INDUSTRIES Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Oxfordshire, and Sussex. The treble at Fulmer (Bucks) has the invocation form of inscription entirely in a small-sized set of black-letter smalls, without capital or any stamp, and ending with a small-sized capital W, under which are the initials 'is' in the black-letter set. This is probably one of Saunders's first productions at the Reading foundry, the W referring to White. The former tenor at Drayton (Berks), now unfortunately melted, had the invocation form of inscription in a large florid set of quasi-Lombardic capitals (to which the D on the Ewelme bell previously ascribed to White, possibly belongs), with an S-like stop between each word, followed by a stamp showing the arms of the episcopal see of Winchester (Fig. 7) and Saunders's initials. FIG. 7. STAMP SHOWING ARMS OF THE SEE OF WINCHESTER. This stamp naturally suggests that Saunders obtained it from a foundry in that city or elsewhere in the diocese, very likely learning his work there, but I have not succeeded in tracing the foundry. He also introduced a large set of black- letter smalls, and a rebus shield which evidently reads Winton. There are initials on it, unfor- tunately imperfect in the examples I have met with, but which may be DR,OK. The stop (Fig. 8) makes its appearance about the same time. Other bells apparently by Saunders in Berkshire, are at Hurley and Tidmarsh. In Church Bells of Bucks I have carefully FIG. 8. STOP INTRO- DUCED BY SAUNDERS. enumerated all the bells belonging to this group which were known to me, and since its publica- tion Mr. H. B. Walters has discovered three more, namely, at Souldern and Shipton on Cherwell (Oxon.), and Shipston on Stour (Wore.). The books of the Founders' Company (London) for the year 1554-5 contain entries of the payment of fines for the admission of John Saunders, stranger, and Gilbert Smythe, his servant. In 1557-8 Saunders was admitted to the ' livery ' of the Gild, his entrance fine of xiijs. iiijd. being recorded. He died in Reading, intestate, in 1558-9, and in the list of the Founders' Company for 1559 Gylbert Smythe's name is entered as a ' journeyman stranger.' No London-made bells by Saunders have been recognized, and Mr. Stahlschmidt thought it very likely that the freedom of the . Founders' Gild was only obtained by him for the convenience of binding apprentices. It seems quite possible, however, that Saun- ders in 1556 may have succeeded Austen Bracker in the important London business, which can be traced more or less perfectly through (to mention only the principal names) Henry Jordan, John Danyell, Robert Crowch, John Walgrave, and back to William Dawe, or ' William Founder ' ; and that Gil- bert Smythe may have been his manager in London, and William Welles, to be mentioned again directly, his manager at Reading. What happened to this ancient business on the death of Saunders is not obvious. Among the archives of the Corporation of Reading is an undated manuscript book entitled ' The Booke of the Names and Ordinnances of the Cutlers and Bellfounders Companye.' It contains lists of several other trades besides the two mentioned ; and records some ' perticuler orders ' regulating some of them. It gives the names of three bellfounders (having presumably separate businesses) exist- ing at the same time in the town, namely, William Welles, William Knighte, and Vin- cent Gorowaye. Mr. Tyssen * considered the date of this book to be about 1565, but Mr. Stahlschmidt a considered it somewhat earlier, for, in the books of the Founders' Company of London, he found under the year 1518, the name of ' Winsent Galaway,' while a William Knight was Under Warden of the Company in that year, Upper Warden in 1528, and Master of the Guild in 1530-31. Probably all these three bellfounders learnt the business in the old Reading foundry, and eventually each perhaps set up for himself independently. William Knight (or possibly his son) certainly owned a large independent 1 Sells of Sussex, 20, footnote.
- Bells of Surrey, 94.
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