To the King’s Most Excellent Majesty:The Humble Petition of SirGeorge HorseyKnight;David Ramsey,Roger Foulke, andDud Dudley, Esquires:Humbly Sheweth,That whereas Your Petitioners being called before the Right Honourable, the Lord Keeper by your Majesties Appointment, touching the making of Iron with Pit-cole, Sea-cole, Peat and Turf, for which they have Your Majesties Pattent; and seeing that SirPhilibeard Vernat,and CaptainWhitmore,who are not Inventors, have obtained a Pattent also for the same; yet before their Pattent Granted, Sir Philibeardwas ordered at Council-board, according to his Great Undertaking, to perfect his Great Undertaking and Invention within Two Years, and there hath been near Three Years passed, and yet have made little or no Iron: still he Opposeth Your Petitioners, and doth neither benefit himself, but hinders Your Majesty, and the Kingdom.The reference unto the Petition followeth; At the Court atGreenwich, May 20, 1638. His Majesty is pleased to refer this Petition to Master Atturney, and Master Solicitor General, to call the Petitioners before them, and to compose the differences between them; (if they can) or otherwise, to certifie his Majesty their opinions therein:Sir Sidney Mountegue was thenMaster of the Requests.
To the King’s Most Excellent Majesty:
The Humble Petition of SirGeorge HorseyKnight;David Ramsey,Roger Foulke, andDud Dudley, Esquires:
Humbly Sheweth,That whereas Your Petitioners being called before the Right Honourable, the Lord Keeper by your Majesties Appointment, touching the making of Iron with Pit-cole, Sea-cole, Peat and Turf, for which they have Your Majesties Pattent; and seeing that SirPhilibeard Vernat,and CaptainWhitmore,who are not Inventors, have obtained a Pattent also for the same; yet before their Pattent Granted, Sir Philibeardwas ordered at Council-board, according to his Great Undertaking, to perfect his Great Undertaking and Invention within Two Years, and there hath been near Three Years passed, and yet have made little or no Iron: still he Opposeth Your Petitioners, and doth neither benefit himself, but hinders Your Majesty, and the Kingdom.
Humbly Sheweth,
That whereas Your Petitioners being called before the Right Honourable, the Lord Keeper by your Majesties Appointment, touching the making of Iron with Pit-cole, Sea-cole, Peat and Turf, for which they have Your Majesties Pattent; and seeing that SirPhilibeard Vernat,and CaptainWhitmore,who are not Inventors, have obtained a Pattent also for the same; yet before their Pattent Granted, Sir Philibeardwas ordered at Council-board, according to his Great Undertaking, to perfect his Great Undertaking and Invention within Two Years, and there hath been near Three Years passed, and yet have made little or no Iron: still he Opposeth Your Petitioners, and doth neither benefit himself, but hinders Your Majesty, and the Kingdom.
The reference unto the Petition followeth; At the Court atGreenwich, May 20, 1638. His Majesty is pleased to refer this Petition to Master Atturney, and Master Solicitor General, to call the Petitioners before them, and to compose the differences between them; (if they can) or otherwise, to certifie his Majesty their opinions therein:
Sir Sidney Mountegue was then
Master of the Requests.
But SirPhilibeard Vernatand CaptainWhitmorenever appeared any more for their Invention.
Not long after the Wars came on, and caused my partners to desist, since which they are all dead, but the Author, and his Estate (for his Loyalty unto his late Sacred Majesty) and Master, (as by the Additional Act of Parliament may appear) was totally sold.
Yet nevertheless, I still endeavoured not to bury my Tallent, took in two Partners into my inventions,Walter StevensofBristowLinnen Draper, andJohn Stonof the same City Merchant, after the Authour had begun to Erect a new work for the Inventions aforesaid, nearBristow,Anno51, and there we three Partners had in stock near 700l. but they not only cunningly drew me into Bond, entered upon my Stock and Work, unto this day detained it, but also did unjustly enter Staple Actions inBristowof great value against me, because I was of the Kings Party; unto the great prejudice of my Inventions and Proceedings, my Pattent being then almost extinct: for which, and my Stock, am I forced to Sue them in Chancery.
