i7 
“ YORK BELLFOUNDERS.” 
'’JpHE earliest Church Bells in England were hand-bells, and 
were about 12 inches high, made of thin plates of beaten 
metal, bent into a four-sided form and rivetted, having a handle 
at the top by which they were swung by the hand of the priest. 
Two smaller, but similar shaped bells (fig. 1) are in the Museum, 
one of iron covered with brass is four inches long by 3J inches 
broad at the base. The other is of copper, and was found 
February 2nd, 1894, whilst excavating at the Pavement end of 
Parliament Street. These small bells may have been hung 
round the necks of animals. 
Fig. i. 
D 
