A ship's bell is an integral nautical instrument used since ancient days. Metal cast bells for the first time, were made in the Bronze Age. According to one of the earliest records, a ship bell's usage was in the year 1485, in the ship named Grace Dieu. Ship bells were made of a certain bell metal and from bell alloy comprising of copper and tin.
It was used to regulate the duty of sailors' working on a ship by indicating timings through bells. It was mostly used to give signals, to give an alarm and to keep time. Apart from this, it was also used in ceremonial and memorial functions.
Ship bells have had a long tradition of usage in merchant ships and navies of the world. Before chronometers were invented, half hour sand glasses were used to measure time. A ship's boy was given the duty to monitor the glass and to turn it once the sand ran out. After that the bell was struck by him, indicating that he had performed the important function.
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Thus, the tradition of striking the bell once after the completion of the first half hour of a four hour watch was established. Contrary to a civil clock, a ship bell's striking does not coincide with the number of hours. Instead there are eight bells, one meant for every half hour of a four hour watch.
By tradition, a ship's bell is maintained by the ship's cook. The sounding of a ship's bell was also meant to alarm other ships of poor visibility, in times of heavy fog.
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