Exeter, Ontario and the Veronese style.

In his article in the Ringing World (11.9.1998, front page) about the 'find' of the ring of bells at the Trivitt Memorial Church, Exeter, Ontario, Canada, Kevin Love states that the bells are hung Veronese style. They were cast and hung by the McShane, Baltimore bellfoundry in 1890. He bases his statement on the fact that the ringing bells have deeply arched headstocks which counterbalance the bells and thus produce a slower period of oscillation, and of course a lower dynamic loadings on the tower.
Veronese bells are indeed counterbalanced, but this is effected by adding metal plates to the top of the headstock. So what is the origins of the American style of slow swinging bells? A careful look at the hanging (as shown in the photocopy from McShanes Catalogue) shows a remarkable similarity with the products of 19th century Irish founders (see as an example the photocopy from the 1899 Byrne of Dublin catalogue). Now the similarities extend not only to the headstock, but to the pedestal style cast-iron frames which sit on timber base beams used by both foundries. So why, and how? Well quite simply, Henry McShane was Irish, having left his native Dundalk and settled in  Baltimore in 1856, although he did not start casting large bells until later when he brought George P. Schmidt into the partnership, who apparently had wide experience in European bellfoundries before he emigrated to America. Thus McShane had knowledge of Irish swinging bells.
Now Byrnes headstock is labelled 'Byrnes patent rotary mounting'. It includes moveable gudgeons and the bell is fixed to the headstock by a large bolt through the crown which also holds the crown staple assembly. This enables the bell to be rotated on the headstock to present a new surface for the clapper to strike against. It cannot be a coincidence that McShane also has a rotary headstock with very similar features. Theirs was patented in 1874. Now these features were also utilised by other American foundries such as the Jones Bellfoundry, Troy, N.Y; the Andrew Meneely foundry at West Troy, (Watervleit), and the Clinton H. Meneely foundry also at Troy.
The evidence then is that what became universal practice in America for slow swinging tower bells followed from what was in common usage in Ireland, and probably in many areas of the continent.
Finally Kevin gives weights for the Exeter bells. The real weights, rather than the 'official' weights, as recorded in the McShane Records are:

The hung dead chime bells:

Treble	21.25"	1.3.24	
2nd.	23.25"	2.1.6		
3rd.	23.625"	2.1.20	
4th.	24.25"	2.2.6

The swinging bells:

5th.	26.75"	3.2.25	
6th.	28.625"	4.0.18	
7th.	34"	7.0.1	
8th.	35.375"	8.0.11
9th.	39"	11.2.4	
Tenor	45"	16.0.22

Surprisingly the Records do not give the diameters of the bells. However Peter Hayward recorded them on his visit during in a peal tour in 1998.

Thanks to:
Bill Parker of McShanes for accurate weights.
Peter Hayward of Hayward Mills Associates for diameters.

George A Dawson, 8.2.2001.