St. James’ Episcopal Church

Links to Carillon Inventories
GCNA	Tower Bells	Bok Tower Gardens

Ella S. Bulkley, a theater owner in Danbury, Connecticut, bequeathed a sum not to exceed $15,000 for the installation of a chime at the St. James Episcopal Church. The church bought a chime of 15 bells from the Meneely Bell Foundry in Watervliet, New York, which was dedicated on Easter Sunday, April 8, 1928, by Andrew Meneely IV and Ruth Muzzy Conniston-Morize.

Shortly after the dedication, Meneely requested approval to add 8 bells, apparently at his own expense, so that he could advertise the installation of the new American-built carillon. The resulting carillon was dedicated on June 26, 1928 by Ruth Muzzy Conniston-Morize, Melvin C. Corbett, and Dr. Kamiel Lefevere. Two more Meneely bells were added in 1936, as gift of carillonneur Melvin C. Corbett.

Meneely cited this installation in testimony Congress in order to enact high tariffs on imported bells, but they instead reduced the tariff from 40% to 20% in 1931.

References
1927 Ella Taylor Bulkley (30 Oct 1853-28 Apr 1927) Grave

1927 "Danbury Church Chief Beneficiary of Theater Owner," The Bridgeport Telegram, May 9, 1927, Page 5.
Mrs. Bulkley leaves sum not to exceed $15,000 to St. James' Church.

1949 "The First American Made Carillon," by Melvin C. Corbett, Bulletin of the Guild of Carillonneurs of North America 3(2):25-26 (May 1949)

1953 "Anniversary of Chimes," The Bridgeport Telegram, April 4, 1953, Page 10.
Easter Sunday will mark the 25th anniversary of the dedication of the Bulkley Memorial Chimes, a 25-bell carillon at St. James' Episcoal Church