Richard Phelps (bellfounder)

A print depicting Great Tom, circa 1776

Richard Phelps (c.1670–1738) was born in Avebury, Wiltshire, England.[1]: 240 [2]: 6  Phelps was a bellfounder, or a maker of bells, primarily for churches. He was master of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London from 1701 to 1738,[3] and is best known for his large bell, Great Tom, in the steeple of St Paul's Cathedral in London, England. The foundry, in operation since at least 1570, was listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain.[4]

  1. ^ Raven, John James (1907). The Bells of England (2 ed.). Methuen.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference lukis was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ John Rennie - Bells that tolled across the world accessed 21 May 2007
  4. ^ "Foundry History". Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 21 May 2007.