may have been pressed on the ' cope ' in 

 readiness for the new year (though then not be- 

 ginning until 25 March) before his death. Two 

 bells, however, respectively dated 1 71 1 and 

 1715, inscribed actually on the waist, maybe 

 considered as antagonistic to the theory. A few 

 bells dated 1651, 1654, anc ' apparently others 

 in i684, 81 on which the name appears as 

 CHAHDELER without Christian name, may 

 also perhaps indicate his workmanship. How- 

 ever this may be with regard to Richard 

 Chandler II, his nephew and namesake, Richard 

 III, the eldest son of Anthony, who was baptized 

 15 December 1650, evidently became partner 

 with his father on completing his twenty-first 

 year, from which time Anthony distinguished the 

 bells he cast by the addition of his Christian 

 name. His will 33 is dated 28 August 1679, and 

 was proved on 2 1 April following, so an entry of 

 burial of an Anthony on i September 1679 

 evidently refers to the founder, though three 



Fie. 7 



FIG. 8 



In 1675 the name of Richard Chandler be- 

 gins again on bells, and this seems to have been 

 Anthony's elder son, whom we may call 

 Richard III. The second Richard seems to 

 have been Anthony's younger brother, and never 

 to have had the honour of inscribing his name on 

 a bell, but his work is possibly recognizable by 

 the expedient of the inscription (either the sur- 

 name only, or with Richard prefixed) being 

 placed on a few bells somewhat lower down than 

 usual, generally on a line with, and taking the 

 place of portions of, the ' rims ' ; so that it reads 

 thus : 



ICHAUDLER: 



IMADE: 



:ME: 



He was buried I January 1704-5, and 

 though the latest bell inscribed in that position 

 (the tenor at Wavendon) is dated 1705, this does 

 not necessarily invalidate the theory, as the 



M Given at length in Ch. Bells of Bucks. 



other Anthonies are recorded as buried subse- 

 quently at Drayton. 



In 1 68 1 Anthony's second son George began 

 placing his name on bells. His baptism is re- 

 corded on 3 March 1654. After 1683 his 

 name disappears for the long interval of nineteen 

 years, unless Lipscomb ** is correct in saying that 

 he cast the former tenor at Wing in 1687, which 

 was unfortunately exchanged in 1863. Begin- 

 ning in 1683, while some bells bear Richard's 

 name, numerous others bear merely the surname 

 (as in Anthony's time), which Mr. Stahlschmidt 34 

 suggested represent the work of ' the firm ' as 

 opposed to a particular individual. 



The pattern, fig. 8, was used by ' the firm ' 

 on the saunce at Beachampton in 1695, and by 

 Richard at Bicester (Oxon.) in 1715. 



31 Ch. Bells ofNorthants. at Stoke Bruerne. 

 " Given at length, Ch. Bells of Bucks. 228. 



33 Hist, of Bucks, iii, 527. 



34 Bells of Herts. 49. 



I2 4 



