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Bilbie bell kept in St Andrews Church as a memorial to the family.
Bilbie bell kept in St Andrews Church as a memorial to the family. St Andrews Church ( of the Church of England, is on the outskirts of Chew Stoke, Somerset, England.

The Bilbie family were bell founders and clockmakers based initially in Chew Stoke, Somerset and later at Cullompton, Devon in south-west England from the late 1600s to the early 1800s. Bellfounding is the craft of creating bells in a Foundry A clockmaker is an Artisan who makes and repairs Clocks Since almost all clocks are now factory-made most clockmakers today just repair clocks Chew Stoke is a small village and Civil parish in the Chew Valley, in Somerset, England about south of Bristol. Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county Cullompton is a town in Devon, England in the district of Mid Devon, lying from Exeter on the River Culm and close to the M5 Devon is a large county in the South West of England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, but that is an entirely unofficial name England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland

Their importance to the local economy and in local history is commemorated by Bilbie Road in Chew Stoke and in the village sign.

Contents

Bell making

The Bilbie family produced more than 1,350 bells, which are hung in churches all over the West Country. A church bell is a bell which is rung in a (especially Christian) church either to signify the Hour or the time for worshippers to go to The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region The oldest bell, cast in 1698, is still giving good service in St Andrews Church. St Andrews Church ( of the Church of England, is on the outskirts of Chew Stoke, Somerset, England.

Supplies of the tin and copper used to make Bell metal were probably obtained from brass foundries in Kelston and Bristol. Tin is a Chemical element with the symbol Sn (stannum and Atomic number 50 Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 Bell metal is a hard Alloy used for making bells. It is a form of Bronze, usually approximately 31 ratio of Copper to Tin (78% copper Brass is any Alloy of Copper and Zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties Kelston is a small village in Somerset, 4 miles northwest of Bath, and 8 miles east of Bristol, on the A431 road. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London The metal was melted in a wood burning furnace to over 1,500 °C (2,732 °F) and then poured into a mould made from loam, or foundry mud, from the River Chew. Loam is Soil composed of Sand, Silt, and Clay in relatively even concentration (about 40-40-20% concentration respectively considered The River Chew is a small River in England. It merges with the River Avon after 17 miles forming the Chew Valley. [1]

Legend suggests the Bilbies were wild looking men with long hair who could scarcely read or write, who would never cast a bell except when it was full moon, midnight, and conditions perfectly still and it is suggested that the reason Chew Stoke has amazingly criss-cross roads is because a sort of bypass was constructed so that silence in making bells would not be disturbed by travellers on horseback or by carriages passing the foundry. [2]

A selection of church bells they produced

Chew Stoke village sign depicting the Pack Horse Bridge, St Andrew's Church and a Bilbie Bell (and bell-foundry worker)
Chew Stoke village sign depicting the Pack Horse Bridge, St Andrew's Church and a Bilbie Bell (and bell-foundry worker)

Clock making

Edward Bilbie is thought to have learnt the clockmaking trade from Edward Webb, who died in 1694. Lustleigh is a small village nestled in the Wrey Valley, inside the Dartmoor National Park in Devon, England. Marwood is a village in North Devon 35 miles north of Barnstaple. Devon is a large county in the South West of England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, but that is an entirely unofficial name The Abbey Church of St Mary the Virgin at Sherborne in the English county of Dorset, is usually called Sherborne Abbey. Uphill is a village on the edge of Weston-super-Mare in North Somerset, England. Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county Wrington is a Village in North Somerset, England. It lies in the valley of the Congresbury Yeo river about east of Weston-super-Mare Yeovil (ˈjovɪl is a town in south Somerset, England, on the A30 and A37. Zeal Monachorum (Latin translation Cell of the Monks) is a village and Civil parish in the Mid Devon district of Devon, England about Bilbie started casting bells in 1698, and it is highly probable that he was making clocks by this time. [20]

Around this time Bristol was one of the most important centres for clock making outside London. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. This was in part due to the strong brass founding industry which had developed in response to a healthy export demand and the abundant supply of the raw materials copper and zinc in the West. Brass is any Alloy of Copper and Zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties In the late 17th century the clock making industry thrived in the Chew Valley of Somerset thanks to Thomas Veale, Edward Webb and Edward Bilbie, whose clock making was conducted alongside their bell-founding work. The Chew Valley is an area in North Somerset, England named after the River Chew, which rises at Chewton Mendip, and joins the River Avon Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county Such a concentrated effort resulted in a distinctive local style of lantern clock. A lantern clock is a type of antique weight-driven Wall Clock, shaped like a Lantern.

Their clocks date from 1724 and are highly prized. They produced mostly longcase clocks, the cheapest with 30-hour movements in modest oak cases, but they also made high quality eight-day movements with additional features such as including the high tide at Bristol docks. A longcase clock, also tall-case clock, grandfather clock or floor clock, is a freestanding weight-driven Pendulum clock with the In Horology, a movement is the internal mechanism of a Clock or Watch, as opposed to the case, which encloses and protects the movement and The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of about 400 species of Trees and Shrubs in the Genus Quercus (from Latin Bristol Harbour is the Harbour in the city of Bristol, England These were fitted into quality cabinet maker cases that now command the highest prices. Cabinet making is the practice of utilizing various Woodworking skills to create cabinets shelving and Furniture. [5][1]

Family members

Several generations of the family were involved in the business. [5]

Edward Bilbie I (1666 - 1724)

It is not known how Edward Bilbie learnt to cast bells, but it is clear that he cast his first bell in 1698 for the St Andrews Church in Chew Stoke. Casting is a manufacturing process by which a liquid material is (usually poured into a mold which St Andrews Church ( of the Church of England, is on the outskirts of Chew Stoke, Somerset, England. In the period from 1698 and 1723 Edward Bilbie was responsible for the casting of 67 bells for churches all over Somerset. Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county [1]

