INSCRIPTIONS ON BELLS.
(Vol. vi., p. 554.; Vol. vii., pp. 454. 633.; Vol. viii., p. 108.)
Himbleton, Worcestershire:
1. "Jesus be our God-speed. 1675."
2. "All prayse and glory be to God for ever. 1675."
3. "John Martin of Worcester, he made wee;
Be it known to all that do wee see. 1675."
4. "All you that hear my roaring sound,
Repent before you lie in ground. 1675."
Hanley Castle, Worcestershire:
1. "Ring vs trve,
We praise you. A.R. 1699."
2. "God prosper all our benefactors. A.R. 1699."
3. "God save yᵉ King.
Abrᵃ Rudhall cast vs all. 1699."
4. "God save yᵉ King and yᵉ Chvrch. 1699."
5. "Abrᵃ Rudhall cast vs all. 1699."
6. "Jas. Badger, minister. Rd. Ross, Gorle Chetle, C. W. 1699."
From the ten bells of St. Thomas's Church, Dudley (rebuilt 1816), the following are the most remarkable:
5. "William, Viscount Dudley and Ward;
To doomsday may the name descend—
Dudley, and the poor man's friend."[[5]]
6. "Ring and bid thee cry Georgius Rex III., England, thy Sovereign's name. God save the King. T. Mean of London, 1818."
Of the eight bells in St. Mary's Church, Kidderminster, the following are the inscriptions on the first five:
1. "When you us ring
We'll sweetly sing. 1754."
2. "The gift of the Rt. Hon. Lord Foley. 1754."
3. "Fear God and honour the King. 1754."
4. "Peace and good neighbourhood. 1754."
5. "Prosperity to this parish and trade. 1754."
There is a small bell (dated 1780) which is commonly called the "Ting-tang," and is rung for the last five minutes before each service, which bears the appropriate inscription:
"Come away,
Make no delay."
On one of the bells of Burford Church, near Tenbury, is the following inscription:
"At service-time I sound,
And at the death of men;
To serve your God, and well to die,
Remember then."
The inscriptions on the bells of St. Helen's Church, Worcester, are very singular; the names they bear tell their date:
1. "Blenheim.
First is my note, and Blenheim is my name;
For Blenheim's story will be first in fame."
2. "Barcelona.
Let me relate how Louis did bemoan
His grandson Philip's flight from Barcelon."
3. "Ramilies.
Deluged in blood, I, Ramilies, advance
Britannia's glory in the fall of France."
4. "Menin.
Let Menin on my sides engraven be,
And Flanders freed from Gallic slavery."
5. "Turin.
When in harmonious peal I roundly go,
Think on Turin, and triumph of the Po."
6. "Eugene.
With joy I bear illustrious Eugene's name,
Fav'rite of Fortune, and the boast of fame."
7. "Marlborough.
But I, with pride, the greater Marlborough bear.
Terror of tyrants, and the soul of war."
8. "Queen Ann.
Th' immortal praises of Queen Ann I sound;
With union blest, and all those glories crown'd."
In Clifton-on-Teme Church (dedicated to St. Kenelm) are the two following bell-inscriptions, the second of which appears to contain a date:
"Per Kenelmi merita sit nobis cœlica vita."
"HenrICVs Ieffreyes KeneLMo DeVoVIt."
The following are from the six bells of Kinver Church, Worcestershire:
1. "In Christo solo spem meam repono. A.R. 1746."
2. "Cui Deus pater ecclesia est mater. A.R. 1746."
3. "In suo templo numen adoro. A.R. 1746."
4. "We were all cast at Gloucester by Abel Rudhall, 1746. Fac manus puras cœlo attollas."
5. "Jos. Lye and John Lowe, churchwardens, A.R. 1746. Opem petentibus subvenit Deus."
6. "Wᵐ Gosnell and Sam. Brown, churchwardens. John Rudhall fect. 1790."
Cuthbert Bede, B.A.
Footnote 5:[(return)]
The worthy nobleman's sobriquet must not be confounded with a popular ointment.