John Taylor & Co

{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for clobbered parameters|check|nested=1|template=Infobox company|cat=Template:Main other|name; company_name|logo; company_logo|logo_alt; alt|trade_name; trading_name|former_names; former_name|type; company_type|predecessors; predecessor|successors; successor|foundation; founded|founders; founder|defunct; dissolved|hq_location; location|hq_location_city; location_city|hq_location_country; location_country|num_locations; locations|areas_served; area_served|net_income; profit|net_income_year; profit_year|owners; owner |homepage; website }}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox company with unknown parameter "_VALUE_" | ignoreblank=y | alt | area_served | areas_served | assets | assets_year | aum | brands | company_logo | company_name | company_type | defunct | dissolved | divisions | embed | equity | equity_year | fate | footnotes | headquarters | former_name | former_names | foundation | founded | founder | founders | genre | homepage | hq_location | hq_location_city | hq_location_country | incorporated | image | image_alt | image_caption | image_size | image_upright | income_year | industry | ISIN | key_people | location | location_city | location_country | locations | logo | logo_alt | logo_caption | logo_class | logo_size | logo_upright | members | members_year | module | name | native_name | native_name_lang | net_income | net_income_year | num_employees | num_employees_year | num_locations | num_locations_year | operating_income | owner | owners | parent | predecessor | predecessors | production | production_year | products | profit | profit_year | rating | ratio | revenue | revenue_year | romanized_name | services | subsid | subsidiaries | successor | successors | traded_as | trade_name | trading_name | type | website| qid | fetchwikidata | suppressfields | noicon | nocat | demo | categories }}

John Taylor Bell Foundry (Loughborough) Limited,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> trading as John Taylor & Co and commonly known as Taylor's Bell Foundry, Taylor's of Loughborough, or simply Taylor's, is the world's largest working bell foundry. It is located in Loughborough, in the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. The business originated in the 14th century, and the Taylor family took over in 1784.

The company manufactures bells for use in clock towers, rings of bells for change ringing, chimes, and carillons. In 2005, Taylor's merged with Eayre & Smith Limited (bellhangers) and from 2005 until 2009 was known as Taylors Eayre & Smith Limited.<ref>Foundry Merger Template:Webarchive accessed 20 June 2007</ref>

In September 2009, Taylor's went into administration but was bought out of administration by a consortium named UK Bell Foundries Ltd, led by Andrew Wilby, which re-financed the business. Since then, the company has re-established its presence both in the UK and in export markets.

The foundry has a museum of bells and bellfounding, which is the only one of its kind in the UK. It is one of the few Victorian purpose-built manufacturing sites still being used for its original purpose. Its campanile contains the most-pealed bells in the world.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

History

File:The bells of St Stephen's Church, Bristol (3915213204).jpg

Inside the belfry of St Stephen's Church, Bristol, England. In 1970, Taylor's cast five of the twelve bells and a new frame, in which they re-hung all twelve.

The present company is part of a line of bellfounders dating back to Johannes de Stafford in the 14th century, who was also a mayor of Leicester.<ref>Foundry History Template:Webarchive accessed 20 June 2007</ref> The Taylor family became involved in 1784 with Robert Taylor (1759–1830), and a foundry was established in Loughborough in 1839 by his son John Taylor (1797–1858), moving to the current site in 1859. The Taylors also had foundries in Oxford and St Neots between 1786 and 1854.<ref name=DoveFounders>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

During much of the later 19th century, the foundry was under the management of John William Taylor (1827–1906). Taylor's was the first bellfounder to adopt "true-harmonic" tuning in the late 19th century.<ref>The Sound of Bells accessed 20 June 2007</ref> In 1963, Paul Taylor, last of the Taylor family in the business, appeared on the American TV panel show What's My Line?, challenging the panel with his occupation as a bell maker.<ref>Church Bell Maker Paul Taylor on What's My Line, clip on YouTube</ref>

The foundry is based in buildings on Freehold Street, which are Grade II* listed.<ref>Template:National Heritage List for England</ref><ref>Template:National Heritage List for England</ref> The National Twelve Bell Contest is competed for annually by the leading teams in England for "The Taylor Trophy".

