John Warner & Sons
John Warner and Sons was a Bellfoundry in various locations in the UK.[1]
Notable Bells
Warners cast some notable bells including the clock chime at the Houses of Parliament at their foundry in Cripplegate. The larger Big Ben was cast at Norton, near Stockton-on-Tees but later had to be re-cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry.[2] In 1913, Warners cast the peal of 12 bells at Chelmsford Cathedral, the heaviest weighing 34cwt and sounds note C.
They made bells for churches all around the world. In the western hemisphere, the bell at All Saints Chapel of Ease in the parish of St. Peter, Barbados was also done by this foundry. A notable peal of bells from this foundry is located in Sacred Heart Basilica, Timaru.
The first set of bells in New Zealand, at St Peter's Anglican Church Wellington, were made by John Warner & Sons.
The first set of bell in NZ are actually in St Matthews Auckland. St Peters owns the first set of bells in the Capital. These cannot be peeled due to the wrong sequence of hanging the bells, ( work is underway to correct this 'problem', under the guidance of a competent engineer and students of engineering from the University of Canterbury ) . However, they can be chimed using the Ellacombe board, which has recently had its original 100+ year old ropes replaced. After a significant period of not being used the bells are now 'rung' on a regular basis each Sunday before the main celebration of the Eucharist, and on other special occasions. The last 'significant ring', three hours, was to celebrate the centennial of the casting of the bells, (1978). The current Bells Master is Br Graham-Michoel SH.