industrial biography-第7章

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　　　　〃A　Shefeld　thwytel　bare　he　in　his　hose。〃*



　＇footnote。。。

Before　table…knives　were　invented；　in　the　sixteenth　century；　the

knife　was　a　very　important　article；　each　guest　at　table　bearing　his

own；　and　sharpening　it　at　the　whetstone　hung　up　in　the　passage；

before　sitting　down　to　dinner；　Some　even　carried　a　whetstone　as　well

as　a　knife；　and　one　of　Queen　Elizabeth's　presents　to　the　Earl　of

Leicester　was　a　whetstone　tipped　with　gold。

　。。。＇



The　common　English　arrowheads　manufactured　at　Sheffield　were　long

celebrated　for　their　excellent　temper；　as　Sheffield　iron　and　steel

plates　are　now。　　The　battle　of　Hamildon；　fought　in　Scotland　in　1402；

was　won　mainly　through　their　excellence。　　The　historian　records　that

they　penetrated　the　armour　of　the　Earl　of　Douglas；　which　had　been

three　years　in　making；　and　they　were　〃so　sharp　and　strong　that　no

armour　could　repel　them。〃　　The　same　arrowheads　were　found　equally

efficient　against　French　armour　on　the　fields　of　Crecy　and　Agincourt。



Although　Scotland　is　now　one　of　the　principal　sources　from　which　our

supplies　of　iron　are　drawn；　it　was　in　ancient　times　greatly

distressed　for　want　of　the　metal。　　The　people　were　as　yet　too　little

skilled　to　be　able　to　turn　their　great　mineral　wealth　to　account。

Even　in　the　time　of　Wallace；　they　had　scarcely　emerged　from　the　Stone

period；　and　were　under　the　necessity　of　resisting　their　iron…armed

English　adversaries　by　means　of　rude　weapons　of　that　material。　　To

supply　themselves　with　swords　and　spearheads；　they　imported　steel

from　Flanders；　and　the　rest　they　obtained　by　marauding　incursions

into　England。　　The　district　of　Furness　in　Lancashirethen　as　now　an

iron…producing　districtwas　frequently　ravaged　with　that　object；

and　on　such　occasions　the　Scotch　seized　and　carried　off　all　the

manufactured　iron　they　could　find；　preferring　it；　though　so　heavy；　to

every　other　kind　of　plunder。*

　＇footnote。。。

The　early　scarcity　of　iron　in　Scotland　is　confirmed　by　Froissart；　who

says；〃In　Scotland　you　will　never　find　a　man　of　worth；　they　are　like

savages；　who　wish　not　to　be　acquainted　with　any　one；　are　envious　of

the　good　fortune　of　others；　and　suspicious　of　losing　anything

themselves；　for　their　country　is　very　poor。　　When　the　English　make

inroads　thither；　as　they　have　very　frequently　done；　they　order　their

provisions；　if　they　wish　to　live；　to　follow　close　at　their　backs；　for

nothing　is　to　be　had　in　that　country　without　great　difficulty。　　There

is　neither　iron　to　shoe　horses；　nor　leather　to　make　harness；　saddles；

or　bridles：　　all　these　things　come　ready　made　from　Flanders　by　sea；

and　should　these　fail；　there　is　none　to　be　had　in　the　country。'