On 18 September 2009, the company went into administration.<ref>"Bell foundry faces administration", BBC Leicestershire, 19 September 2009. Retrieved on 21 September 2009</ref><ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> Mazars, which had previously been acting as advisors to the company during attempts to secure extra funding, were appointed administrators.<ref name=Accountancy>Largest bell foundry in administration—Mazars plans to sell business as going concern Template:Webarchive, Accountancy Magazine, 21 September 2009. Retrieved 21 September 2009.</ref> On 2 October 2009, it was reported that the administrators were "optimistic about its future."<ref>"Hopes high for bell foundry bid", BBC Leicestershire, 2 October 2009. Retrieved on 16 October 2009.</ref> On 15 October 2009, in a statement released by UK Bell Foundries Ltd, a consortium of ringers, members of the bell industry and other investors, it was stated that the foundry would reopen on 19 October, reverting to the previous name of John Taylor & Co.<ref>John Taylor & Co Bellfounders Loughborough—We are open for business! (archive.org), Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers, 15 October 2009. Retrieved on 20 October 2009.</ref><ref>"Historic foundry's future secure", BBC News, 17 October 2009. Retrieved on 20 October 2009.</ref> Paul Taylor's widow, Mrs Merle Taylor, was honorary president of the new company until her death.

The board from 2015 to 2020 comprised Andrew W R Wilby (chairman and CEO), Laith R Reynolds, David E Potter, Michael J Semken, Simon E Adams, D Paul Mason and Andrew B Mills. In 2016, the directors of UK Bell Foundries Ltd founded the Loughborough Bellfoundry Trust and transferred ownership of the buildings, equipment, intellectual property and the museum to that body in perpetuity to safeguard it for the future. The Trust received emergency grants to restore several parts of the building from Historic England, as it was listed as a Grade II* building at risk. Further restoration was planned.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2018, the company established a subsidiary called John Taylor International, based in Australia, to serve the southern hemisphere markets.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> At the end of 2020, Andrew Wilby resigned as director and CEO; David Potter also resigned as director. Andrew's son Michael Wilby was managing director from October 2019 to August 2021.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Notable bells and rings

In 1881 at Loughborough, Taylor's cast "Great Paul" (the largest British cast bell in Britain) for St Paul's Cathedral in London, weighing Template:Convert or more than 17 metric tons. Rock band AC/DC used a 2000-pound cast bronze bell for the song "Hells Bells", which was originally used on the Back in Black Tour in 1980.

Many churches around the world have used bells cast at Taylor's bell foundry, including:

