Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Dutch Reformed Church

Abstract

The Franschhoek Dutch Reformed Church (Moederkerk) was created in 1845. In the garden in front of the church hangs a bell in a horseshoe type construction. The bell is in remarkably good condition, given that it has been hanging outside for many decades. On the shoulder of the bell are two pairs of moulding wires with in between, 1849. There are no further inscriptions on the bell. As decorations we find three moulding rings above the sound bow and another two on the lip of the bell. The custodian of the church told us that the bell probably dates from around 1850 when the original ship bell of 1853 was transferred to the nearby wine estate La Cabrière. However, we have not (yet) found any trace of the latter bell. From the decorations and from the founding date, we expect that the Whitechapel foundry in London has cast the bell.