Troy Bell Foundry: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 22:46, 25 August 2015

Jones & Co. Jones & Hitchcock Co. Troy Bell Foundry

In 1852, Eber Jones & James H. Hitchcock founded the Jones & Hitchcock Foundry, Peck Building, N.W. corner of First Street & Adams Street, Troy, New York. This foundry closed in 1857.

James Hitchcock had previously worked for the Meneely West Troy Bell Foundry. He was descended from and related by marriage to Andrew Meneely. At Andrew’s death in 1851, Hitchcock was the foundry foreman. Hitchcock’s move to the Jones & Co. foundry was prompted in part by an unwillingness to work for Andrew Meneely’s three sons.

James Hitchcock was also related to the Hanks family, another bell foundry. The Hanks family was also related to Meneely.

James Hitchcock retired in 1857. The foundry name changed to Jones & Co. suggesting that Jones must have found investors, i.e. the foundry was not a sole proprietor.

In 1857, Eber Jones & H.J. King opened the Jones & Co. Troy Bell Foundry at the same location. This foundry cast bells up to 2,838 pounds. Some 26 chimes of bells are known to have been cast by Jones & Co. and numerous single bells.

Colonel Clinton H. Meneely owner of the Meneely Bell Foundry (located 24-26 River Street, Troy, N.Y.) purchased the Jones & Co. Foundry in 1887, moving the equipment to River Street.

Andrew Meneely operated the family foundry 1826 to 1950. Clinton Meneely, his brother, returned from the Civil War, and was told there was no position for him at the family foundry (Andrew had three sons). Clinton Meneely went across the Hudson River from Andrew’s foundry and opened his own foundry.

History

The Jones bell foundry was started in 1852 by James Harvey Hitchcock and Eber Jones, in the industrial city of Troy, on the eastern bank of the Hudson River in the state of New York.

James Hitchcock had previously worked in Andrew Meneely's bell foundry in West Troy, NY, on the western bank of the Hudson River River above the city of Albany. Hitchcock was related by both descent and marriage to the Meneely family, and at the time of Andrew Meneely's death in 1851 he was foreman of that bell foundry. It seems likely that Hitchcock's move to Troy was prompted in part by an unwillingness to work for Andrew's sons, who were younger than he was.

Hitchcock was also related by marriage to the bell founders of the Hanks family, although the nature of that relationship is not clear. One source states that James H. Hitchcock was married to Philena Hanks Meneely's younger sister Juliaette. But the various Hanks genealogies (outlined [here http://towerbells.org/data/HanksGen.html]) indicate that Philena's younger sister Julia was married to a man named Conant, and that it was their sister Abigail Irena who married Alexander Hitchcock of West Troy.

The foundry was initially located on the northwest corner of Adams and First Streets in Troy, but in 1854 it was relocated to the southwest corner.

James Hitchcock retired from the business in 1857, after which the name of the firm was changed to "Jones and Company, The Troy Bell Foundry."

Eber Jones died unexpectedly at age 51. This may be what prompted the further change in the name of the foundry to The Jones & Company Troy Bell Foundry, a rather curious nomenclature. (Some bells are known that read simply "The Jones & Company"!) Eber's son, Octavous Jones, then took over management of the company, which eventually closed about 1887. Perhaps it was unable to compete successfully with the two Meneely bellfoundries.

References

Some of the information above is taken from an article by Neil Goeppinger in "The Bell Tower", V60#2, Mar-Apr 2002, p.5.

