John Taylor & Co
Taylors Eayre & Smith Ltd (formerly trading as John Taylor Bellfounders, John Taylor & Co and other names), based in Loughborough in the United Kingdom, is the world's largest working bell foundry.
The company manufactures bells for use in clock towers, change ringing peals, chimes, and carillons. In 2005, Taylor's merged with Eayre & Smith Ltd (bellhangers) to form Taylors Eayre & Smith Ltd.[1]
The site has a museum of bells, the only one of its kind in the UK.
History
The present company is part of a line of bellfounders dating back to Johannes de Stafford in the 14th century.[2] The Taylor family became involved in 1784 and a foundry was established on the current site in 1839. They were the first bellfounder to adopt "true-harmonic" tuning in the late 19th century.[3] The foundry is based in buildings on Freehold Street.
On September 18 2009, Jennie Higson reported on campanophile that "'As from today Taylors Eayre and Smith is in the hands of the administrators.' Jennie and Andrew Higson (on Ringing-Chat)". Her Facebook entry was updated at 19:04pm and simply reported "Game over, RIP Taylors Eayre and Smith".[citation needed] This was also reported on news websites Asian Leader[4] and the BBC[5]
Notable bells
In 1881 Taylor's cast the largest bell in Britain, "Great Paul", for St Paul's Cathedral in London, weighting 17,002 kg or more than 17 tons.
Many churches across the world have used bells cast at Taylor's Bell Foundry, including:
- Liverpool Cathedral bourdon bell "Great George", at 14,900 kg or more than 14 long tons 13 cwt, it is the second largest bell in Britain.[6]
- Carlisle Cathedral, 13 bells
- Loughborough Carillon, (War Memorial) 47 bell carillon
- Monument, Canberra, 53 bell carillon
- Manchester Town Hall, 23 bell carillon
- Yale Memorial Carillon, 54 bell carillon
- Singing Tower Carillon at Bok Tower Gardens, 60 bell carillon
- Edith Adamson Memorial Carillon, 25 bell carillon, Newcastle Civic Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne
- Baird Carillon, 55 bell carillon, Burton Tower, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Kibbey Carillon, 53 bell carillon (1963), Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C., USA
- Sather Carillon, Sather Tower original (1917) 12 bell chime by Taylor (later expanded to carillon), University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- WWII Memorial Carillon, 53 bell carillon, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
- Stanton Memorial Carillon, 50 bell carillon (originally a 10 bell chime in 1899, expanded in 1920, 1954, 1967), Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
- Luray Singing Tower, 47 bell carillon (1937), Luray, Virginia, USA
- Wellesley College Carillon, 32 bell carillon, (1931, last enlarged in 1990), Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA
- Duke Chapel carillon, 50 bell carillon (1932), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- St. Elisabeth's church, Reddish
Bell Master
The current Bell Master is Andrew D Higson.
References
- ^ Foundry Merger accessed 20 June 2007
- ^ Foundry History accessed 20 June 2007
- ^ The Sound of Bells accessed 20 June 2007
- ^ http://www.asianleader.co.uk/10965/225yearold-bell-foundry-in-administration.5661989.jp
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/8264298.stm
- ^ Liverpool Cathedral Bells accessed 20 June 2007
External links
52°46′23.44″N 1°11′56.10″W / 52.7731778°N 1.1989167°W
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