If your church or building has a bell and nobody currently on staff knows where it came from, you’re not alone. Bells regularly outlive the people who installed them, and records get lost in renovations, staff turnover, or fires. The good news: identifying a bell’s maker is usually possible, and doesn’t require a technician on-site to start.

Here’s how to work through it, roughly in order of how easy each step is.

Step 1: Check the Bell Itself for an Inscription

Most cast bronze bells carry an inscription somewhere on the surface — usually near the crown (top) or around the waist. This is the single fastest way to identify a bell, if you can get a look at it.

What to look for:

  • The foundry or company name (e.g., Verdin, McShane, Meneely, Van Bergen, Meeks & Watson)
  • A casting date, often a four-digit year
  • A city or location associated with the foundry
  • Sometimes a dedication inscription (a donor name, memorial text, or scripture verse) — this won’t identify the maker directly, but can help you research the bell’s installation date through church records

If you can safely get up to the bell — or send someone with a phone camera and a zoom lens — a clear photo of any lettering is often enough for a repair specialist to identify the maker without a site visit.

No visible inscription? Some bells were cast smooth with no markings, especially plainer or older bells. Move to the next step.

Step 2: Check the Yoke and Mounting Hardware

The yoke — the wooden or metal frame the bell hangs from — sometimes carries its own maker’s mark or nameplate, even when the bell itself has no inscription. This is especially true for bells that were re-hung, motorized, or retrofitted at some point, since the yoke or hardware may be newer than the bell.

Also check:

  • The clapper assembly
  • Any electric ringer or motor housing, which often has its own manufacturer’s plate — useful even if it’s not the original bell foundry, since retrofit companies can sometimes point you toward records of the original installation

Step 3: Search Church, Parish, or Building Records

If there’s no physical marking, the next best source is paperwork:

  • Original construction or renovation records
  • Parish or diocesan archives (dioceses often keep centralized records of major installations across their churches)
  • Historical society records, if the building has any landmark or historic designation
  • Old church bulletins, dedication programs, or anniversary booklets — bells were often significant enough donations to be mentioned by name in these

Step 4: Use Known Regional Patterns

Bell foundries tended to have regional strongholds, which can narrow things down even without hard evidence:

  • Verdin (Cincinnati, OH) — heavily represented across the Midwest and especially in Catholic parishes.
  • McShane (originally Baltimore, MD; now Maryland Heights, MO) — historically strong across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
  • Meneely (West Troy, NY and later Troy, NY — two separate competing companies of the same family name) — common in bells cast in the 19th century, particularly in the Northeast.
  • Van Bergen — Dutch-founded, with an American foundry established after WWII; look for these in bells cast from the late 1940s through the 1990s, before the American operation was acquired by Verdin in 1997.
  • Meeks, Watson & Company (Georgetown, OH) — a newer foundry (est. 1991), so relevant mainly for bells cast in the last three decades, and often used for tuning/repair work on older bells from other foundries.

Step 5: Ask a Bell Specialist to Identify It From a Photo

If the steps above don’t turn up an answer, most bell repair and restoration companies — including the original foundries themselves — can often identify a bell’s maker, and sometimes even its approximate casting date, from photos alone. This is usually a free or low-cost step before any repair estimate, so it’s worth doing even if you’re not sure repair is needed yet.

Why This Matters Before You Call Anyone

  • Better repair estimates. A specialist can quote more accurately when they know what they’re working with in advance.
  • Original parts and specifications. If the original foundry is still in business, they may have historical casting records or original yoke specifications on file.
  • Avoiding mismatched repairs. Poorly matched hardware or replacement parts can affect tone, balance, or long-term wear.
  • Historic value. Older bells, particularly from foundries no longer in operation, can have preservation significance worth documenting.