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The Bilbie family were bell founders and clockmakers based initially in Chew Stoke, Somerset and later at Cullompton, Devon in south-west England from the late 17th century to the early 19th century. Their importance to the local economy and in local history is commemorated by Bilbie Road in Chew Stoke and in the village sign. ==Bell making== The Bilbie family produced more than 1,350 bells, which are hung in churches all over the West Country. The oldest bell, cast in 1698, is still giving good service in St Andrews Church. Supplies of the tin and copper used to make bell metal were probably obtained from brass foundries in Kelston and Bristol. The metal was melted in a wood burning furnace to over and then poured into a mould made from loam, or foundry mud, from the River Chew.〔 Legend suggests the Bilbies were wild looking men with long hair who could scarcely read or write, who would never cast a bell except when it was a full moon, midnight, and conditions were perfectly still. It is suggested that the reason Chew Stoke has amazingly criss-cross roads is because a sort of bypass was constructed so that silence in making bells would not be disturbed by travellers on horseback or by carriages passing the foundry. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bilbie family」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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