In the interim of my proceedings,Cromwell, and the then Parliament, granted a Pattent, and an Act of Parliament unto CaptainBuckofHampton Road, for the making of Iron with Pit-cole and Sea-cole;Cromwell, and many of his Officers were Partners, as MajorWildmanand others; many Doctors of Physick, and Merchants, who set up diverse and sundry Works, and Furnaces at a vast charge, in the Forrest ofDean, and after they had spent much in their Invention and Experiments, which was done in spacious Wind-Furnaces, and also in Potts of Glass-house Clay; and failing afterwards, got unto them an Ingenious Glass-Maker, MasterEdward DagneyanItalianthen living inBristow, who after he had made many Potts, for that purpose went with them into the Forrest ofDean, and built for the said CaptainBuckand his Partners, a new Furnace, and made therein many and sundry Experiments and Tryals for the making of Iron with Pit-cole and Sea-cole, &c. But he failing, and his Potts being all broken, he did return toBristowfrustrate of his Expectation; but further promising to come again, and make more Experiments; at which time MasterJohn Williams, MasterDagneys, Master of the Glass-House was then drawn in to be a Partner for 300l.deposited, and most of it spent, the saidWilliamsandDagneyhearing that the Authour had knowledge in the making of Iron with Pit-cole, Sea-cole, &c. they from Cap. Buck, and the other Partners importuned the Author, who was at that time in great danger by the Parliament, (being a Colonel of the Kings Party) to go along with them into the Forrest ofDean, which at that time durst not deny; Coming thither, I observed their manner of working, and found it impossible, that the saidEdward Dagneyby his Invention should make any Iron with Pit-cole or Sea-cole, in Pots to profit: I continued with them till all their Potts and Inventions failed; at every Dinner and Supper, CaptainBuck, CaptainRobins, DoctorIvie, DoctorFowlerand others, would aske the Author why he was so confident that Iron in quantity could not be made by their new Inventions? I found it a difficult thing to disswade the Partners from their way, so confident were they to perform the making of iron with Pit-cole or Sea-cole to profit; that they desired me to come again a second time into the Forrest to see it Effected; But at that time, I saw their failings also.
Yet nevertheless CaptainBuck, and his Partners Erected new Works at the City ofBristow, in which they did fail as much as in their former Inventions; but MajorWildman, more barbarous to me then a Wildman, although a Minister bought the Authors Estate, near 200l.per Annum, intending to compell from the Author his Inventions of making of Iron with Pit-cole; but afterwards passed my Estate unto two Barbarous Brokers ofLondon, that pulled down the Authors two Mantion Houses; sold 500 Timber Trees off his Land, and to this day are his Houses unrepaired.
Anno1665. CaptainBuckand his Partners wearied of their Invention, desisting,An.1656. CaptainJohn CopleyfromCromwellobtained another Pattent for the making of Iron with Pit-cole and Sea-cole; He and his Partners set up their Works, at the Cole-Works nearBristow, and endeavour’d by Engeneers assistance to get his Bellows to be blown, at, or near the Pits of Cole, with which Engines the Work could not be performed: But the Author coming to see the said Works, and after many Discourses with CaptainCopley, his former Acquaintance, told him plainly, if his Bellows could have been blown by those Engines, yet I feared he could not make Iron with Pit-cole or Sea-cole; he seemed discontented; whereupon, and without those Engines I made his Bellows to be blown feisibly, as by the Note under his hand appears (the first Note) followeth;
1656.December30.Memorandum,The day and year above-written, IJohn CopleyofLondon,Gent. Do acknowledge, that after the Expence of diverse Hundred Pounds to Engineers, for the making of my Bellows to blow, for the making of Iron with Pit-cole or Sea-cole nearBristow,and near the Forrest ofKings-wood;thatDud DudleyEsq. did perform the blowing of the said Bellows at the Works or Pits abovesaid; a very feisible and plausable way, that one man may blow them with pleasure the space of an hour or two; and this I do acknouledge to be performed with a very small charge, and without any money paid to him for the same Invention:John Copley.
