Page "Liberty Bell" Paragraph 15

Dissatisfied with the bell, Norris instructed Charles to order a second one, and see if Lester and Pack would take back the first bell and credit the value of the metal towards the bill.

In 1754, the Assembly decided to keep both bells ; the new one was attached to the tower clock while the old bell was, by vote of the Assembly, devoted " to such Uses as this House may hereafter appoint.

" The Pass and Stow bell was used to summon the Assembly.

One of the earliest documented mentions of the bell's use is in a letter from Benjamin Franklin to Catherine Ray dated October 16, 1755: " Adieu.

The Bell rings, and I must go among the Grave ones, and talk Politiks.

" The bell was rung in 1760 to mark the accession of George III to the throne.

In the early 1760s, the Assembly allowed a local church to use the State House for services and the bell to summon worshipers, while the church's building was being constructed.

The bell was also used to summon people to public meetings, and in 1772, a group of citizens complained to the Assembly that the bell was being rung too frequently.