For an explanation of what this index contains (and does NOT contain), and of the additional details on each entry, see the Bellfoundry Indexes Advice.
HERTOGENBOSCH - S : NETHERLANDS 1645 F trad Stadhuistoren ZUTPHEN - W : NETHERLANDS 1646 F (trad) Wijnhuistoren DEVENTER : NETHERLANDS 1647 F trad St.Lebuinustoren Groote Kerk UTRECHT - STN : NETHERLANDS 1651 F trad Nicolaïtoren Klaaskerk (St.Nicolaikerk) ARNHEM - E : NETHERLANDS 1652 F trad St.Eusebiustoren Grote Kerk ZALTBOMMEL : NETHERLANDS 1654 F trad Gasthuistoren ANTWERPEN : BELGIUM 1655 I trad City carillon (stadsbeiaard) O.L.V. Kathedraal DOESBURG : NETHERLANDS 1655 F trad St.Martinitoren N.H.Grote Kerk HOOGSTRATEN : BELGIUM 1655*F trad Ste.Katarina Dekanale Kerk (St.-Catharinakerk) * made for a different place CULEMBORG : NETHERLANDS 1655 F trad# Sint Barbaratoren STOCKHOLM - STG : SWEDEN 1655 F trad Deutsche St.Gertruds Kirche (Sct.Gertruds kyrka) AMSTERDAM - ZK : NETHERLANDS 1656 F trad Zuider Kerk
AMERSFOORT - OLV/1 : NETHERLANDS 1658 F trad Historic carillon Lantern E window O.L.V.Toren - 'Lange Jan' (was Onze Lieve Vrouwe Kerk) AMSTERDAM - WK : NETHERLANDS 1658 F trad Westerkerk ANTWERPEN : BELGIUM 1658 I trad City carillon (stadsbeiaard) O.L.V. Kathedraal AMSTERDAM - OK : NETHERLANDS 1659 F trad St.Nicolaas Toren Oude Kerk MAINZ - LFS : GERMANY 1660 C [trad] Liebfrauenstift ROTTERDAM - B : NETHERLANDS 1660 C [trad] Beurs (= Bourse, or Exchange) BRIELLE : NETHERLANDS 1661 F trad S.Catherijnakerk DELFT : NETHERLANDS 1661 F trad Nieuwe Kerk (Sint-Ursulakerk) HAMBURG - K : GERMANY 1661 C [trad] Katharinakirche ROTTERDAM - STL : NETHERLANDS 1661 F trad Sint Laurenstoren N.H.Kerk (Groote Kerk) BRUSSELS - STN : BELGIUM 1662 C [trad] City carillon (stadsbeiaard #2) St. Nicolas Church (Sint-Niklaastoren) HUY - ND : BELGIUM 1662 F trad Materne-Toren Notre Dame (Collegiale, OLV-Kerk) GRONINGEN - M/2 : NETHERLANDS 1662 F trad Upper belfry & cupola Martinitoren Martinikerk (St.Martin's Church) HASSELT : NETHERLANDS 1662 C (trad) Sint Stephanustoren Grote Kerk (Ned.Herv.Kerk) KAMPEN : NETHERLANDS 1662 F trad Nieuwetoren MIDDELSTUM : NETHERLANDS 1662 F trad Sint Hippolytustoren Ned.Herv.Kerk STOCKHOLM - DC : SWEDEN 1663 F non-trad* Dutch Church * original presumed to have been traditional HAMBURG - STP : GERMANY-BRD 1664 C [trad] St.Petrikirche UTRECHT - D/2 : NETHERLANDS 1664 F trad Upper belfry Domtoren MAASTRICHT - S : NETHERLANDS 1664 F trad Stadhuistoren
GENT - B : BELGIUM 1659 I trad Belfort Gent/Ghent : Belgium 1660 - great Belfort GENT - B : BELGIUM 1660 I trad Belfort GENT - UL : BELGIUM 1664 C (trad) Baudeloo Abbey (now University Library)
AMSTERDAM - P : NETHERLANDS 1664 F trad Koninglijk Paleiskoepel (Stadhuis)
AMSTERDAM - M : NETHERLANDS 1668 F trad Munttoren HULST : NETHERLANDS 1669 C (trad) Sint Willibrordustoren HAARLEM - B : NETHERLANDS 1670*C trad Bakenessertoren * part of St.Bavo carillon until 1968 HAARLEM - STB : NETHERLANDS 1670 F trad Sint Bavotoren Groote Kerk HOORN - STC : NETHERLANDS 1670 C (trad) Stadstoren Grote Kerk DARMSTADT : GERMANY-BRD 1671 F (non-trad) Rezidenzschloss OOSTENDE : BELGIUM 1671 C (trad) Feest- en Cultuurpaleis (Stadhuis) DIEST : BELGIUM 1671 F trad Sint Sulpitiuskerk (Collegiale) (St.Sulpicius) GRONINGEN - M/2 : NETHERLANDS 1671 I trad Upper belfry & cupola Martinitoren Martinikerk (St.Martin's Church) WEESP : NETHERLANDS 1671 F trad Sint Laurenstoren Ned.Herv.Kerk ENKHUIZEN - D : NETHERLANDS 1674 F trad Drommedaristoren ENKHUIZEN - Z : NETHERLANDS 1674 F trad Zuidertoren (Sint Pancraskerk) MECHELEN - STR/1 : BELGIUM 1674 I trad (Historic carillon) Lower belfry Sint-Romboutstoren (St.Rombold's Tower) GOUDA : NETHERLANDS 1676 F trad Sint Janstoren Groote Kerk LEIDEN - S : NETHERLANDS 1679 I (trad) Stadhuistoren DEVENTER : NETHERLANDS 1694?I trad St.Lebuinustoren Groote Kerk