1656.December30.
Memorandum,The day and year above-written, IJohn CopleyofLondon,Gent. Do acknowledge, that after the Expence of diverse Hundred Pounds to Engineers, for the making of my Bellows to blow, for the making of Iron with Pit-cole or Sea-cole nearBristow,and near the Forrest ofKings-wood;thatDud DudleyEsq. did perform the blowing of the said Bellows at the Works or Pits abovesaid; a very feisible and plausable way, that one man may blow them with pleasure the space of an hour or two; and this I do acknouledge to be performed with a very small charge, and without any money paid to him for the same Invention:
John Copley.
CaptainJohn Copleythus failing in his Inventions,An.1657, he went intoIreland, and all men now desisting from the Inventions of making of Iron with Pit-cole and Sea-cole: The Author,Anno1660. being 61. years of Age, and moved with pitty, and seeing no man able to perform the Mastery of making of Iron with Pit-cole or Sea-cole, immediately upon his Sacred Majesties happy Restauration, the same day he Landed, Petitioned that he might be restored to his place, and his Pattent obstructed, revived for the making of Iron with Pit-cole, Sea-cole, Peat and Turf, into cast Works and Bars, and for the Melting, Extracting, Refining and Reducing of all Mines, Mettals and Minerals, with Pit-cole, Sea-cole, Peat and Turf; which said Laudable Invention, the Author was and is unwilling should fall to the ground and dye with him, neither is the Mistery, or Mastery of the Invention Effected and Perfected by any man known unto the Authour, as yet, either inEngland,ScotlandorWales; all which three abound with Pit-cole or Sea-cole, and do over-much furnish other Kingdomes many with Pit-cole and Sea-cole, when they might make far better use of it themselves, especiallyScotlandandWales, both for the making of Iron into cast Works and Bars; and also for the making of Steel, and Melting, Extracting, and Refining of Lead, Tin, Iron, Gold, Copper, Quicksilver, and Silver, with Pit-cole, and Sea-cole.
I shall not trouble you with the Petition, or my reasons and desires that were annexed unto it, for the making of Iron, and Melting of Mines, &c. with Pit-cole, &c. they are over long to relate, only the Reference to them is thus; (after my first Petition was lost, I Petitioned again.)
At the Court atWhiteh. 22. ofJune1663.His Majesty is graciously pleased to refer the consideration of this Petition to Master Atturney, and Solicitor General, or to either of them, together with the Petitioners Reasons and Desires hereunto annexed; and they, or either of them, are to inform, and certifie His Majesty, what they, or either of them in their Judgements respectively conceive fit for His Majesty to do concerning the Petitioners Humble Request, and then His Majesty will declare his further pleasure.Robert Mason,Master of Requests.
At the Court atWhiteh. 22. ofJune1663.
His Majesty is graciously pleased to refer the consideration of this Petition to Master Atturney, and Solicitor General, or to either of them, together with the Petitioners Reasons and Desires hereunto annexed; and they, or either of them, are to inform, and certifie His Majesty, what they, or either of them in their Judgements respectively conceive fit for His Majesty to do concerning the Petitioners Humble Request, and then His Majesty will declare his further pleasure.
Robert Mason,
Master of Requests.
After Master Atturney, and Sollicitor General would do nothing upon the Reference; the Author Petitioned His Sacred Majesty sitting at the Council-Board, for the Renewing of his Pattent, for making of Iron, and Melting, of Mines with Pit-cole, Sea-cole, often obstructed; the reference to that Petition followeth.
At the Court atWhitehall,July25. 1660.Upon reading of a Petition this day at the Board, being the same in terminis with this above-written, which his Majesty was graciously pleased by a Reference under the hand of DoctorMason, one of the Masters of the Requests, to refer to the consideration of Master Atturney, and Master Solicitor General, together with the Petitioners Reasons and Desires thereunto annexed, to the Consideration of the Lords, and others Commissioners for the Treasury, who upon Examination of the particulars, are to give such order thereupon, as they shall find most proper for His Majesties Service.SirEdward WalkerwasClark to the Council, andGarter King at Armes.