　。。。＇

About　the　same　period；　however；　iron　must　have　been　regarded　as

almost　a　precious　metal　even　in　England　itself；　for　we　find　that　in

Edward　the　Third's　reign；　the　pots；　spits；　and　frying…pans　of　the

royal　kitchen　were　classed　among　his　Majesty's　jewels。*

　＇footnote。。。

PARKER'S　English　Home；　77

　。。。＇



The　same　famine　of　iron　prevailed　to　a　still　greater　extent　in　the

Highlands；　where　it　was　even　more　valued；　as　the　clans　lived　chiefly

by　hunting；　and　were　in　an　almost　constant　state　of　feud。　　Hence　the

smith　was　a　man　of　indispensable　importance　among　the　Highlanders；

and　the　possession　of　a　skilful　armourer　was　greatly　valued　by　the

chiefs。　　The　story　is　told　of　some　delinquency　having　been　committed

by　a　Highland　smith；　on　whom　justice　must　be　done；　but　as　the　chief

could　not　dispense　with　the　smith；　he　generously　offered　to　hang　two

weavers　in　his　stead！



At　length　a　great　armourer　arose　in　the　Highlands；　who　was　able　to

forge　armour　that　would　resist　the　best　Sheffield　arrow…heads；　and　to

make　swords　that　would　vie　with　the　best　weapons　of　Toledo　and　Milan。

This　was　the　famous　Andrea　de　Ferrara；　whose　swords　still　maintain

their　ancient　reputation。　　This　workman　is　supposed　to　have　learnt　his

art　in　the　Italian　city　after　which　he　was　called；　and　returned　to

practise　it　in　secrecy　among　the　Highland　hills。　　Before　him；　no　man

in　Great　Britain　is　said　to　have　known　how　to　temper　a　sword　in　such

a　way　as　to　bend　so　that　the　point　should　touch　the　hilt　and　spring

back　uninjured。　　The　swords　of　Andrea　de　Ferrara　did　this；　and　were

accordingly　in　great　request；　for　it　was　of　every　importance　to　the

warrior　that　his　weapon　should　be　strong　and　sharp　without　being

unwieldy；　and　that　it　should　not　be　liable　to　snap　in　the　act　of

combat。　　This　celebrated　smith；　whose　personal　identity*

　＇footnote。。。

The　precise　time　at　which　Andrea　de　Ferrara　flourished　cannot　be

fixed　with　accuracy；　but　Sir　Waiter　Scott；　in　one　of　the　notes　to

Waverley；　says　he　is　believed　to　have　been　a　foreign　artist　brought

over　by　James　IV。　or　V。　of　Scotland　to　instruct　the　Scots　in　the

manufacture　of　sword…blades。　　The　genuine　weapons　have　a　crown　marked

on　the　blades。

　。。。＇

has　become　merged　in　the　Andrea　de　Ferrara　swords　of　his　manufacture；

pursued　his　craft　in　the　Highlands；　where　he　employed　a　number　of

skilled　workmen　in　forging　weapons；　devoting　his　own　time　principally

to　giving　them　their　required　temper。　　He　is　said　to　have　worked　in　a

dark　cellar；　the　better　to　enable　him　to　perceive　the　effect　of　the

heat　upon　the　metal；　and　to　watch　the　nicety　of　the　operation　of

tempering；　as　well　as　possibly　to　serve　as　a　screen　to　his　secret

method　of　working。*

　＇footnote。。。

Mr。　Parkes；　in　his　Essay　on　the　Manufacture　of　Edge　Tools；　says；　〃Had

this　ingenious　artist　thought　of　a　bath　of　oil；　he　might　have　heated

this　by　means　of　a　furnace　underneath　it；　and　by　the　use　of　a

thermometer；　to　the　exact　point　which　he　found　necessary；　though　it

is　inconvenient　to　have　to　employ　a　thermometer　for　every　distinct

operation。　　Or；　if　he　had　been　in　the　possession　of　a　proper　bath　of

fusible　metal；　he　would　have　attained　the　necessary　certainty　in　his

process；　and　need　not　have　immured　himself　in　a　subterranean

apartment。PARKES'　Essays；　1841；　p。　495。

　。。。＇

Long　after　Andrea　de　Ferrara's　time；　the　Scotch　swords　were　famous

for　their　temper；　Judge　Marshal　Fatten；　who　accompanied　the

Protector's　expedition　into　Scotland　in　1547；　observing　that　〃the

