Hastings Stays
  • Robin Shipp
    19
    No, this isn't a discussion about the merits or otherwise of Hastings stays! I am writing something about stays and sliders and I wanted to mention the inventor, who I understood to be the Rev W Hastings Thorne. But I did a bit of research and I have found websites referring to the inventor as "Rev J F Hastings" and "Rev Edward Hastings Thorne". Does anyone have a definitive version?
    Also, it occurs to me that a Hastings stay can only be used on a socket headstock, with the stay on the centreline of the headstock. The position of the quadrant would be rather odd if the stay was side mounted. Am I right there?
    Robin Shipp Options
  • A J Barnfield
    215
    I thought that they are called Hasting's stays because replacing them is usually a bit of a battle.
    A J Barnfield Options
  • John Harrison
    359
    ↪Robin Shipp
    it's Horne not Thorne, which might be why your search went awry. Alison asked the Historians and CJP responded but I don't remember all the detail. Searching for the right name should help though.
    John Harrison Options
  • Robin Shipp
    19
    ↪John Harrison
    "Thorne" came from my copy of 'Manual of Belfry Maintenance', which we are trying to revise. And there are still four different initials floating around. It needs sorting out!
    Robin Shipp Options
  • Robin Shipp
    19
    Alison has just passed the Historians comments on to me. "Rev Edward Hastings Horne" seems to have the most credibility.
    Robin Shipp Options
  • Geoff Pullin
    4
    ↪Robin Shipp
    I was told by Alan Hughes in 2000 that Exeter 11th and Badby 4th are the only bells that have Whitechapel iron headstocks fitted with a Hastings stay.
    Certainly at Badby the bell and its headstock replaced a cracked Bagley bell, hung by Taylors in 1931. The Whitechapel headstock has a flat metal socket assembly bolted through the stay fixing holes above the centreline. It had to be reinforced after it initially bent under 'normal' use!
    Geoff Pullin Options
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