Clampitt & Regester
The History
There is not much information that is available about the history of the Clampitt & Regester Foundry but there are a number of bells that still exist that were cast by them. There is conflicting information on when the company began casting bells. Some records indicate that it may have been started as early as the mid-1840’s, but other information says it began as Joshua Regester & Sons Bell Founders and Brass Finishers in 1856. Regardless, most of the bells that exist today have the name Clampitt and Regester on them. It could be that Clampitt & Regester was the previous foundry, started in the 1840’s and then Joshua Regester went out on his own. Either way it is certain that Regester apprenticed as a bell founder and later formed a company with one or more of his sons.
One of the earliest surviving bells is a Clampitt & Regester bell at the Baltimore Museum of Industry that was cast in 1850. It survives with its original Yoke and A-stands.
Perhaps the most important and largest bells cast by Regester was “Big Sam”, the 6,500 Lb. bell made in 1875 for the newly built Baltimore City Hall. Unfortunately, that bell cracked in 1889 and because Joshua Regester’s uncle was on the fire department, he was not able to bid on its replacement. The replacement was cast by the Henry McShane Bell Foundry, also in Baltimore, the new bell named “Lord Baltimore”. The bell was larger than the original, weighing 7,400 Lbs. It was installed alongside Big Sam in City Hall.
There is not much known history of the foundry nor of Joshua Regester after 1889. One other interesting piece of info that is associated with his foundry is that Henry McShane apprenticed there before forming his foundry in 1856.
One other interesting piece of info that is associated with his foundry is that Henry McShane apprenticed there before forming his foundry in 1856.
