24 
JOHN HOTON. 
In 1474, the first of the four bells, called the Lady Bells, 
was hung in the north bell tower of the Minster; it was cast 
by John Hoton, of York, who may have cast the large bell 
at St. Mary’s Bishophill junior, inscribed :— 
“ + 0 MATER DIA ME SANA VIRGO MARIA ” 
The inscription is in bold black letter text, except the initial 
“ 0 .’’ Between the words are shields of St. Edmund, Ryther, 
and Thornton, and at the end is a beautiful stamp of the 
Annunciation, a lily in a pot separating the figures of the 
angel Gabriel and the Virgin. 
The Rev. J. T. Fowler states : “ The capital letters and the 
stereotyped words used by John Hoton are found on the later 
bells of the Nottingham founders, who had become possessed 
of the original stamps or copies of them made by casting ; 
thus these letters or their facsimiles are found upon bells from 
about 1450 to 1744. 
“WON” BELLS. 
A founder is met with who placed upon his bells a shield, 
bearing two keys in saltire and having a fish, cornsheaf, bell 
and urn in each division respectively between the keys, and 
also another shield bearing the founder’s device a rebus on his 
name. Similar shields occur on a bell at Cowbet, in Lincoln¬ 
shire, with the name Augustine Wox, from which it is inferred 
he was the founder of the bells which bear the shields in 
question. 
Three of the bells at Christ Church possess these shields, 
and have the following inscriptions :— 
(1) “ Johannes eternis annis resonet Domino” 
(2) “ Sit nomen Domini benedictum ” 
(3) “ Santa Margareta ora pro nobis.” 
At Saxton are three bells, two containing inscriptions similar 
to those of Christ Church. The three, however, have in 
addition a shield Old France and England quarterly surmounted 
by a crown and a beautiful cross encircled with an English 
inscription, “ Jesu Mercy, Lady help.” These beautiful 