At the Court atWhitehall,July25. 1660.
Upon reading of a Petition this day at the Board, being the same in terminis with this above-written, which his Majesty was graciously pleased by a Reference under the hand of DoctorMason, one of the Masters of the Requests, to refer to the consideration of Master Atturney, and Master Solicitor General, together with the Petitioners Reasons and Desires thereunto annexed, to the Consideration of the Lords, and others Commissioners for the Treasury, who upon Examination of the particulars, are to give such order thereupon, as they shall find most proper for His Majesties Service.
SirEdward Walkerwas
Clark to the Council, and
Garter King at Armes.
The Author, during the Lords Commissioners their time, could get no Order upon his Reference; But his Petition was left, with the now Right Honourable, the Lord Treasurer, to take or grant further order therein, but the Author hath gotten hitherto no order.
Therefore compelling necessity doth constrain (having prosecuted his Petition hitherto) him to desist from his Inventions, in which he hath taken more pains, care and charge, then any man, to perfect his new Invention in these Kingdomes.
Although the Author had not as yet so fully perfected or raised his invention, to the quantity of Charcole Iron Furnaces, yet the Authors quantity being but seven Tunsperweek at the most, together with the quality of his Iron made with Pit-cole and Sea-cole, hath the most eminent Triplicity of Iron of all that can be desired in any new Invention.
1. More Sufficient. 2. More Cheap. 3. More excellent.
Upon which triplicity, the Authour might enlarge himself, but shall not be tedious, only give me leave to mention that there be three sorts of Cast Iron;
1. The first sort is Gray Iron.
2. The second sort is called Motley Iron, of which one part of the Sowes or Piggs is gray, the other part is white intermixt.
3. The third sort is called white Iron, this is almost as white as Bell-Mettle, but in the Furnace is least fined, and the most Terrestrial; of the three, the Motley Iron is somewhat more fined, but the Gray Iron, is most fined, and more sufficient to make Bar-Iron with, and tough Iron to make Ordnance, or any Cast Vessels, being it is more fined in the Furnace, and more malliable and tough, then the other two sorts before mentioned; and of this sort, is the Iron made with Pit-cole, Sea-cole for the most part, and therefore more sufficiently to be preferred.
2. More cheaper Iron there cannot be made, for the Author did sell pigg or cast Iron made with Pit-cole at four poundsperTun, many Tuns in the twentieth year of KingJames, with good profit; of late Charcole Pig-iron hath been sold at six poundsperTun, yea at seven poundsperTun hath much been sold.
Also the Authour did sell Bar-iron Good and Merchantable, at twelve poundsperTun, and under, but since Bar-iron hath been sold for the most part ever since at 15l.16l.17l.and 18l.perTun, by Charcole Iron-Masters.
3. More excellent for diverse Reasons, and principally, being the meanes whereby the Wood and Timber of this Island almost exhausted, may be timely preserved yet, and vegetate and grow again unto his former wonted cheapness, for the maintenance of Navigation, which is the greatest Strength ofGreat Brittain, whose Defence and Offence for all the Territories that belong unto it, next under God and his Vice-Gerent, our Sacred Majesties Cares, consists most of Shiping, Men of War, Experienced Mariners, Ordnances, Ammunition, and Stores, the Ordnance made therewith will be more gray and tough, therefore more serviceable at Sea and Land, and the Bar-iron will wall, rivet, and hold better then most commonly Charcole Iron.
2. More Excellent, not onely in respect the Invention of making of Iron with Pit-cole and Sea-cole will preserve Wood and Timber ofGreat Brittainso greatly consumed by Iron-Works of late.
