Sleigh Bells Ring, Are You Listening?

Photo 1: Horse-Drawn Sleigh Showing a Strap of Bells (Nowell 1906)

The prominent mention of bells, particularly sleigh bells, in popular Christmas movies and music is astounding. Due to their close association with Christmas and winter, the horse bells began to be known as “sleigh bells” in the 1800s. This eventually led to the rise of the appearance of sleigh bells in popular culture (Classic Bells Ltd 2024a).  Sleigh bells are referenced in “Winter Wonderland,” “Here Comes Santa Claus,” and, of course, “Jingle Bells.” Horse bells date back to the Roman era and were used to alert pedestrians of an approaching horse, sleigh, carriage, or wagon, especially when roads were narrow, dark, or had limited visibility due to snow or other factors (Liebeknecht 2021). Horses were equipped with bells attached to straps or harnesses that could be placed in various locations, including the neck, hips, and saddle (Figure 1). Wealthier families had a distinctive jingle to announce their approach.

Historic Horse Bell Recovered at John Dickinson Plantation

During an archaeological survey at John Dickinson Plantation in Kent County, Delaware, Dovetail Cultural Resource Group, a Mead and Hunt Company, recovered a brass horse bell (Figure 2). The Dickinson Plantation bell is classified as a cast-petal bell due to the six-petaled, daisy-like flowers that adorn the opening of the bell (Liebeknecht 2021). The most well-known bell-makers in North America in the 1800s and 1900s were the Wells family, Robert Wells and his two sons, Robert II and James Wells. The Wells family was known for their sleighs and bells, also known as “rumblers,” stamped with an RW makers mark (Classic Bells Ltd 2024a). Unfortunately, there are no makers marks on the Dickinson Plantation bell, and the manufacturing location is unknown.

The petal cast bell has been produced in America and Britain for at least 400 years and ranges from ¾ inch in diameter to 4 inches. The number of petals on the bell ranges from four to eight petals. This number depends on the bell’s size and the bell manufacturer. Petal cast bells always include a ridge around the middle and a shank base (Classic Bells Ltd 2024b). The shank of the bell is a piece of metal with a hole in it that protrudes from the bottom, allowing the bell to be attached to a strap via a metal pin. To affix a shank-style bell onto the strap, the shank is inserted into a slot in the strap, and a figure-eight-shaped metal pin is placed through the hole in the shank and twisted securely, fastening the bell to the leather strap (Classic Bells Ltd 2024c).

The start of the sleigh bell industry in America is credited to William Barton, who founded his bell factory in the early 1800s in East Hampton, Connecticut. Barton’s willingness to share his knowledge of the bell manufacturing process is the reason East Hampton is known as “Belltown” or “Jingletown” throughout the world (Classic Bells Ltd 2024a). The nature of Barton’s generosity truly embraces the spirit of Christmas and is to be admired, especially during this time of year.

Whether an angel gets their wings every time a bell rings or believing in the magic of Christmas allows you to hear the ringing bells, one thing is sure: sleigh bells ring. Are you listening?

References

1. Classic Bells, Ltd
2. 2024a  History of Horse and Sleigh Bells. https://classicbells.com/info/History.asp, accessed December 2024.
3. 2024b  Petal Bells. https://classicbells.com/info/Petal.asp, accessed December 2024.
4. 2024c  Shank & Rivet Bells. https://classicbells.com/info/ShankRivet.asp, accessed December 2024.
5. Liebeknecht, Bill
6. 2021  Delaware Discovery: A Metal Arrowhead and a Horse Bell from the John Dickinson Plantation. Bulletin of the Archaeological Society of Delaware 58:55–57.
7. Nowell, F. H.
8. 1906     Mayor John S Copley and his wife in a horse-drawn sleigh. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mayor_John_S_Coply_and_his_wife_in_a_horse-drawn_sleigh,_April_5,_1906_(AL%2BCA_7507).jpg, accessed December 2024.