124 THE CHURCH EELLS OF DORSET. 



estimate him by his works he was a great man ; and if we take 

 his laconic epigrams as an index of his heart, he was a trustful, 

 thankful, religious character." Thus we have PRAYSE THE 

 LORD at West Knighton, 1603; HOPE WELL, and LOVE 

 GOD, at Whitcombe, 16 10; PRALS GOD, and SERVE YE 

 THE LORD, at West Stafford, 1620. There are many more of 

 the same kind in other parts of this county, as well as in 

 Wiltshire, where 1581, at Figheldean and Little Bedwin, are the 

 earliest dates recorded by Mr. Lukis, who laments his failure to 

 gain information either from published histories or from local 

 antiquaries about the foundry. One precious item, however, 

 came to him through a Charity Commissioners' Report, viz., 

 that what is now called Culver Street in Salisbury was also called 

 Bellfounders' Street. In 1624, which is about the time of 

 Wallis's retirement, a tenement, three gardens, and two orchards, 

 &c., " in Culver Street all Bell-founders' Street in New Sarum" 

 were conveyed to trustees under the will of Thomas Bee. 



John Danton, from whom came the bell at Dorchester All 

 Saints', is regarded by Mr. Lukis as taking up the work which 

 Wallis carried on for a good forty years. 



Three of the group of bells with which we are dealing, the 

 tenor at Fordington S. George, 1602, the fourth at Stratton, 

 1 61 9, and the third from Compton Valence in the following 

 year, are from George Purdue's foundry, which was located 

 at Taunton. The churchwardens' accounts at Nettlecombe, 

 Somerset, for 161 3, testify to this.*' The Fordington tenor is 

 a very fine bell, bearing the Royal Arms and other ornamenta- 

 tion. Roger Purdue, presumably a son, cast the fifth at Stratton 

 in 1627, in which year Thomas Purdue was aged six, for he was 

 buried at Closworth, Somerset, in 171 1, aged go years, with 

 this couplet inscribed: — 



" Here lies the bell founder honest and true 

 Till ye Resurrection— named Purdue." 



* EUacombe's Church Bdls of Devon, p. 56. 