The brothers François and Pieter Hemony are the most important carillon makers which the Netherlands and Belgium have known. François was born at Levécourt in Lorraine around 1609, his brother Pieter was also born there in 1619. The older generation of the Hemony family belonged to that large group of Lorraine bellfounders that traveled throughout Europe to cast bells. The father of François and Pieter and his brother, Blaise and Peter (or in reverse order), we find particularly in Germany. There François cast in 1636 his first bell together with Josephus Michelin who later became his brother-in-law. FranFrançoisois was married to Maria Michelin. Pieter Hemony has never been married.
In 1641 the brothers cast their first bells in the Netherlands for Goor. Their actual career began in 1642 when they received from the city of Zutphen the contract for the manufacturing of a carillon. In the same year, they also settled in this city. The Hemony were not familiar with the casting of carillons. But thanks to the support from the [blind] city carillonneur of Utrecht, jonkheer Jacob van Eyck, who studied intensively together with them, their first carillon was a great success. While they worked in Zutphen, there followed thirteen more carillons.
In 1655, François Hemony was offered favorable conditions by the city of Amsterdam, to settle there as bell- and cannon-founder. In 1657 he moved to that city, while Pieter attracted to the Southern Netherlands and in particular to the city of Ghent. In Amsterdam, François cast twenty carillons, including some which were exported to other countries. About that time we also hear about the first pupils, as Claude (1646-1699) and Mammes (ca.1651 - 1684) Fremy, sons of a nephew of the Hemonys. But they proved incapable of continuing the glory of Hemonys. Much more successful was Claes Noorden. The son of François Hemony, also named François, never worked with casting bells. During the Amsterdam period were also cast images, including those of the sculptor Artus Quellinus. Moreover there was artillery cast.
In 1664, Pieter rejoined his brother, possibly because of the illness of François and the many orders. Together they have cast three carillons. François died in 1667, after a life of wealth and fame. François was also highly regarded. His brother Pieter was his successor. During his stay in Ghent, Pieter is especially famous for the great carillon which he cast in 1659-1660 for the Belfry of Ghent. He also cast three smaller instruments that no longer exist. After rejoining his brother in 1664, Pieter would cast ten carillons before his death in 1680, thus making a total production of 51 carillons by the Hemonys. A number have been destroyed by fire or disappeared in war. The others were seriously affected in the nineteenth century and up to the sixties of the twentieth century by the emission of sulfur dioxide from coal furnaces. Among other things they became out of tune, which sometimes led to major restorations.
The significance of the bellfounders François and Pieter Hemony for the art of casting bells, especially for the art of carillons, is not to be underestimated. They knew how to liberate the chime from the primitive state of the sixteenth century and to transform it gloriously into a full-fledged musical instrument which lasts to this day.
Source:
André Lehr, De klokkengieters François en Pieter Hemony (Asten, 1959).
Source: A.Lehr, Register of [Dutch-related] bellfounders (translated from the Dutch by Google Translate, Cassell and Zimmerman)
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