Edward Bilbie II (1694 - 1726)

The eldest son of Edward I learnt bell making from his father, but died only a few months after him and never had the chance to produce his own work. [1]

Thomas Bilbie (1702 - 1778)

Edward I's younger son Thomas took over the bell and clock making businesses in 1725 completing contracts already agreed, and traveling further for new ones. One of his largest commissions was for the "Great Bell" at Yeovil which was recast from 4,502 pounds (2,042 kg/321. Yeovil (ˈjovɪl is a town in south Somerset, England, on the A30 and A37. The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States #) is a unit of Mass 6 st) to 4,992 lb (2,264 kg/356. The stone is a unit of Weight. It is part of the Imperial system of weights and measures used in the British Isles, and formerly used in most 6 st). In 1742 he gained a contract to cast beels for the church at Cullompton, Devon and, in 1746, set up a bell making foundry there known as the "West of England Church Bellfoundry" so that he could expand the business south and west of Somerset, and reduce the transportation problems from the original foundry. Cullompton is a town in Devon, England in the district of Mid Devon, lying from Exeter on the River Culm and close to the M5 Devon is a large county in the South West of England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, but that is an entirely unofficial name [9] Between 1725 and 1768 he was responsible for 350 bells in churches in Somerset, Devon, Bristol, Dorset and Gloucestershire, with one in at Caernarfon in Wales. Dorset ( (or archaically, Dorsetshire) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast History See also History of Gloucestershire Gloucestershire is a historic county mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in the 10th century Caernarfon (the original Welsh spelling is now almost always used in preference to the anglicised forms "Caernarvon" or "Carnarvon" is a [1]

Edward Bilbie 1716 - 1786

Thomas Bilbie II of Cullompton (1727 - 1780)

Following his father Thomas's creation of the second foundry in Cullompton, Thomas II or Thomas Bilbie Junior cast bells for most of the churches in Devon providing a total of 237 between 1754 and 1780. [1]

Abraham Bilbie (1729 - 1773)

Abraham took over the business in Chew Stoke from his father Thomas for five years, during which time he was responsible for 35 bells including peals of six for South Wraxall, Winscombe and Portishead. South Wraxall Manor is a Grade I listed Country house which dates from the early 15th century located in Wiltshire near Bradford on Avon, England Winscombe is a Village in North Somerset, England, close to the settlements of Axbridge and Cheddar, on the western edge of the Portishead (pɔːtɪsˈhɛd IS an English musical group from Bristol. [1]

William Bilbie (1730 - 1789)

William was the third son of Thomas and was in charge of the Chew Stoke foundry from 1775-1790 during which time he produced 79 bells. [1]

John Bilbie of Axbridge (1736 - 1767)

Edward Bilbie IV (1766 - 1796)

Thomas Webb Bilbie (1768 - 1829) and James Fear Bilbie (1768 - 1820)

Thomas and James were unable to adapt the business and compete with increasing competition and the Chew Stoke bell foundry declined, casting 25 bells between 1791 and 1811. [1]

Thomas Castleman Bilbie of Cullompton (1769 - 1813)

Thomas Castleman Bilbie was the fourth generation of bellfounders and continued the business in Cullompton casting 198 bells between 1781 and 1814. [1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Moore, J. Rice, R. and Hucker, E. (1995). Bilbie and the Chew Valley clockmakers  : the story of the renowned family of Somerset bellfounder-clockmakers /Clockmakers. The authors. ISBN 0952670208.  
  2. ^ Bailey, Jil. "Ring out the old, ring in the new", Weston Mercury, 2007-12-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Retrieved on 2008-01-01. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC  
  3. ^ Abbotsbury (St. Nicholas). Dorset Churches. Retrieved on 2007-07-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of
  4. ^ Axbridge Church Tower & Bell Ringing. Axbridge. Retrieved on 2007-07-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of
  5. ^ a b c Bilbie - Bell founders and clockmakers. Troyte Ringing Centre. Retrieved on 2006-11-05. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany)
  6. ^ Activities at St. George's, Beckington. Beckington Village. Retrieved on 2007-07-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of
  7. ^ The Bells. St Mary Redcliffe, Bristol. Retrieved on 2007-07-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of
  8. ^ All Saints Church. Corston Village. Retrieved on 2007-07-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of
  9. ^ a b St Andrews Church Bells. Cullompton village web site. Retrieved on 2007-07-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of
  10. ^ Bells at St John the Baptist Parish Church. Glastonbury Town Council. Retrieved on 2007-07-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of
  11. ^ St Giles Church. Leigh upon Mendip. Retrieved on 2007-07-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of
  12. ^ Bells. Parish Church of Marwood, North Devon. Retrieved on 2007-07-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of
  13. ^ The Parish Church of Northam. GENUKI. Retrieved on 2007-07-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of
  14. ^ The Bells. Sherborne Company of Ringers. Retrieved on 2007-07-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of
  15. ^ Churches. Uphill Village. Retrieved on 2007-07-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of
  16. ^ Bellringing at All Saints Wraxall. Parish of Wraxall with Failand. Retrieved on 2007-07-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of
  17. ^ A History of the Church. Wrington Village. Retrieved on 2007-07-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of
  18. ^ Yeovil, Somerset, St John the Baptist,. The sound of Bells. Retrieved on 2007-07-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of
  19. ^ Zeal Monachorum Bell Appeal. Zeal Bell Appeal. Retrieved on 2007-07-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of
  20. ^ lot no 422. Dreweatt Neate. Retrieved on 2007-07-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of
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