Ill The Belfry formerly standing in the Close, Salisbury. 



reduced to an octave in 1661, the tone of the tenor being B natural ; 

 this was the ease until the breaking up of the peal in 1790. 



During the troublous times of the Civil Wars and Commonwealth 

 the Belfry and bells suffered much damage from neglect, as well as 

 from wanton mischief. Upon one occasion the building was 

 garrisoned by a party of Ludlow's men, who, being besieged by the 

 Royalists, were forced to capitulate, the latter having rendered the 

 place untenable by burning down the door. 



Soon after the Restoration, viz., in 1661, William Purdue, who 

 then carried on the Salisbury foundry, was employed to re-cast 

 some of the larger bells. At the same time the Clerk of the Works 

 gives credit for having received £362 for bell-metal, which was 

 probably that of the smaller bells, which were then broken up. 

 One of the bells cast at this time by William Purdue was the sixth 

 in the peal, and was removed to the tower of the Cathedral when 

 the Belfry was taken down, being the same upon which the clock 

 strikes, and is tolled daily for divine service. It bears the following 

 inscription : — " Impensis Ecclesi^e William Pvrdve Fvsa Anno 

 Regis Caroli Q 1) xiii A 00 Dni 1661." 



The following entries occur in the account for 1668 : — 



" Casting 59 lbs. of brasses for ye Great Bell at 4 d . per ib. £1 „ 09 „ 06. 

 "4lbs. of new brasses 0 „ 04 s 04°. " 



In the year 1671 Bishop Seth Ward held a visitation of the 

 Cathedral, when the Dean and Chapter, in answering the articles 

 relating to the Belfry and bells, say — 



" The Belfry and tower want repair. " The Timber to the Piremid of the 

 Belfry is defective." " The Belfry wants lead to the quantity of three or four 

 tons." " The south side of the Belfry being closed up windows prevents the 

 bells' sound from being heard." " The seventh and eighth bells are broken and 

 useless till they be re-cast." 



We have seen that the eighth bell was re-cast so recently as in 

 1630, yet now in 1671 the process is again necessary. 



The peal remained in this mutilated condition for nine years 

 longer, but on August 16th, 1680, a contract was entered into 

 " between the Dean and Chapter and Clement Tosier of the City 

 of New Sarum, bell-founder, and Elizabeth Fleury, of the said city, 



