Dead bell
Encyclopedia
A Dead bell or deid bell (Scots), also a 'death', 'mort', 'lych', 'passing bell' or 'skellet bell' was a form of hand bell used in Scotland
and northern England. in conjunction with deaths and funerals up until the 19th century.
the supernatural world was very real and close. Special protective powers were desired by the superstitious and were attributed to certain objects, including bells. The Church
itself condoned the use of bells to frighten away evil spirits and this ensured the practice's survival and development. Bells were often baptised, and once baptised had the power to ward off evil spells and spirits. The use of the dead bell was typical of this belief, rung for the recently deceased to keep evil spirits away from the body.
The dead bell was therefore originally rung for two reasons: firstly to seek the prayers of Christian
s for a dead person's soul, and secondly to drive away the evil spirits who stood at the foot of the dead person's bed and around the house.
The use of the dead bell is illustrated on the Bayeux tapestry
at the funeral of Edward the Confessor
and may have been brought over to Britain
by the Normans
.
, friar
s in Glasgow
rang the dead bell through the streets for the repose of the soul of the deceased, especially if the individual was a benefactor of the church. It is known that the ancient bell of Saint Mungo
(aka Saint Kentigern) was used for this purpose. From 1454 a record survives of the bell being rung annually for the soul of Johne Steuart (John Stewart), the first Provost of Glasgow, who had left lands and property to the church. A record of 1509 for Sir Archibald Crawfurd of Cadder also shows that the ringing of the dead bell sometimes took place more than once and was intended to encourage others to pray for the deceased, his ancestors and for other Christian souls. In 1594 the presbytery of Glasgow attempted to recover the right of use of the dead bell, arguing that it was an ecclesiastical and not a secular function.
The ballad of Willie's Lyke-Wake from the north of Scotland records the payment of a groat
for the ringing of the dead bell at his funeral by the bell-man.
In later, secular times, the bell ringer would pass through the streets of villages, towns or cities announcing the name of a recently deceased person, with details of the funeral. At the funeral the bell ringer, often the beadle, would walk at the head the cortege, solemnly ringing the bell from the home of the deceased until the church was reached. The bell was also sometimes used to indicate the point at which the coffin-bearers were changed.
Kirk session records show that in one Ayrshire
parish the dead bell ringer was paid at a rate of a penny a mile at first, rising to two pence per mile by 1762. The income from the ringing of the dead bell went to the kirk session and was used to support the poor.
Records show that the use of the dead bell was common in Eastern Scotland during the seventeenth and eighteenth century and for many years before. In pre-reformation times the dead bell was also used to summon the priest to administer the last rites.
In the eighteenth century the church beadle
went around the parish farms, kirton and hamlets at the time of the death and later when the funeral arrangements had been settled.
At poor people's funerals the dead bell was hung on a tree and rung throughout the service.
The dead bell was held in high regard and one bell ringer was reportedly sacked for an indecent use of the dead bell.
dead bell still survived in 1894, having originally been sent to the parishioners from Holland by the 2nd Earl of Loudoun
, James Campbell. It had Loudoun Kirk cast in raised lettering and was used at funeral processions; it was held by Mrs Semple at Loudoun Village in 1875. Loudoun parish church at Newmilns
has a deid bell inscribed 'Countess of Loudoun. The Kilmarnock
example had the town's name and the date 1639 and was preserved in the town hall. The Galston
example had the name and the date 1722. The Maybole dead bell had no markings and after being exhibited at the 1911 Glasgow Exhibition it remained in the Kelvingove Museum
's collections. A Hawick
dead bell is recorded.
An example of 1641 from Glasgow was made to replace the ancient Saint Mungo
's. This bell had the Chapter of Glasgow's seal on it, a tree and a salmon, together with a representation of an ancient square-shaped bell; like that of Saint Mungo, which still existed at that date. Saint Mungo's bell was rescued by a Glasgow magistrate, James Laing, after the reformation and the Glasgow officials purchased it for the substantial sum of £10 Scots in 1577. In 1640 the council had a new deid bell made, Saint Mungo's bell probably having become too worn. This was then used for many years and then lost; however in 1867 it was recovered and returned to the Glasgow corporation. The present whereabouts of Saint Mungo's well is unknown.
The Kilmarnock funeral bell carries the inscription "Kilmarnock, 1639" and is made of bell metal, 8 inches high and 7 inches wide at the mouth. Its use was remembered by local inhabitants still alive in the 1850s.
