This rare set of six graduated cast steel bells,
although indistinctly stamped were almost certainly produced by the Sheffield
firm of Naylor Vickers. Included in the lot is a report dated 1975 giving a
detailed report on the bells which are believed to have originally hung in St
Andrew’s Church, Stainland, Yorkshire.
The Sheffield, England, Steel manufactory of Naylor, Vickers
& Co. (later Vickers Sons & Co. but commonly referred to as simply
"Naylor Vickers"), has long been known for the cast steel bells which
it produced in the mid to late 19th century. They also established an
outlet in North America and exported to other countries.
The tonal quality of steel rather than bronze, or bell
metal, as it was also known, was far inferior and as such steel bells were
never produced in large quantities. As such, it is rare to find an
original ring of six cast steel bells, which have a visually decorative
“appeal” rather than a functional one.
Garden Ornament
Campanology