But also in respect, this my Invention will preserve many Millions of Tuns of Small-cole inGreat Brittain, which will be lost in time to come, as formerly they were, for within ten miles ofDudley Castle, is annually consumed four or five thousand Tuns at least of small Pit-cole, and have been so consumed time out of mind under ground, fit to have it made Pit-iron with; which coles are and (unless Iron be made therewith) will be for ever totally and annually lost; if four or five thousand Tun of Cole be consumed within ten miles compass, what Coles is thus consumed in allEngland,Scotland, andWales? which is no good Husbandry forGreat Brittain, hinc ille lacrime, that our Timber is exhausted.
Must I still be opposed, and never enjoy my Inventions, norGreat Brittainthe Benefit?
Must my Pattent be obstructed in Peace, as it was extinct by the Wars?
And must not my Pattent be Revived for the making of Iron with Pit-cole, Sea-cole, Peat, and Turf, but find Enemies still to oppose it?
How many thousand Tuns of Iron might have been made but since my first Invention,An. Jacob.18thby my means with Pit-cole, and Sea-cole (lost) if I had not had Enemies; and had not wood and timber been preserved?
But most men will aver, that it doth concern the Author to Demonstrate the great losse mentioned formerly of Pit-cole annually;
It is thus,
There is at least within ten miles of the Castle ofDudley, twelve or fourteen Cole-Works, some inWorcester, and some of them inStafford-shire(now in work, and twice as many in that Circute not in work) each of which Works get two thousand Tun of Cole yearly, some get three, four or five thousand Tun of Coles yearly: and the uppermost or top measures of Coles are ten, eleven, and some twelve yards thick; the Coles Ascending, Basseting, or as the Colliers term it, Cropping up even unto the superfices of the Earth, and there the Colliers formerly got the Coles; but where the Coles is deep and but little Earth upon the measures of Coles, there the Colliers rid off the Earth, and dig the Coles under their feet; these Works are called Foot-rids.
But of these Works there are now but few, some of these small Coles in these open Works, the poor people did carry away, but paid nothing for them in former times, termed the Brain Carriages.
But now the Colliers working more in the deep of these Works, they are constrained to sink Pits, some of which Pits are from eight unto twenty yards deep, and some are near twenty fathome deep, which fathome contains two yards.
In these Pits, after you have made or hit the uppermost measures of Cole, and sink or digged thorow them, the Colliers getting the nethermost part of the Coles first, about two yards in height or more, and when they have wrought the Crutes or Staules, (as some Colliers call them) as broad and as far in under the ground, as they think fit, they throw the small Coles (fit to make Iron) out of their way on heaps to raise them up so high, to stand upon, that they may, with the working of their Picks or Maundrills over their heads, and at the one end of the Coles so far in as their Tool will permit, and so high as their working cometh unto a parting in the measure of Cole, the which Coles, to the parting by his self clogging and pondrous weight, fall often many Tuns of coles, many yards high down at once; with which fall and the Colliers breaking of the said Cole, many small coles do so abound of no use, and fit for no sale; that in getting of twenty thousand Tun of Pit-cole, one half near is small cole, not drawn out of the Pits, but destroyed, left, and lost; which small cole, with the sleck thrown moyst together, (heat the sooner) and by means of its sulphurousness fire in the Pits, to no small prejudice unto the Owners of the Works, and the Workmen, besidesGreat BrittainsLoss; which Cole might have made many thousand Tuns of Iron, and also have preserved this Islands Woods and Timber: I might here give you the names, and partly the nature of every measure, or parting of each cole lying upon each other; the three uppermost measures are called the white measures for his white Arcenical, Salsuginos and Sulphurious substance which is in that Cole; the next measure, is the shoulder-cole, the toe-cole, the foot-cole, the yard-cole, the sliper-cole, the sawyer-cole, and the frisly-cole, these last three coles are the best for the making of Iron, yet other coles may be made use of.
I might give you other names of coles, but desire not prolixity, yet must I tell you of a supernumerary number of Smiths within ten miles of these Cole-Works near twenty thousand; yet God of his Infinite goodness (if we will but take notice of his goodness unto this Nation) hath made this Country a very Granary for the supplying these Men with Iron, Cole, and Lime made with cole, which hath much supplyed these men with Corn also of late, and from these men, a great part not only of this Island, but also of his Majesties other Kingdomes and Territories with Iron wares have their supply, and wood in these parts almost exhausted, although it were of late a mighty wood-land Country.
