industrial biography-第18章

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〃built　his　furnace　at　Wednesbury；　so　ingeniously　contrived　（that　only

the　flame　of　the　coal　should　come　to　the　ore；　with　several　other

conveniences）；　that　many　were　of　opinion　he　would　succeed　in　it。　　But

experience；　that　great　baffler　of　speculation；　showed　it　would　not

be；　the　sulphureous　vitriolic　steams　that　issue　from　the　pyrites；

which　frequently；　if　not　always；　accompanies　pit…coal；　ascending　with

the　flame；　and　poisoning　the　ore　sufficiently　to　make　it　render　much

worse　iron　than　that　made　with　charcoal；　though　not　perhaps　so　much

worse　as　the　body　of　the　coal　itself　would　possibly　do。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

Dr。　PLOT；　Natural　History　of　Staffordshire；　2nd　ed。　1686；　p。　128。

　。。。＇

Dr。　Plot　does　not　give　the　year　in　which　this　〃last　effort〃　was　made；

but　as　we　find　that　one　Dr。　Frederic　de　Blewston　obtained　a　patent

from　Charles　II。　on　the　25th　October；　1677；　for　〃a　new　and　effectual

way　of　melting　down；　forging；　extracting；　and　reducing　of　iron　and

all　metals　and　minerals　with　pit…coal　and　sea…coal；　as　well　and

effectually　as　ever　hath　yet　been　done　by　charcoal；　and　with　much

less　charge；〃　and　as　Dr。　Plot's　　History；　in　which　he　makes　mention

of　the　experiment　and　its　failure；　was　published　in　1686；　it　is

obvious　that　the　trial　must　have　been　made　between　those　years。



As　the　demand　for　iron　steadily　increased　with　the　increasing

population　of　the　country；　and　as　the　supply　of　timber　for　smelting

purposes　was　diminishing　from　year　to　year；　England　was　compelled　to

rely　more　and　more　upon　foreign　countries　for　its　supply　of

manufactured　iron。　　The　number　of　English　forges　rapidly　dwindled；　and

the　amount　of　the　home　production　became　insignificant　in　comparison

with　what　was　imported　from　abroad。　　Yarranton；　writing　in　1676；

speaks　of　〃the　many　iron…works　laid　down　in　Kent；　Sussex；　Surrey；　and

in　the　north　of　England；　because　the　iron　of　Sweadland；　Flanders；　and

Spain；　coming　in　so　cheap；　it　cannot　be　made　to　profit　here。〃　　There

were　many　persons；　indeed；　who　held　that　it　was　better　we　should　be

supplied　with　iron　from　Spain　than　make　it　at　home；　in　consequence　of

the　great　waste　of　wood　involved　by　the　manufacture；　but　against　this

view　Yarranton　strongly　contended；　and　held；　what　is　as　true　now　as

it　was　then；　that　the　manufacture　of　iron　was　the　keystone　of

England's　industrial　prosperity。　　He　also　apprehended　great　danger　to

the　country　from　want　of　iron　in　event　of　the　contingency　of　a

foreign　war。　　〃When　the　greatest　part　of　the　iron…works　are　asleep；〃

said　he；　〃if　there　should　be　occasion　for　great　quantities　of　guns

and　bullets；　and　other　sorts　of　iron　commodities；　for　a　present

unexpected　war；　and　the　Sound　happen　to　be　locked　up；　and　so　prevent

iron　coming　to　us；　truly　we　should　then　be　in　a　fine　case！〃



Notwithstanding　these　apprehended　national　perils　arising　from　the

want　of　iron；　no　steps　seem　to　have　been　taken　to　supply　the

deficiency；　either　by　planting　woods　on　a　large　scale；　as　recommended

by　Yarranton；　or　by　other　methods；　and　the　produce　of　English　iron

continued　steadily　to　decline。　　In　1720…30　there　were　found　only　ten

furnaces　remaining　in　blast　in　the　whole　Forest　of　Dean；　where　the

iron…smelters　were　satisfied　with　working　up　merely　the　cinders　left

by　the　Romans。　　A　writer　of　the　time　states　that　we　then　bought

between　two　and　three　hundred　thousand　pounds'　worth　of　foreign　iron

yearly；　and　that　England　was　the　best　customer　in　Europe　for　Swedish

and　Russian　iron。*

　＇footnote。。。

JOSHUA　GEE；　The　Trade　and　Navigation　of　Great　Britain　considered；

1731。

　。。。＇

By　the　middle　of　the　eighteenth　century　the　home　manufacture　had　so

much　fallen　off；　that　the　total　production　of　Great　Britain　is

supposed　to　have　amounted　to　not　more　than　18；000　tons　a　year；

four…fifths　of　the　iron　used　in　the　country　being　imported　from

Sweden。*

　＇footnote。。。

When　a　bill　was　introduced　into　Parliament　in　1750　with　the　object　of

encouraging　the　importation　of　iron　from　our　American　colonies；　the

Sheffield　tanners　petitioned　against　it；　on　the　ground　that；　if　it

passed；　English　iron　would　be　undersold；　many　forges　would

consequently　be　discontinued；　in　which　case　the　timber　used　for　fuel

would　remain　uncut；　and　the　tanners　would　thereby　be　deprived　of　bark

for　the　purposes　of　their　trade！

　。。。＇



The　more　that　the　remaining　ironmasters　became　straitened　for　want　of

wood；　the　more　they　were　compelled　to　resort　to　cinders　and　coke　made

from　coal　as　a　substitute。　　And　it　was　found　that　under　certain

circumstances　this　fuel　answered　the　purpose　almost　as　well　as

charcoal　of　wood。　　The　coke　was　made　by　burning　the　coal　in　heaps　in

the　open　air；　and　it　was　usually　mixed　with　coal　and　peat　in　the

process　of　smelting　the　ore。　　Coal　by　itself　was　used　by　the　country

smiths　for　forging　whenever　they　could　procure　it　for　their　smithy

fires；　and　in　the　midland　counties　they　had　it　brought　to　them；

sometimes　from　great　distances；　slung　in　bags　across　horses'

