Inch, Wigtownshire, kirk bell subscribers list 18th c

[jennyblain]

I was at NAS last week looking at the digitised Inch parish (Wigtownshire) Kirk Session minutes, which start from 1730. There seems to be an insertion at the start of the first volume, of four pages of names of people giving money towards a new bell for the kirk.

I took a copy of this list and have transcribed it. It gives a snapshot of this parish, represented by the (usually-male) heads of families, where they were, and the amount paid, from £1 for 'The Honble Captin John Dalrymple of Str' to a penny-ha'penny for 'Mary Skellie in Tonuchre'. But I don't yet know the date of the bell collection, which alas was not given in this record. It occupies four pages.

If anybody had kin there we could share info - helping you see where people were and at the same time helping work out the date. I found a John Blain in Kirk of Inch, and Thomas and James Blain in Dalhabbah, all giving sixpence. The collection amassed six pounds twelve shillings plus Mary's halfpenny in total.

Jenny

[Currie]

Hello Jenny,

There’s some information about Inch parish bells in “The Church and other Bells of Wigtownshire” by F. C. Eeles and R. W. M. Clouston. http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata ... 61_274.pdf

INCH. Parish Church (1 bell)
The lofty open turret contains a bell, about 18 in diameter, bearing just the date 1861 on the inscription band. Certainly English and very probably from the Whitechapel Foundry, London. The bell is secured to an elm headstock mounted in a cast iron A-type frame with an iron wheel. A peg on the top of the headstock engages with a stop in the frame to prevent the bell swinging more than just under a full circle. The ringer stands outside the church.

The former bell, which used to hang in the plain bird-cage belfry over the S gable of the ruined church, fell to the ground and is now preserved at Loch Inch Castle. The diameter is 18½ in and there is no inscription. A roughish casting with slightly moulded crown, broken hand-bell type argent, and simple moulding above the soundbow. There is now a crack from the broken argent down into the crown. Only the shank of the clapper remains, the ball and flight have gone. The bell was most probably cast about 1790.

All the best,
Alan

[jennyblain]

Hi Alan,
It's an interesting article - I wondered about the 1790 bell but there's a possibility it may be earlier. While some of the names could be right for 1790 (or a year or so before) others may not be.

There's also some indication that the church underwent repairs or rebuilding in 1770 (e.g. at http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk ... rish-churc ), but that wouldn't necessarily mean a new bell. I've been comparing names with the horse tax in 1797 as there should be some overlap there if it was for the 1790s bell. But am looking for names around 1770, and names around 1790 or a little earlier.

Jenny

[jennyblain]

Am coming to think the list may be from early 1760s or late 1750s...
Here it is anyway. I've done a full transcription and saved as a pdf, so have posted to my website: -
http://wyrdswell.co.uk/ancestors/Additi ... 20list.pdf

I'm going through the OPRs which I have, to see what people are given in what places, and keeping another working version with annotations. Anything anybody can send is useful here.
Jenny

[jennyblain]

Update: I've narrowed the time-frame to 1740-1761 - based in the name of the minister, Robert Findlay, and some of the subscribers... 1750s most likely.
Jenny

[jennyblain]

Much later update - When last in Edinburgh I read through part of the Inch Kirk Session records and so was able to date the Kirk Bell list - found a mention of its being taken up - in 1760.
So, it's a snapshot of Inch households at that time, seceders excepted of course!

Jenny

[SarahND]

Hi Jenny,
Fascinating bit of social history! I wish I had relatives in Inch at that time. Well, perhaps I did and will discover them one of these days...
Cheers,
Sarah