INDUSTRIES 



WIL SOVND. Sometimes the second, third, 

 and fourth also have the future WILL. 



After the siege and surrender of the town 

 of Reading to Cromwell's soldiers under the 

 earl of Essex, in April 1643, there was doubt- 

 less a serious stagnation of trade, and for four 

 entire years ensuing, this hitherto flourishing 

 foundry does not appear to have turned out a 

 single bell. In 1647 two orders at any rate 

 were received, one from Buckinghamshire, 

 which bell is still extant, and the other was to 

 replace Joseph Carter's ' lowd ' bell at St. 

 Lawrence's, Reading, cast 1596-7, and broken 

 in 1646. This latter order, ' Anno 1647-8,' 

 was to ' Ellys Knight, and Francis Knight.' 

 A Francis Knight married at St. Mary's, 

 Reading, in 1630, and was buried there in 

 1671, and is probably the founder who ap- 

 pears from the above entry to have been at 

 that time in partnership with Ellis. There 

 is no trace of any order to this foundry in 

 1648, and only one the next year (Tidmarsh, 

 Berks). After that there was a partial re- 

 vival of trade, there being six bells known 

 from this foundry in 1650, and from one to 

 four each subsequent year of that decade, 

 except 1657. 



When Ellis Knight died is not known ; it 

 seems likely that he was not in business after 

 1658, but that a younger namesake then 

 appeared on the scene. In 1651 the tenor at 

 Chinnor (Oxon.) has the initials H K, indi- 

 cating apparently the first effort of the second 

 Henry Knight, then presumably learning the 

 business with Ellis and Francis. This Henry 

 was probably the son of Edward Knight, and 

 baptized at St. Lawrence's (Reading) in 1621. 



In the Churchwardens' Accounts of St. 

 Giles's, Reading, for 1661, is a payment to 

 ' Henry Knight belfounder,' so he seems 

 then to have been the senior partner ; and 

 many bells dated during the next twelve 

 years state distinctly that HENRY KNIGHT 

 MADE MEE, while about an equal number have 

 a shield obviously indicating an Ellis Knight, 

 but which is always accompanied by H.K. 

 stamped on either side. 



In 1666 is dated the nuncupative will of 

 Thomas Knight, who is therein described as 

 ' late of Reading in the county of Berks Bell- 

 founder.' He was evidently a junior member 

 of the firm, who never rose to the honour of 

 having his name recorded on a bell. He was 

 probably the Thomas baptized at St. Mary's, 

 Reading, in 1626-7, whose father, likewise 

 Thomas, had been married at that church in 

 1620. 



Henry died towards the end of 1672 (prob- 

 ably in January 1672-3). The inventory of 

 his goods describes him as ' Henrie Knight 



Sen r late of Reading Belfounder.' After his 

 death the partners were Ellis (probably No. II., 

 as above suggested), and Henry's son Henry 

 Knight III. who was baptized at St. Law- 

 rence's, Reading, in 1649. 



It seems likely that Ellis retired after 1675, 

 and Henry's business shrank to a small out- 

 put. He died, or perhaps retired in disgust, 

 about 1682, and Ellis once more took over 

 the business ; but in 1684 he evidently 

 handed over the management to Samuel 

 Knight, and in the following year he made 

 his will, and then lived ten years in retire- 

 ment, as it was not proved until April 1694, 

 when an inventory was also taken. 



As Samuel is not mentioned in either the 

 will or inventory it appears most likely that 

 he was not Ellis's son. His earliest known 

 bell is at Stanford Dingley (Berks), and is 

 dated 1684. By about 1702 the business had 

 diminished seriously, and after that year I 

 know of no orders executed by him at Reading 

 outside his own county. In 1710 (probably) he 

 left Reading, and removed to the parish of 

 St. Andrew, Holborn, London. The actual 

 site of his foundry is not known, but Mr. 

 Stahlschmidt believed it was in Shoe Lane. 



For the first twelve or eighteen months 

 there he seems to have had absolutely no 

 business, but the tide eventually turned, and 

 from 1712 he sent at least thirty-six bells to 

 Sussex towers 1 ; from 1721, between eighty 

 and ninety bells to Kentish towers * ; and 

 some few elsewhere. In Surrey he contri- 

 buted the renowned ring of twelve (of which 

 the majority still remain) to St. Saviour's, 

 South wark, in 1734-5, and a few others. His 

 will is dated 15 November, 1739, and was 

 proved on 19 December in the same year. 



He was succeeded in his London foundry 

 by Robert Catlin, who appears in Samuel 

 Knight's will as executor and residuary 

 legatee. On the fifth bell of a ring of six at 

 St. Michael's Church, St. Albans (Herts), 

 dated 1739, it is stated that SAMUEL KNIGHT 

 MADE ME and that 'ROBERT CATLIN HUNG us 

 ALL. Catlin was admitted a ' Love Brother ' 

 (hon. member) of the Founders' Company 

 (London) in 1740, and died in I75I. 3 He 

 kept up his predecessor's connection with 

 Reading to some extent, by recasting the 

 important rings of St. Lawrence and St. 

 Mary, in that town. He was succeeded by 

 Thomas Swain, who I believe came of a 

 Reading family but not born there, being the 

 eldest son of Thomas Swain of West Bedfont 

 (Midd.). During the latter years of his life 



Bells of Sussex. * Bells of Kent. 



3 Bells of Herts. 



421 