backs；for　the　state　of　the　roads　was　then　so　execrable　as　not　to

admit　of　its　being　led　for　any　considerable　distance　in　carts。　　At

length　we　arrive　at　a　period　when　coal　seems　to　have　come　into

general　use；　and　when　necessity　led　to　its　regular　employment　both　in

smelting　the　ore　and　in　manufacturing　the　metal。　　And　this　brings　us

to　the　establishment　of　the　Coalbrookdale　works；　where　the　smelting

of　iron　by　means　of　coke　and　coal　was　first　adopted　on　a　large　scale

as　the　regular　method　of　manufacture。



Abraham　Darby；　the　first　of　a　succession　of　iron　manufacturers　who

bore　the　same　name；　was　the　son　of　a　farmer　residing　at　Wrensnest；

near　Dudley。　　He　served　an　apprenticeship　to　a　maker　of　malt…kilns

near　Birmingham；　after　which　he　married　and　removed　to　Bristol　in

1700；　to　begin　business　on　his　own　account。　　Industry　is　of　all

politics　and　religions：　　thus　Dudley　was　a　Royalist　and　a　Churchman；

Yarranton　was　a　Parliamentarian　and　a　Presbyterian；　and　Abraham　Darby

was　a　Quaker。　　At　Bristol　he　was　joined　by　three　partners　of　the　same

persuasion；　who　provided　the　necessary　capital　to　enable　him　to　set

up　works　at　Baptist　Mills；　near　that　city；　where　he　carried　on　the

business　of　malt…mill　making；　to　which　he　afterwards　added　brass　and

iron　founding。



At　that　period　cast…iron　pots　were　in　very　general　use；　forming　the

principal　cooking　utensils　of　the　working　class。　　The　art　of　casting

had；　however；　made　such　small　progress　in　England　that　the　pots　were

for　the　most　part　imported　from　abroad。　　Darby　resolved；　if　possible；

to　enter　upon　this　lucrative　branch　of　manufacture；　and　he　proceeded

to　make　a　number　of　experiments　in　pot…making。　　Like　others　who　had

preceded　him；　he　made　his　first　moulds　of　clay；　but　they　cracked　and

burst；　and　one　trial　failed　after　another。　　He　then　determined　to　find

out　the　true　method　of　manufacturing　the　pots；　by　travelling　into　the

country　from　whence　the　best　were　imported；　in　order　to　master　the

grand　secret　of　the　trade。　　With　this　object　he　went　over　to　Holland

in　the　year　1706；　and　after　diligent　inquiry　he　ascertained　that　the

only　sure　method　of　casting　〃Hilton　ware；〃　as　such　castings　were　then

called；　was　in　moulds　of　fine　dry　sand。　　This　was　the　whole　secret。



Returning　to　Bristol；　accompanied　by　some　skilled　Dutch　workmen；

Darby　began　the　new　manufacture；　and　succeeded　to　his　satisfaction。

The　work　was　at　first　carried　on　with　great　secrecy；　lest　other

makers　should　copy　the　art；　and　the　precaution　was　taken　of　stopping

the　keyhole　of　the　workshop…door　while　the　casting　was　in　progress。

To　secure　himself　against　piracy；　he　proceeded　to　take　out　a　patent

for　the　process　in　the　year　1708；　and　it　was　granted　for　the　term　of

fourteen　years。　　The　recital　of　the　patent　is　curious；　as　showing　the

backward　state　of　English　iron…founding　at　that　time。　　It　sets　forth

that　〃whereas　our　trusty　and　well…beloved　Abraham　Darby；　of　our　city

