Gillett & Johnston

Gillett and Johnston was a clock and bell manufacturing business.

History

William Gillett started a clock making business on Union Road in Croydon, England in 1844. In 1877, Arthur Johnston joined the business as a partner adding a bell foundry. William's son Cyril perfected the tuning of bells which established Gillett & Johnston as one of the premier carillon manufacturers in the world for many years. Many of the installations were in North America with the majority of installations taking place from 1922-1939.

In 1925 Rodman Wanamaker commissioned a 16-ton tuned bell as a memorial to his father, the famous Philadelphia merchant John Wanamaker. When it was cast the next year, it was the world's largest tuned bell. The firm had successfully revived an old technique for tuning bells to themselves by shaving the bell interior to bring the bell's natural harmonic series in tune with itself. This bell is located in the belfrey of One South Broad Street, a building originally known as the Lincoln-Liberty Building (Wanamaker's new Men's Store) and later the PNB bank building. Leopold Stokowski was one of the many admirers of its tone. Originally the bell could be swung on special occasions. Today a large hammer is used to strike the hours.

Perhaps the firm's most prestigious installation was for the Laura Spelman Rockefeller memorial carillon at the Riverside Church in New York City. The carillon has the largest note span of any carillon, and the largest tuned bell in the world. The Low C "bourdon" of that carillon weighs 20 tons.

Cyril Johnston died in 1950. The bell foundry closed in 1957. The last installation was the carillon installed in the Beaumont Tower at Michigan State University in 1957.

The foundry, located in Croydon, England, was demolished in 1997. The Croydon site notes how from 1844 to 1950 over 14,000 tower clocks were made at the foundry.

External links

* [http://www.croydon.gov.uk/leisure/artsentertainmentculture/culture/localhistoryheritage/historicbuildings/gillettjohnstonfoundry?a=5441 Town of Croydon reference]
* [http://www.gillettjohnston.co.uk/ Gillett & Johnston]
* [http://www.gcna.org/data/IXfoundryGillettJohnston.html Index to carillons and chimes]

2008 - This bell factory as was, is now a place of worship - a church purchased by the Emmanuel Inspirational Church of God - (http://www.eicog.co.uk/) under the leadership of Rev Mark Nicholson JP. It was purchased in 2003 after being vacant from the closure of the factory in 1997. Birds took up residence in this vacant building until the purchase of a section of this bell factory was completed. The church was formally opened by the then Mayor of Croydon The Worshipful Mayor Brenda Kirby. It is a young and vibrant pentecostal church with a membership exceeding 200 people. All are indeed welcome to attend. It has seen the beginnings of many businesses including Elevating Success and MaPs. MANministries will be the newest business to evolve from EICOG. Please visit (http://www.manministries.co.uk/) birthed by Rev Mark A Nicholson. The Church runs community initiatives for the elderly and for the youth. Many marriages, baby dedications and funerals have taken place in this place of worship and the church has become very relevant to the community in which it stands. Unfortunately this Church doesn't have a bell attached to it..though at 11am on a Sunday morning the people flock to the Church.