, the Ettrick Shepherd, wrote that the dead bell was the 'tinkling in the ears' which the country people regard as the secret intelligence of some friend’s decease.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and northern England. in conjunction with deaths and funerals up until the 19th century.
Origins
In the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
the supernatural world was very real and close. Special protective powers were desired by the superstitious and were attributed to certain objects, including bells. The Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
itself condoned the use of bells to frighten away evil spirits and this ensured the practice's survival and development. Bells were often baptised, and once baptised had the power to ward off evil spells and spirits. The use of the dead bell was typical of this belief, rung for the recently deceased to keep evil spirits away from the body.
The dead bell was therefore originally rung for two reasons: firstly to seek the prayers of Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s for a dead person's soul, and secondly to drive away the evil spirits who stood at the foot of the dead person's bed and around the house.
The use of the dead bell is illustrated on the Bayeux tapestry
Bayeux Tapestry
The Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidered cloth—not an actual tapestry—nearly long, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England concerning William, Duke of Normandy and Harold, Earl of Wessex, later King of England, and culminating in the Battle of Hastings...
at the funeral of Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
and may have been brought over to Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
by the Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
.
Uses
Before the ReformationReformation
- Movements :* Protestant Reformation, an attempt by Martin Luther to reform the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in a schism, and grew into a wider movement...
, friar
Friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...
s in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
rang the dead bell through the streets for the repose of the soul of the deceased, especially if the individual was a benefactor of the church. It is known that the ancient bell of Saint Mungo
Saint Mungo
Saint Mungo is the commonly used name for Saint Kentigern . He was the late 6th century apostle of the Brythonic Kingdom of Strathclyde in modern Scotland, and patron saint and founder of the city of Glasgow.-Name:In Wales and England, this saint is known by his birth and baptismal name Kentigern...
(aka Saint Kentigern) was used for this purpose. From 1454 a record survives of the bell being rung annually for the soul of Johne Steuart (John Stewart), the first Provost of Glasgow, who had left lands and property to the church. A record of 1509 for Sir Archibald Crawfurd of Cadder also shows that the ringing of the dead bell sometimes took place more than once and was intended to encourage others to pray for the deceased, his ancestors and for other Christian souls. In 1594 the presbytery of Glasgow attempted to recover the right of use of the dead bell, arguing that it was an ecclesiastical and not a secular function.
The ballad of Willie's Lyke-Wake from the north of Scotland records the payment of a groat
Groat
Groat or Fuppence is the traditional name of an English silver coin worth four English pence, and also a Scottish coin originally worth fourpence, with later issues being valued at eightpence and one shilling.-Name:...
for the ringing of the dead bell at his funeral by the bell-man.
In later, secular times, the bell ringer would pass through the streets of villages, towns or cities announcing the name of a recently deceased person, with details of the funeral. At the funeral the bell ringer, often the beadle, would walk at the head the cortege, solemnly ringing the bell from the home of the deceased until the church was reached. The bell was also sometimes used to indicate the point at which the coffin-bearers were changed.
Kirk session records show that in one Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
parish the dead bell ringer was paid at a rate of a penny a mile at first, rising to two pence per mile by 1762. The income from the ringing of the dead bell went to the kirk session and was used to support the poor.
Records show that the use of the dead bell was common in Eastern Scotland during the seventeenth and eighteenth century and for many years before. In pre-reformation times the dead bell was also used to summon the priest to administer the last rites.
In the eighteenth century the church beadle
Beadle
Beadle, sometimes spelled "bedel," is a lay official of a church or synagogue who may usher, keep order, make reports, and assist in religious functions; or a minor official who carries out various civil, educational, or ceremonial duties....
went around the parish farms, kirton and hamlets at the time of the death and later when the funeral arrangements had been settled.
At poor people's funerals the dead bell was hung on a tree and rung throughout the service.
The dead bell was held in high regard and one bell ringer was reportedly sacked for an indecent use of the dead bell.
Examples
The Loudoun KirkLoudoun Kirk
Loudoun Kirk is a disused church located about one mile west of Loudoun Castle, East Ayrshire. It served as Loudoun's parish church until some point after 1600, when this function moved to the church in nearby Newmilns...
dead bell still survived in 1894, having originally been sent to the parishioners from Holland by the 2nd Earl of Loudoun
Earl of Loudoun
Earl of Loudoun , named after Loudoun in Ayrshire, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1633 for John Campbell, 1st Earl of Loudoun, along with the subsidiary title Lord Tarrinzean and Mauchline....