Now if the Coles and Iron-stone so abounding were made right use of, we need not want Iron as we do; for very many measures of iron-stone are placed together under the great ten yards thickness of cole, and upon another thickness of coles two yards thick, not yet mentioned, called the bottom cole, or the heathen cole, as if God had decreed the time when, and how these Smiths should be supplyed, and this Island also with Iron, and most especially, that this coal and iron-stone, should give the first, and just occasion for the invention of the making of iron with pit-cole, no place being so fit for the invention to be perfected in, then this Country, for the general good; whose Woods did formerly abound in Forrests, Chases, Parks and Woods, but exhausted in these parts.
Now for the names of the iron-stone, the first measure is called the Black-row-graines, lying in very hard and black Earth.
The second measure is the Dun-row-graines, lying in dun earth or clay.
The third measure is called the white row grains, lying in very white Earth or Clay; under these three measure are sundry other measures, and are called, first, the Rider Stone; secondly, the Cloud Stone; thirdly, the bottom Stone; fourthly, the Cannock or Cannotstone, which last may wel be so caled (although all the other measures be very good) yet this Stone is so Sulphurous and Terrestrial, not fit to make Iron; because the Iron thereof made is very Redshare, which is that if a workman should Draw or Forge out a Share mould fit for a Plough in that red heat, it would crack and not be fit for the Use of the Husbandmans Plough or Share. I may take occasion here to speak of the Nature of Coldshare Iron, which is so brittle if made of the grain Oare or Iron stone would be almost as brittle as someRegulus Antimoniimade Iron, for with one small blow over an Anvil you may break the biggest Bar that is, if it be perfect coldshare Iron; nay the Plough-man often breaks his Share point off if it be made of coldshare Iron. But perfect tough malliable Iron will not break feisibly in hot-heat or cold, as coldshare wil, or red hot as Sulphurious veneriated redshare iron will; but yet tough enough when it is cold: All which aforesaid qualities of Iron the Authour very well knoweth how to mend their Natures, by finning or setting the finery, lesse transhaw, more borrow which are terms of art, and by altering and pitching the works, and plates, the fore spirit-plat, the tuiron, bottome, back and breast or fore-plate, by the altering of which much may be done, if the work be set transhaw and transiring from the blast, the Iron is more coldshare lesse Fined, more to the Masters profit; lesse profitable to him that makes it into manufactorage, and less profitable to him that useth it; but the Iron made in a Burrow work, becometh more tough and serviceable; yet the nature of all Iron stone, is to be considered, both in the Furnace, and in the finery, that the Sulphurious Arceniall and Veneriating qualities which are often-times in Iron stone be made to separate, in both the works from the fixed and fixing bodies of Iron, whose fiery quality is such, that he will sooner self calfine than separate from any Sulphurious veneriated quality.
No man, I hope, need to be offended at any terms of Art, it hath been alwayes lawfull for Authours of new Arts and Inventions, at their own pleasures, to give name to their new Inventions and Arts, every Tradesman is allowed it in his mystery.
But the Authour hath as much as he could avoided the terms of Art thatSimon Sturtenanteand others have used, which are very many: onely the Author hath given you the common names and terms (for the most part) which are so common among Forge-men and Founders, as is nothing more common; but kept secret amongst them and a mystery not yet known, but unto very few Owners of Iron-works; nay I have not yet troubled your memory with any of the Founder terms, of but making his harth as the Timpe stones, the Wind-wall stones, the Furion stones, the Botton-stone, the Back-stones and the Boshes, in the making and pitching of which harth, is much of the Mystery.
