Jingle Bell

DateAfter 1801

Credit LineTransfer from the London and Middlesex Historical Society, 1958

Object number1958.001.180

Label TextThis is a Joseph Shipman (1779-1859) sleigh or crotal bell. Shipman began making sleigh bells after he and James North, Jr., completed a metal-casting apprenticeship in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. In the spring of 1800, both men worked together making sleigh bells, then in 1801 they formed separate foundries in New Britain, Connecticut. Shipman's foundry began operations in about 1801. According to one resource, in the late 18th and early 19th century, most small bells in use in the United States and Canada came from Connecticut, and more specifically, East Hampton in Connecticut. There were several reasons for this: inexpensive watter power; access to roads, waterways, and railroads for obtaining raw materials and distributing the finished product; and shared knowledge of production methods and marketing. It helped that demand for the small bells was growing. They not only sounded pretty but also acted as a warning for pedestrians and other drivers.

NameJingle