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 Andrew Meneely operated the family foundry 1826 to 1950. Clinton Meneely, his brother, returned from the Civil War, and was told there was no position for him at the family foundry (Andrew had three sons). Clinton Meneely went across the Hudson River from Andrew’s foundry and opened his own foundry.<br>
-== History From GCNA index ==
+== History ==
-&nbsp;The Jones bellfoundry was started in 1852 by James Harvey Hitchcock and Eber Jones, in the industrial city of Troy, on the eastern bank of the Hudson River in the state of New York.
+The Jones bell foundry was started in 1852 by James Harvey Hitchcock and Eber Jones, in the industrial city of Troy, on the eastern bank of the Hudson River in the state of New York.
-James Hitchcock had previously worked in Andrew Meneely's bellfoundry &lt;http://www.gcna.org/data/IXfoundryMeneelyWvlt.html&gt; in West Troy, NY, on the western bank of the Hudson River River above the city of Albany. Hitchcock was related by both descent and marriage to the Meneely family, and at the time of Andrew Meneely's death in 1851 he was foreman of that bellfoundry. It seems likely that Hitchcock's move to Troy was prompted in part by an unwillingness to work for Andrew's sons, who were younger than he was.
+James Hitchcock had previously worked in Andrew Meneely's bell foundry in West Troy, NY, on the western bank of the Hudson River River above the city of Albany. Hitchcock was related by both descent and marriage to the Meneely family, and at the time of Andrew Meneely's death in 1851 he was foreman of that bell foundry. It seems likely that Hitchcock's move to Troy was prompted in part by an unwillingness to work for Andrew's sons, who were younger than he was.
-(Hitchcock was also related by marriage to the bellfounders of the Hanks family, although the nature of that relationship is not clear. One source states that James H. Hitchcock was married to Philena Hanks Meneely's younger sister Juliaette. But the various Hanks genealogies (outlined here &lt;http://www.gcna.org/data/HanksGen.html&gt; ) indicate that Philena's younger sister Julia was married to a man named Conant, and that it was their sister Abigail Irena who married Alexander Hitchcock of West Troy.)
+Hitchcock was also related by marriage to the bell founders of the Hanks family, although the nature of that relationship is not clear. One source states that James H. Hitchcock was married to Philena Hanks Meneely's younger sister Juliaette. But the various Hanks genealogies (outlined [here http://towerbells.org/data/HanksGen.html]) indicate that Philena's younger sister Julia was married to a man named Conant, and that it was their sister Abigail Irena who married Alexander Hitchcock of West Troy.
-Little is known of Hitchcock's partner, Eber Jones.
 The foundry was initially located on the northwest corner of Adams and First Streets in Troy, but in 1854 it was relocated to the southwest corner.
-This firm later claimed that the chime they made in 1853 for St.Stephen's Church, Philadelphia (see above), was the first chime made in America; they may have been unaware of other competitors for that claim. (See Milestones in the history &lt;http://www.gcna.org/data/MstonesNASM.html&gt; of chimes in North America.)
+James Hitchcock retired from the business in 1857, after which the name of the firm was changed to "Jones and Company, The Troy Bell Foundry."
-James Hitchcock retired from the business in 1857, after which the name of the firm was changed to "Jones and Company, The Troy Bell Foundry." The use of "&amp; Co." suggests that Jones must have found other investors, i.e., the foundry did not become a sole proprietorship.
+Eber Jones died unexpectedly at age 51. This may be what prompted the further change in the name of the foundry to The Jones &amp; Company Troy Bell Foundry, a rather curious nomenclature. (Some bells are known that read simply "The Jones &amp; Company"!) Eber's son, Octavous Jones, then took over management of the company, which eventually closed about 1887. Perhaps it was unable to compete successfully with the two Meneely bellfoundries.
-Eber Jones died unexpectedly at age 51. This may be what prompted the further change in the name of the foundry to The Jones &amp; Company Troy Bell Foundry, a rather curious nomenclature. (Some bells are known that read simply "The Jones &amp; Company"!) Eber's son, Octavous Jones, then took over management of the company, which eventually closed about 1887. Perhaps it was unable to compete successfully with the two Meneely bellfoundries.
+== References ==
 Some of the information above is taken from an article by Neil Goeppinger in "The Bell Tower", V60#2, Mar-Apr 2002, p.5.
-More about Jones foundry history:
-*Troy and West Troy foundries &lt;http://www.themesh.com/his14.html&gt; as part of a history of Troy<br> * Troy and West Troy foundries &lt;http://fpcdunedin.org/Meneely.html&gt; from a Meneely family viewpoint<br> * The Bell Casters of Troy &lt;http://www.rpi.edu/~carroll/meneely/bellcasttext.htm&gt; , by Sydney Ross.
-Some individual Jones bells:
-*1857 Jones church bell &lt;http://www.explorenatchitoches.com/historicdistrict.php?task=view&amp;articleID=96&gt; with crown, at Trinity Episcopal Church, Natchitoches, LA<br> * 1877 Jones bell &lt;http://www.cottoneauctions.com/images/Auction%20Results/collectibles/bell.jpg&gt; sold at auction for $3850. The simple decoration and the location of the maker's inscription is typical of bells from this foundry. The inscription "PATENTED 1855" on the yoke might refer to either the rotary mounting of the bell or the 3-piece yoke, which is vertically adjustable to accept bells of different sizes; but the specific patent has not yet been identified. The A-frames which carry the yoke are original, but the base to which they are bolted is not.<br> * 1886 Jones fire bell &lt;http://www.metnet.state.mt.us/Special/Quarries%20From%20The%20Gulch/HTM/ccbell.shtml&gt; in Helena, MT
-Additional information about the Jones foundry can be found on a Website about the Meneely Bicentennial &lt;http://www.rpi.edu/~carroll/meneely/mbindex.htm&gt; , defined based on the birthdate of Andrew Meneely.
 [[Category:Bell_Foundries]]