I must confesse, there is given unto some Phylosophers,etc filii Artis, some few terms how the Sulphurious Arsenicall, Bituminos, Antimoniall, Venerial, and other poysonous qualities, either in the Pit-cole, Sea-cole, or the Iron-stone, may be in part at the Furnace separated, and not permitted to incorporate in the Iron, and if it be incorporated, yet by Fining at the Forge, to fetch it out; also to melt extract, refine, and reduce all mines mettals and minerals, unto their species with Pit-cole, Sea-cole, Peat, and Turff, by wayes not yet in use, which the Authour will make known, hereafter, if God permit him health, time and space, or leave his knowledge unto his BrotherAylmore Folliott, Esq; his NephewParkshouse, Esq; and to his Kinsman MasterFrancis Dingley, to declare unto this latter Age of the World, in which God is pleased to manifest many of his Secrets;Qui vult secreta scire, secreta secrete sciat custodire.
Having suffered much, ever since the Year 1618 unto this present, for the general good, as by the preceding discourse appears for the making of Iron with Pitcole, Seacole, Peat, and Turff; for the preservation of Wood & Timber of GreatBrittainso much exhausted, for future prevention of which,
Is first, to permit the Authour to enjoy His Pattent, and fully to perfect his said Inventions (obstructed in the Reign both of KingJamesand in the Reign of his Sacred Majesty KingCharlsthe First, of ever Blessed Memory; and lately since his most Sacred Majesties happy Restauration) who desires nothing but to be animated with the Patent revived according unto the Statute of 21.Iacob.for Inventors.
Secondly, to impower the Authour or any other Agents to take care that no Pit-cole, or Seacole be any wayes wilfully destroyed under ground.
Thirdly, To put all former good Laws in Execution, and to make others for the preservation of Wood and Timber of these Nations, especially neer Navigagable River or Seas.
Fourthly, Seeing there goeth out ofEngland,Scotland, andWales, many thousand Tuns Annually of Pitcole and Seacoles to furnishFrance, and also the Smiths thereofSpaine,PortugalandFlanders, and especially the Smiths thereof; theLow-Countriesand the Smiths thereof, besides theHollanderscarries great quanties of our Coles unto Foreigne parts, without which those Countries cannot subsist: Now the Authors desire is, that where there is a conveniency of Iron stone or Ewre, the Coles may not be transported (paying His Sacred Majesties Duty) until Order, from His Majesty or his Privy Council.
Fifthly, That no Pitcole be Exported, seeing that Wood fuell and Timber is decayed for Buildings, and instead thereof Brickmaking (formerly spending Wood, but now coles) is much in use; also is Glasse now made with cole, but formerly were there many Thousand Loads of Wood fuell spent in the making thereof, and the Glass Invention with Pitcole was first effected near the Authours Dwelling.
Sixthly, Making of Steel, Brewings, making of Coppras, Allum, Salt, casting of Brasse and Copper, Dyings, and many other Works were not many years since done altogether with the Fuell of Wood and Charcole; instead whereof, Pitcole, and Seacole is now used as Effectually, and to a far better Use and Purpose; besides the preservation of Wood and Timber.
Seventhly, That which is somewhat neerer the mark and Invention; the Blacksmith forged all his Iron with Charcole, and in some places where they are cheap, they continue this course still, but small Pitcole and Seacole, and also Peat and Turff hath and doth serve the turn as well and sufficiently as Charcole.
Eighthly, That which is nearest, and my perfect Invention, and neer the Authours Dwelling, calledGreens-lodge, there are four Forges, namely,Greens-forge,Swin-forge,Heath-forgeandCradley-forge.
Which Four Forges have Barred all or most part of their Iron with Pitcole ever since the Authours first Invention, 1618. which hath preserved much Wood: In these Four, besides many other Forges do the like; yet the Author hath had no benefit thereby to this present.
Yet by this Barring of Iron with Pitcole 30000 loads of Wood and more have been preserved for the general good, which otherwayes must have been had and consumed.
