51/152

Team, or ‘latten’, bells were used by carters to warn approaching traffic on a narrow lane that a wagon team was on its way. Sets range from three to five bells, fixed in a leather hood above the collar or sometimes on the pad, and as many as four sets might be used at a time. This set consists of four bells with a brass studded leather hood. Used in the 18th and 19th centuries.

1 set of team bells [consists of 4 bells]: wood; metal; leather

"The horses wore their bells that day. There were sixteen to the team, carried on a frame above each animal's shoulders, and tuned to scale, so as to form two octaves, running from the highest note on the right or offside of the leader to the lowest on the left or nearside of the shaft horse. Melbury was among the last to retain horse bells in that neighbourhood, where the lanes remained as narrow as before the days of turnpike roads... Much backing was saved in the course of a year by the warning notes they cast ahead...." From The Woodlanders, by Thomas Hardy (1887) Chapter 13., MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'Team or LATTEN bells were used by carters to warn approaching traffic on a narrow lane that a wagon-team was on its way. They consist of three to five bells in a set, fixed in a leather hood above the collar or sometimes on the pad. A red wool fringe frequently hung inside the hood. The two supports, which held the fitment, passed down the two sides of the collar along the hames. As many as 4 sets of bells might be used. The LEAD, which had 5 bells, the LASH, 4 bells, the BODY and the THILL, 3 bells each. They rang 2 major octaves, and each set of bells made its own chord. Latten is an alloy of brass and the name comes from the French "laiton". // Mr. Massingham obtained this set from Woodlands Manor, Mere (Wilts). It consists of 4 bells, with a brass studded leather hood. From the spikes to the hood, it measures 15 inches, and 21 inches across the hood. // It has been mounted on a base for display.', MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, October 1989] – 'ACC. NO.: 51/152 // NAME: TEAM BELLS // NEG NO.: 60/876 // STORAGE: '

1700-01-01 - 1799-12-31

Eighteenth century

Bell, team, Bell, horse

Wood, Metal, Leather