Whitechapel Bell Foundry
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The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is a bell foundry based in the Whitechapel district of east London. It has been operating under the name of Whitechapel since 1968, it was previously known as Mears & Stainbank. The name Whitechapel is only part of the foundry's more recent history, before its establishment as Whitechapel it has operated under several names depending upon who was the Master Founder and owner of the company at the time. In this respect the company dates back to 1570 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
The foundry's main business is in church bells and their fittings and accessories, although it also manufactures single tolling bells, carillon bells and handbells.
The foundry has produced a number of famous bells, including the original (1752) Liberty Bell and Big Ben in the Palace of Westminster (both cracked). The latter, at 13½ tons, was cast in 1858 and is the largest bell ever cast at the foundry. Whitechapel also supplied peals of 10 bells for Guildford Cathedral in Surrey, in the years following the Second World War, and for the National Cathedral in Washington DC in 1964.
Many churches across the world have used bells cast at Whitechapel Bell Foundry, including:
The foundry's premises are now a Grade II listed building and cannot be changed, and include a cross-section of Big Ben surrounding the entrance door.
External links
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