Symon Sturtevant, in hisMetallica, in the Epistle to the Reader, saith,That there was thenAnno 12. JacobiinEngland, Scotland, IrelandandWales 800Furnaces, Forges, or Iron Mills making Iron with Charcole: Now we may suppose at least 300 of these to be Furnaces, and 500 to be Forges; and each Furnace making fifteen Tunperweek of Pig or cast Iron, and work or blow but Forty weekper Annum, but some Furnaces make Twenty Tuns of Pig IronperWeek, and two Loads of Charcole or there about, go to the making of a Tun of Pig Iron: And two Loads (or two cords) of Wood, at the least, go to the making of a load of Charcole.
Now what Loads of Wood or Charcole is spent in greatBrittainandIreland Annually? but in one Furnace, that makes Fifteen TunperWeek of Pig-Iron for Forty weeks: I shall give you the Table, and leave you to judge of the rest of the Furnaces.
Also for one Forge that make Three Tuns of Bar Iron weekly for Fifty weeks, but some Forges make double my Proportion, and spend to Fine and Bar out each Tun three Loads of Coles: To each Tun.
By these Examples, may you see, the vast quantities of Charcole, or Wood, that the 300 Furnacis spend weekly, or yearly, and the 500. Forges workings all the year, spend little lesse then the Furnaces: It being impossible, after this rate for greatBrittainorIreland, to supply these her works with Charcole in Fining of Iron at the Fineries, yet the Forges that need but half the Charcole may be permitted to use Charcole, and may be supplyed with under Woods.
Let us but look back unto the making of Iron, by our Ancestors, in foot blasts, or bloomenies, that was by men treading of the Bellows, by which way they could make but one little lump or bloom of Iron in a day, not 100 weight, and that not fusible, nor fined, or malliable, until it were long burned and wrought under Hammers, and whose first slag, sinder or scorius, doth contain in it as much, or more Iron, then in that day the workman or bloomer got out, which Slag, Scorius, or Sinder is by our Founders at Furnaces wrought again, and found to contain much Yron and easier of Fusion than any Yron stone or Mine of Yron whatsoever of which slag and Sinders, there is in many Countryes Millions of Tuns and Oaks growing upon them, very old and rotten.
The next invention was to set up the Bloomeries that went by water, for the ease of the men treading the bellows, which being bigger, and the waterwheel causing a greater blast, did not onely make a greater quantity of iron, but also extracted more iron out of the slag or sinder, and left them more poorer of iron then the foot-blasts, so that the Founders cannot melt them again, as they do the foot blast sinders to profit: Yet these Bloomeries by water (not altogether out of use) do make in one day but two hundred pound weight of iron, or there abouts neither is it fusible, or malliable, but is unfined untill it be much burned, and wrought a second time in fire.
But some of the now going Furnaces with Charcole, do make two or three Tun of Pigg or cast iron in 24 hours.
ThereforeIdo not wholly compute the vast quantities of charcoles and wood spent in these voragious works, which quantity of cast iron, with pit-cole and Sea-cole, at one FurnaceIdesire not, but am contented with half the proportion, which onceIattained unto before my Bellows were riotously cut, that is one Tun in 24 hours; we need not a greater quantity, if the like quantity were made in Furnaces inScotland, andWales, which abounds with Pit-cole and Sea-cole, as well asEngland; and our supernumery Smiths, Founders, and Forgemen, and other Tradesmen might be there imployed, thereby to furnish His Majesties Plantations, as well, if not better thenEngland, where Coles are far cheaper then inEngland.
Although vast quantities of Coles do abound near the Authors dwelling, yet twenty thousand Smiths or Naylors at the least dwelling near these parts, and taking of Prentices, have made their Trade so bad, that many of them are ready to starve and steal; so that it is wished there were some courses taken to mend their Trade, imploy them in other parts, or permit them, not to take so many Prentices, all which have great occasions to use Pit-cole, and had not these parts abounded with cole, it would have been a great deal worse with them then it is; but of the cole there is, nor will be any want, nor of iron-stone.
The manner of the cole-veins, or measures in these parts, and also of the measures of iron-stone, or mines, how they lye, be, or increase, some veins lye circuler, some sami-circuler, some ovall, some works almost in a direct line, and some works parts of a Circle; as by the Circle, it being onely for a small Example to judge the rest of the Mines by may appear.
FINIS.
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