Mine Bells· Page 2 · AditNow Community

Mine exploration, photographs and mining history for mine explorers, industrial archaeologists, researchers and historians

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Cornish Pixie
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13 years ago

#21

What a beauty!! Where does the image come from, as I'd love permission to include that in my article?!! :thumbsup: Thanks so much Grahami!

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grahami
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13 years ago

#22

It's a still from the Pathe film which is here:
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=82210

I've doctored it a bit here to cover up the glaring orange copywrite watermark. The site says the layout is (c) Pathe, but I don't know regarding the image itself - probably the same, I guess. There are other shots of the same thing elsewhere but I can't put my hand to the locations at the moment.

Cheers

Grahami

The map is the territory - especially in chain scale.

Cornish Pixie
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13 years ago

#23

I can buy the still for £20 from Sky who own the copyright!! :ohmygod:

Does anyone have an alternative source (preferably cheaper) for this image? Right now £20 is a bit steep!!

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Gwyn
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13 years ago

#24

Gwynedd Archives, Caernarfon, should hold some photographs of the Penrhyn bell, as well as the bugler who was also used to warn of blasting. Last time I looked they only charge £15 for use as you wish to do!

Cornish Pixie
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13 years ago

#25

Gwyn, the archive has an image of the bugler all right, but I couldn't see one of the bell 😞

Den heb davaz a gollaz i dir

Gwyn
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13 years ago

#26

Rats! I'll make some local enquiries, see what I can find, but can't promise anything.

Cornish Pixie
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13 years ago

#27

Cheers! 😉

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scooptram
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13 years ago

#28

had a look at the bell at poldark they have 2 of them ,the one in the headframe is dated 1777 but no mine name the other is the bell from Ting Tang mine hope this is of some use

Cornish Pixie
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13 years ago

#29

Scooptram, you're an absolute gem! :flowers: Did you get a piccie of the Tang Tang bell? Maybe this very bell gave its name to that mine (it must have been a nick name); hardly surprising when you consider that the mine bell must have controlled the existence of a lot of people who lived hard lives compared to our cushy ones today, and barely above subsistance level at that. I wonder where Richard acquired those bells? The Holman museum I guess. 😉

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scooptram
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13 years ago

#30

there is a pic of the ting tang bell on this site its dated 1884 cast by the pearren foundrey i think

Cornish Pixie
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13 years ago

#31

Scooptram, that's right, there is a peach of a piccie in the Ting Tang user album. Ting Tang was run by the Williams until about 1840 when it was knacked. It was taken up by old Capt. Martin of Tresavean in 1844, under the name Ting Tang Consols, which is when the bell at Poldark dates from. It was cast at the Perran Foundry and looks to be pretty crudly cast in comparision to church bells I've seen. I don't think it is cast in bronze - looks more like iron to me. Capt Martin's venture wasn't successul, ending within 2 years for want of capital, but at least the mine bell didn't get scrapped like so many others! :curse:

Den heb davaz a gollaz i dir

scooptram
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13 years ago

#32

i know the bell in the headframe is bronze it was a pig to get it up there :lol:

Cornish Pixie
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13 years ago

#33

How big do you estimate the bell in the headframe to be Scooptram? Some of the bells I've got documentray evidence for were around 14 inches in diameter at the lip (bottom). The Ting Tang bell looks a big bigger but it's hard to say with nothing near it to act as a scale.

Den heb davaz a gollaz i dir

scooptram
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13 years ago

#34

god its a long time since i was that close to it but must be around 14 inches

Cornish Pixie
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13 years ago

#35

That would make sense, as this was quite a common size for mine bells it seems. How loud did it ring? Sorry for all the anally retentive questions!!! :lol:

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scooptram
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13 years ago

#36

loud enough to be heard over the poldark site once we fitted a clapper inside used 3 rings for the start of the mine tour

Roy Morton
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13 years ago

#37

There is always this one that tends to go un-noticed.
Wheal Coates bal bell
You can use these pics as they are mine 😉
Roy

🔗Personal-Album-342-Image-67932[linkphoto]Personal-Album-342-Image-67932[/linkphoto][/link]

🔗Personal-Album-342-Image-67931[linkphoto]Personal-Album-342-Image-67931[/linkphoto][/link]

"You Chinese think of everything!"
"But I''m not Chinese!"
"Then you must have forgotten something!"

Cornish Pixie
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13 years ago

#38

Of course! I've heard the bleddy thing ringing at the mine now you mention it!!! :blink: Proper job! Thanks for all of your help. I'm sure you don't want anymore of my questions 'ringing in your ears' :lol:

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scooptram
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13 years ago

#39

no worrys ask all you like thats what the site is for :thumbsup:

Cornish Pixie
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13 years ago

#40

Hey Roy, wonderful photos! Where is this venerable old bell displayed? Do you know anything about the date and how big is it? It looks like it's cast in iron. I'm suspicious that the bell I saw over here isn't a mine bell at all, but an ecclesiastical one, as it's 24 inches, no mine or mining company name on it, and cast in bronze with the maker's name: William Blews & Sons, cast in relief just below the shoulder.

Whether it is or not, the important thing is that it has become a lightening rod for a remembrance of a real mine bell that once existed on one of the local mines in Avoca. I have evidence for the widespread use of bells on Irish mines, and of course, the Williams of Scorrier ran mines in East Avoca for much of the C19th, on which 'Cornish customs prevailed'! 😉

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