Croydon Archives: Collections

AR1
Collection
1877-1983

19 books of bell and tuning records 1877-1951; 7 cuttings albums 1919-1952; correspondence file 1976-1983; envelope of photographs; printed sales brochures, etc.

Gillett and Johnston

Gillett and Johnston Cuttings1: General

AR1/2/1
Item
1919 - 1925

Part of Gillett and Johnston

Gillett and Johnston Cuttings2: Ringing Peals, Chimes, Carillons, etc

AR1/2/2
Item
1927 - 1930

Part of Gillett and Johnston

Gillett and Johnston Cuttings3: Philadelphia and Louvain

AR1/2/3
Item
1926 - 1928

Part of Gillett and Johnston

Gillett and Johnston Cuttings4: Ringing Peals, Chimes, Carillons, etc

AR1/2/4
Item
1925 - 1928

Part of Gillett and Johnston

Gillett and Johnston Cuttings5: Miscellaneous

AR1/2/5
Item
1927 - 1932

Part of Gillett and Johnston

Includes cuttings re the Loughborough Bellfoundry (John Taylor Co); and Mears Stainbanks (Whitechapel Foundry).

Gillett and Johnston Cuttings6: Ringing Peals, Chimes, Carillons, etc

AR1/2/6
Item
1929 - 1932

Part of Gillett and Johnston

Includes cuttings re Wellington War Memorial Carillon (New Zealand)

Gillett and Johnston Cuttings8: General

AR1/2/7
Item
1929 - 1952

Part of Gillett and Johnston

Gillett and Johnston: 'Old Estimates and Details of Peals etc.

AR1/1/2
Item
1879 - 1907

Part of Gillett and Johnston

Rough notebook containing details of peals of bells at various locations, of their condition, and of work proposed or undertaken.

Gillett and Johnston: Bell and Tuning Books

AR1/1
Series
1877 - 1951

Part of Gillett and Johnston

Tuning at Gillett and Johnston was undertaken according to the 'five toned system, or 'Simpson principle, developed by Cyril Johnston from the writings of Canon Simpson. This was based on the concept that the chord rung by a bell comprised five distinct notes ('strike note, 'hum, 'nominal, 'third, and 'fifth), which had to be harmonised. After the two early rough notebooks (AR1/1/1-2), the main series of tuning books

(AR1/1/3-19) contain details of the tuning of each bell cast or re-cast by the company, including diameter, weight (as cast and as despatched), note, and vibrations (as cast and as tuned). Dates of entries appear to be those of casting rather than tuning, and entries are therefore not in strict chronological order. These books are all marked on the spine 'C.F.J.[ohnston], although they are completed in different hands. All volumes except AR1/1/1 contain indexes of place names.

Gillett and Johnston: Bells Register

AR1/1/1
Item
November 1877 - July 1919

Part of Gillett and Johnston

Register of bells cast (including details of size, weight, where sent, etc). Also includes details of Odd/Old Bells Received.

Gillett and Johnston: Bells, by Gillett and Johnston

AR1/4/1
Item
1920

Part of Gillett and Johnston

Gillett and Johnston: Carillons: Advance Brochure

AR1/4/2
Item
1949

Part of Gillett and Johnston

Gillett and Johnston: Chimes

AR1/4/3
Item
c 1950s

Part of Gillett and Johnston

Gillett and Johnston Ltd are described as 'Bellfounders and Clockmakers; but the word 'Bellfounders has been deleted in ballpoint pen.

Gillett and Johnston: Correspondence File

AR1/3
Series
1976 - 1983

Part of Gillett and Johnston

Maintained by J.M. Bowran of Cope Allman International Ltd: passed to S.Keeley in 1981. Contains general correspondence re the company bell records; including enquiries for information from them, and discussions re their future.

Gillett and Johnston: Cuttings Books

AR1/2
Series
1919 - 1952

Part of Gillett and Johnston

Contains newspaper cuttings, with some original photographs and printed ephemera, relating to Gillett and Johnston, and to bellfounding and bellringing generally.

Gillett and Johnston: Gillett: Clocks, Carillons, Bells

AR1/4/5
Item
c1982

Part of Gillett and Johnston

Publicity booklet, originally published 1906. Includes historical introduction, description of products, etc. Reprinted c1982, with an appendix giving further historical information.

Gillett and Johnston: Leaflets Re Clocks