, James Campbell. It had Loudoun Kirk cast in raised lettering and was used at funeral processions; it was held by Mrs Semple at Loudoun Village in 1875. Loudoun parish church at Newmilns
Newmilns
Newmilns and Greenholm is a small burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It has a population of 3,057 people and lies on the A71, around seven miles east of Kilmarnock and twenty-five miles southwest of Glasgow...
has a deid bell inscribed 'Countess of Loudoun. The Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of 44,734. It is the second largest town in Ayrshire. The River Irvine runs through its eastern section, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, giving rise to the name 'Bank Street'...
example had the town's name and the date 1639 and was preserved in the town hall. The Galston
Galston
Settlements named Galston:* Galston, East Ayrshire, is a town near Kilmarnock in Scotland * Galston, New South Wales, is a town near Sydney in AustraliaPersons named Galston:* William Galston, American philosopher and politician....
example had the name and the date 1722. The Maybole dead bell had no markings and after being exhibited at the 1911 Glasgow Exhibition it remained in the Kelvingove Museum
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is a museum and art gallery in Glasgow, Scotland. The building houses one of Europe's great civic art collections...
's collections. A Hawick
Hawick
Hawick is a town in the Scottish Borders of south east Scotland. It is south-west of Jedburgh and south-southeast of Selkirk. It is one of the farthest towns from the sea in Scotland, in the heart of Teviotdale, and the biggest town in the former county of Roxburghshire. Hawick's architecture is...
dead bell is recorded.
An example of 1641 from Glasgow was made to replace the ancient Saint Mungo
Saint Mungo
Saint Mungo is the commonly used name for Saint Kentigern . He was the late 6th century apostle of the Brythonic Kingdom of Strathclyde in modern Scotland, and patron saint and founder of the city of Glasgow.-Name:In Wales and England, this saint is known by his birth and baptismal name Kentigern...
's. This bell had the Chapter of Glasgow's seal on it, a tree and a salmon, together with a representation of an ancient square-shaped bell; like that of Saint Mungo, which still existed at that date. Saint Mungo's bell was rescued by a Glasgow magistrate, James Laing, after the reformation and the Glasgow officials purchased it for the substantial sum of £10 Scots in 1577. In 1640 the council had a new deid bell made, Saint Mungo's bell probably having become too worn. This was then used for many years and then lost; however in 1867 it was recovered and returned to the Glasgow corporation. The present whereabouts of Saint Mungo's well is unknown.
The Kilmarnock funeral bell carries the inscription "Kilmarnock, 1639" and is made of bell metal, 8 inches high and 7 inches wide at the mouth. Its use was remembered by local inhabitants still alive in the 1850s.
Gravestones
In Northern England and Scotland dead bells are not uncommon as symbols of death on funerary monuments. As an emblem of mortality the dead bell was mainly confined to eighteenth century tombstones in the North-East of Scotland, especially in Morayshire and Aberdeenshire. In Angus and Perthshire its use is rare and further south it only occurs on seventeenth century stones. The handbell is more common than the church bell and rope, the wooden handle on former being clearly depicted.Omens
James HoggJames Hogg
James Hogg was a Scottish poet and novelist who wrote in both Scots and English.-Early life:James Hogg was born in a small farm near Ettrick, Scotland in 1770 and was baptized there on 9 December, his actual date of birth having never been recorded...
, the Ettrick Shepherd, wrote that the dead bell was the 'tinkling in the ears' which the country people regard as the secret intelligence of some friend’s decease.
Sources
- Adamson, Archibald (1875). Rambles Round Kilmarnock. Kilmarnock : T. Stevenson.
- Arch & Hist Collections of relating to the counties of Ayr & Wigton. V. III. 1882.
- Love, Dane (1989). Scottish Kirkyards. London : Robert Hale. ISBN 0-7090-3667-1.
- Love, Dane (2009). Legendary Ayrshire. Custom : Folklore : Tradition. Auchinleck : Carn Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9518128-6-0.
- MacGregor, Andrew (1880). Old Glasgow : The Place and the People. Glasgow : Blackie & Son.
- McKay, Archibald (1880). The History of Kilmarnock. Kilmarnock : Archibald McKay.
- Stuart, Robert (1848). Views and Notices of Glasgow in former times. Glasgow | Robert Stuart & Co.
- Willsher, Betty and Hunter, Doreen (1978). Stones. A Guide to Some Remarkable Eighteenth Century Gravestones. Edinburgh : Canongate; ISBN 0-903937-36-0.