The Ships Bell: Ship's Name Permanently Recorded

Many new and very old shipwrecks have been   identified thanks to inscriptions cast onto the ships bell.    

Normally a ship's bell carries the name of the vessel and the year of its construction. Even if the ship is bought and sold and the name changed, the bell preserves its original name, its baptism name. The bell is an important part of the ships life; often used to ring out the rhythm of daily life on board. In fog, the bell serves as a signal for other ships in the vicinity. The quarter bell will be located normally not far from the crews quarters, close by the mess and sleeping quarters. A second "fog" bell will often be located at the front of the vessel.

The photo opposite is the bell of the Order Charcot on the "Why Not". The bell was cast in 1908 and placed on board ship. The ship sunk not many years later, and the ship was rediscovered by the team of Jacques Cousteau; the inscription on the bell identified the ship.

  Alarm Bell / School Bell
Bells as an alarm system. In earlier times bells were used as an alarm system that could be heard often for miles, for such events as fires, or invasions, etc.. One such ringing was called the Tocsin, which is a method of ringing all bells as quickly as possible - all at once.

The funeral toll is another type of bell ring rung by Churches locally or nationally at a prescribed time for funerals of state. The funeral toll is a uniform somber striking of a large bell at a slow tempo.

Additionally, bells are used to signal the passage of time. Certain two to seven, (or more) bell combinations can provide the ringing sequence of the hourly clock chimes and their subdivisions followed by the hour strike.

One of the more well known and liked clock chimes is the Westminster clock chime melody with its 16 notes of which the original is located in England at Westminster Palace. The big bell that rings the hour is named Big Ben.

Most of the time, only the full hours are rung, sometimes in two series of rings, the peak, (on the hour), and the repeat, (a couple minutes after the hour for those who missed the actual hour strike!).

In certain situations, the bells are silenced at night to preserve the quiet.

   Saint Bernard Dogs Club commissions special bells

The Saint Bernard Dogs Club contacted the bellfoundry with a unique request after attending a bell casting at the Saint Bernard de Menthon castle.

They had a picture of a St. Bernard dog and his barrel, and wanted it engraved on bells to commemorate their club's centennial. The bellfoundry rose to the challenge, modifying our finishing processes to capture the color changes in the dog's coat, and creating a new process that adds a special multi-color finish to a bell.

We're always ready for challenging work. Do you have a special or unique request for a bell or for engraving ? Contact us today !