Tower	Location	Details of bells cast	Largest bell cast (kg)	Year(s) of casting	Comments	Image
All Saints' Church, Westbury	Westbury, Wiltshire, UK	8 change ringing bells	1,784	1921	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:All Saints' Church, Westbury.jpg
Beverley Minster	Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, UK	10 change ringing bells	2,105	1896-1901	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:Beverley Minster IMG 7786 - panoramio.jpg
		bourdon bell "Great John"	7,151	1902	<ref name=":1" />
Buckfast Abbey	Buckfastleigh, Devon, UK	bourdon bell "Hosanna"	7,476	1936	One of the largest bells in the UK still rung by hand.<ref name=":1" />	File:Buckfast Abbey July 2020 Perspective corrected.jpg
		14 change ringing bells	2,097	1935	citation		CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Burton Memorial Tower	University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States	55 bell carilllon	10,695	1936	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:Burton Memorial Tower.jpg
Canberra National Carillon	Canberra, Australia	57 bell carillon	6,108	1968-2019	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:National Carillon Canberra (2801998200).jpg
Church of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas, Liverpool	Liverpool, Merseyside	14 change ringing bells	2,128	1952-2008	New peal of thirteen change ringing bells in 1952, previous peal destroyed in Liverpool Blitz. Fourteenth bell cast in 2008.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:Church of Our Lady and St Nicholas, Liverpool.jpg
Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin	Dublin, Ireland	9 change ringing bells, including the tenor bell	2,295	1884-1999	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	File:Christ Church Cathedral - Dublin - geograph.org.uk - 3669.jpg
Duke Chapel Carillon	Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA	50 bell carillon	5,060	1932	<ref name=":0" />	File:Duke Chapel, West Campus, Duke University, Durham, NC (48960317943).jpg
Evesham Bell Tower	Evesham, Worcestershire	14 change ringing bells	1,813	1951-1992	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:Evesham Abbey Bell Tower.jpg
Exeter Cathedral	Exeter, Devon, UK	5 change ringing bells including tenor bell "Grandisson"	3,684	1902-1922	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:South tower, Exeter Cathedral - geograph.org.uk - 299012.jpg
Hull Minster	Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire	15 change ringing bells, 25-bell carillon	1,304	1899-2016	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:Hull Minster south view.jpg
Inveraray Bell Tower	Inveraray, Argyll & Bute, UK	10 change ringing bells	2,112	1920	Heaviest peal of change ringing bells in Scotland.	File:Schottland (75).jpg
Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower	University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK	bourdon bell "Big Joe"	6,117	1908		File:The University of Birmingham Clocktower - geograph.org.uk - 444013.jpg
Leeds Minster	Leeds, West Yorkshire	13 change ringing bells	2,057	1932	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:Leeds Parish Church (7677715914).jpg
Liverpool Anglican Cathedral	Liverpool, Merseyside, UK	bourdon bell "Great George"	14,900	1940	Third largest bell in the UK<ref>Liverpool Cathedral BellsTemplate:Dead link accessed 20 June 2007</ref>	File:Liverpool Anglican Cathedral from Hope Street.jpg
Loughborough Memorial Carillon	Loughborough, Leicestershire, UK	47 bell carillon	4,211	1923	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:Loughborough Carillon - geograph.org.uk - 3930.jpg
Malta Siege Bell	Siege Bell Memorial, Valletta, Malta	bourdon bell	10,899	1992	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:Detail of the Siege Bell War Memorial, Valletta, Malta (PPL1-Corrected) julesvernex2.jpg
Manchester Town Hall	Manchester, UK	23 bell carillon, including 13 change ringing bells	2,170	1937	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:Manchester Town Hall Exterior.jpg
		bourdon bell "Great Abel"	8,279	1882	<ref name=":1" />
Memorial Church of Harvard University	Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA	World War I memorial bell	"more than Template:Convert"	1926	Restored in 2017<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	File:Harvard Memorial Church Bell, Cambridge, Massachusetts (2019) - 020.jpg
Nottingham Council House	Nottingham, UK	5 clock bells including bourdon bell "Little John"	10,528	1928	Second deepest clock chime in the UK after York.<ref name=":1" />	File:Council-House-Nottingham.jpg
Rainbow Bridge Carillon	Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada	55 bell carillon	8,909	1947	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:RainbowBridge NiagaraFalls.jpg
Southwark Cathedral	Southwark, Greater London UK	2 change ringing bells	2,477	2016	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:Southwark Cathedral - geograph.org.uk - 665426.jpg
St Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore	Singapore, Singapore	13 change ringing bells	1,297	1888-2019	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:Saint Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore 15.JPG