of　Bristol；　smith；　hath　by　his　petition　humbly　represented　to　us；

that　by　his　study；　industry；　and　expense；　he　hath　found　out　and

brought　to　perfection　a　new　way　of　casting　iron　bellied　pots　and

other　iron　bellied　ware　in　sand　only；　without　loam　or　clay；　by　which

such　iron　pots　and　other　ware　may　be　cast　fine　and　with　more　ease　and

expedition；　and　may　be　afforded　cheaper　than　they　can　be　by　the　way

commonly　used；　and　in　regard　to　their　cheapness　may　be　of　great

advantage　to　the　poor　of　this　our　kingdom；　who　for　the　most　part　use

such　ware；　and　in　all　probability　will　prevent　the　merchants　of

England　going　to　foreign　markets　for　such　ware；　from　whence　great

quantities　are　imported；　and　likewise　may　in　time　supply　other

markets　with　that　manufacture　of　our　dominions；〃　&c。。。。。　　grants　the

said　Abraham　Darby　the　full　power　and　sole　privilege　to　make　and　sell

such　pots　and　ware　for　and　during　the　term　of　fourteen　years　thence

ensuing。〃



Darby　proceeded　to　make　arrangements　for　carrying　on　the　manufacture

upon　a　large　scale　at　the　Baptist　Mills；　but　the　other　partners

hesitated　to　embark　more　capital　in　the　concern；　and　at　length

refused　their　concurrence。　　Determined　not　to　be　baulked　in　his

enterprise；　Darby　abandoned　the　Bristol　firm；　and　in　the　year　1709　he

removed　to　Coalbrookdale　in　Shropshire；　with　the　intention　of

prosecuting　the　enterprise　on　his　own　account。　　He　took　the　lease　of　a

little　furnace　which　had　existed　at　the　place　for　more　than　a

century；　as　the　records　exist　of　a　〃smethe〃　or　〃smeth…house〃　at

Coalbrookdale　in　the　time　of　the　Tudors。　　The　woods　of　oak　and　hazel

which　at　that　time　filled　the　beautiful　dingles　of　the　dale；　and

spread　in　almost　a　continuous　forest　to　the　base　of　the　Wrekin；

furnished　abundant　fuel　for　the　smithery。　　As　the　trade　of　the

Coalbrookdale　firm　extended；　these　woods　became　cleared；　until　the

same　scarcity　of　fuel　began　to　be　experienced　that　had　already

desolated　the　forests　of　Sussex；　and　brought　the　manufacture　of　iron

in　that　quarter　to　a　stand…still。



It　appears　from　the　'Blast　Furnace　Memorandum　Book'　of　Abraham　Darby；

which　we　have　examined；　that　the　make　of　iron　at　the　Coalbrookdale

foundry；　in　1713；　varied　from　five　to　ten　tons　a　week。　　The　principal

articles　cast　were　pots；　kettles；　and　other　〃hollow　ware；〃　direct

from　the　smelting…furnace；　the　rest　of　the　metal　was　run　into　pigs。

In　course　of　time　we　find　that　other　castings　were　turned　out：　　a　few

grates；　smoothing…irons；　door…frames；　weights；　baking…plates；

cart…bushes；　iron　pestles　and　mortars；　and　occasionally　a　tailor's

goose。　　The　trade　gradually　increased；　until　we　find　as　many　as　150

pots　and　kettles　cast　in　a　week。



The　fuel　used　in　the　furnaces　appears；　from　the　Darby

Memorandum…Book；　to　have　been　at　first　entirely　charcoal；　but　the

growing　scarcity　of　wood　seems　to　have　gradually　led　to　the　use　of

coke；　brays　or　small　coke；　and　peat。　　An　abundance　of　coals　existed　in

the　neighbourhood：　　by　rejecting　those　of