St Chad's Church, Shrewsbury	Shrewsbury, Shropshire	12 change ringing bells	2,010	1914	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:St Chad's Church, Shrewsbury 2017.jpg
St George's Church, Vernet-les-Bains	Vernet-les-Bains, France	10 change ringing bells	261	2018-2019	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:Vue de Vernet Les Bains.jpg
St George's Church, Ypres	Ypres, Belgium	8 change ringing bells	323	2017	First and only peal of change ringing bells in Belgium. Cast to commemorate centenary of the end of the First World War.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	File:Ieper Anglicaanse bidplaats.JPG
St George-in-the-Pines	Banff, Alberta, Canada	11 bell chime		1926	Shipped to Banff via the Panama Canal. First of only two churches in Canada to possess a set from John Taylor & Co.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>	File:St. George's in the Pines Church (5).JPG
St Mary Redcliffe	Bristol, UK	12+2 change ringing bells	2,575	1903-2012	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:Bristol eglise St Mary redcliffe.jpg
St Mary's Church, Southampton	Southampton, Hampshire, UK	10 change ringing bells	1,096	1945	Replaced a peal of ten also cast by Taylor's in 1912, destroyed in Southampton Blitz. First ring of church bells in the UK to be restored post war.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:St Mary's Church, Southampton.jpg
St Michael and All Angels' Church, Heavitree	Heavitree, Exeter, UK	8 change ringing bells	1,309	1897	Bells are listed for preservation for their quality.<ref>"Heavitree: St Michael & All Angels". Church of England: Church Heritage Record. Retrieved 2021-12-27.</ref>	File:St Michael and All Angels, Heavitree, Devon.jpg
St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin	Dublin, Republic of Ireland	15 change ringing bells	2,307	1896-2007	Heaviest ring of bells in Ireland, and heaviest change ringing peal outside of the UK.	File:Dublin St. Patrick's Cathedral West Façade at Patrick Street 2012 09 26.jpg
St Paul's Cathedral, London	City of London, UK	3 clock bells and bourdon bell "Great Paul"	17,002	1878	Great Paul is the heaviest bell ever cast at Taylor's and the second heaviest bell in the UK.<ref name=":1" />	File:St Paul's Cathedral, London, 2016-1.jpg
		12 change ringing bells	3,125	1878	citation		CitationClass=web }}</ref>
St Peter's Cathedral, Adelaide	Adelaide, Australia	8 change ringing bells	2,096	1946	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:St Peter's Cathedral, Adelaide SA.jpg
The Bok Tower	Lake Wales, Florida, USA	60 bell carillon	10,544	1927	<ref name=":0" />	File:Bok Tower, Lake Wales, FL.jpg
Trinity Church, Manhattan	New York City, New York, USA	13 change ringing bells	1,214	2006-2016	First and only peal of twelve change ringing bells in the United States. Thirteenth bell cast in 2016.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:Trinity Church NYC panoramic.jpg
Trinity Church, Ossett	Ossett, West Yorkshire, UK	16 change ringing bells	1,396	1934-2016	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:Trinity Church, Ossett.jpg
Truro Cathedral	Truro, Cornwall	14 change ringing bells, 4 clock bells	1,719	1904-2011	First and only peal of twelve bells in Cornwall. Original peal of ten augmented in 2011 with four new bells.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:TruroCathedralWest.jpg
Washington National Cathedral	Washington, D.C., USA	53-bell carillon	10,697	1963	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:National Cathedral Twilight.jpg
Wells Cathedral	Wells, Somerset, UK	2 change ringing bells including tenor bell	2,864	1877	Tenor bell is 5th heaviest bell in the world hung for change ringing.<ref name=":1" />	File:Wells Cathedral Exterior (29762257538).jpg
Wills Memorial Building	University of Bristol, Bristol, UK	bourdon bell "Great George"	9,724	1925	Second heaviest bell rung by hand in the UK.<ref name=":1" />	File:University of bristol tower after cleaning arp.jpg
Winchester Cathedral	Winchester, Hampshire	12 change ringing bells	1,806	1937	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:Winchester Cathedral Central Tower.jpg
Worcester Cathedral	Worcester, Worcestershire, UK	15 change ringing bells and bourdon bell	4,215	1868-1928	Ringing peal is 5th heaviest in the world by overall weight.	File:Worcester from Fort Royal Hill.jpg
Yale Memorial Carillon	Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA	54 bell carillon	6,078	1922	<ref name=":0" />	File:Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut LCCN2012630631.tif
York Minster	York, North Yorkshire, UK	14 change ringing bells	3,020	1925-1978	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	File:York Minster Chief Facade Panorama.jpg
		35 bell carillon	1,215	1933-2008	Originally a chime of 11 bells from St Mary's Church, Nelson, Lancashire, increased to 35 bells in early 2000s. First UK Cathedral to have both a carillon and change ringing peal.
		bourdon bell "Great Peter"	11,009	1927	Deepest toned hour bell in the UK. Heaviest bell in the UK still rung manually.<ref name=":1" />

Further reading

• Template:Cite book

External links

• Template:Official website
• Panorama of the foundry – BBC Leicester
• History of the Taylor family
• Index of carillons, chimes and great bells produced by the Taylor foundry