Scots　came　with　swords　all　broad　and　thin；　of　exceeding　good　temper；

and　universally　so　made　to　slice　that　I　never　saw　none　so　good；　so　I

think　it　hard　to　devise　a　better。〃　　The　quality　of　the　steel　used　for

weapons　of　war　was　indeed　of　no　less　importance　for　the　effectual

defence　of　a　country　then　than　it　is　now。　　The　courage　of　the

attacking　and　defending　forces　being　equal；　the　victory　would

necessarily　rest　with　the　party　in　possession　of　the　best　weapons。



England　herself　has　on　more　than　one　occasion　been　supposed　to　be　in

serious　peril　because　of　the　decay　of　her　iron　manufactures。　　Before

the　Spanish　Armada；　the　production　of　iron　had　been　greatly

discouraged　because　of　the　destruction　of　timber　in　the　smelting　of

the　orethe　art　of　reducing　it　with　pit　coal　not　having　yet　been

invented；　and　we　were　consequently　mainly　dependent　upon　foreign

countries　for　our　supplies　of　the　material　out　of　which　arms　were

made。　　The　best　iron　came　from　Spain　itself；　then　the　most　powerful

nation　in　Europe；　and　as　celebrated　for　the　excellence　of　its　weapons

as　for　the　discipline　and　valour　of　its　troops。　　The　Spaniards　prided

themselves　upon　the　superiority　of　their　iron；　and　regarded　its

scarcity　in　England　as　an　important　element　in　their　calculations　of

the　conquest　of　the　country　by　their　famous　Armada。　　〃I　have　heard；〃

says　Harrison；　〃that　when　one　of　the　greatest　peers　of　Spain　espied

our　nakedness　in　this　behalf；　and　did　solemnly　utter　in　no　obscure

place；　that　it　would　be　an　easy　matter　in　short　time　to　conquer

England　because　it　wanted　armour；　his　words　were　not　so　rashly

uttered　as　politely　noted。〃　　The　vigour　of　Queen　Elizabeth　promptly

supplied　a　remedy　by　the　large　importations　of　iron　which　she　caused

to　be　made；　principally　from　Sweden；　as　well　as　by　the　increased

activity　of　the　forges　in　Sussex　and　the　Forest　of　Dean；　〃whereby；〃

adds　Harrison；　〃England　obtained　rest；　that　otherwise　might　have　been

sure　of　sharp　and　cruel　wars。　　Thus　a　Spanish　word　uttered　by　one　man

at　one　time；　overthrew；　or　at　the　leastwise　hindered　sundry　privy

practices　of　many　at　another。〃　　*

　＇footnote。。。

HOLINSHED；　History　of　England。　　It　was　even　said　to　have　been　one　of

the　objects　of　the　Spanish　Armada　to　get　the　oaks　of　the　Forest　of

Dean　destroyed；　in　order　to　prevent　further　smelting　of　the　iron。

Thus　Evelyn；　in　his　Sylva；　says；　〃I　have　heard　that　in　the　great

expedition　of　1588　it　was　expressly　enjoined　the　Spanish　Armada　that

if；　when　landed；　they　should　not　be　able　to　subdue　our　nation　and

make　good　their　conquest；　they　should　yet　be　sure　not　to　leave　a　tree

standing　in　the　Forest　of　Dean。〃NICHOLS；　History　of　the　Forest　of

Dean；　p。　22。

　。。。＇

Nor　has　the　subject　which　occupied　the　earnest　attention　of

politicians　in　Queen　Elizabeth's　time　ceased　to　be　of　interest；　for；

after　the　lapse　of　nearly　three　hundred　years；　we　find　the　smith　and

the　iron　manufacturer　still　uppermost　in　public　discussions。　　It　has

of　late　years　been　felt　that　our　much…prized　〃hearts　of　oak〃　are　no

more　able　to　stand　against　the　prows　of　mail　which　were　supposed　to

threaten　them；　than　the　sticks　and　stones　of　the　ancient　tribes　were

able　to　resist　the　men　armed　with　weapons　of　bronze　or　steel。　　What

Solon　said　to　Croesus；　when　the　latter　was　displaying　his　great

treasures　of　gold；　still　holds　true：　　　〃If　another　comes　that　hath

better　iron　than　you；　he　will　be　master　of　all　that　gold。〃　　So；　when

an　alchemist　waited　upon　the　Duke　of　Brunswick　during　the　Seven

Years'　War；　and　offered　to　communicate　the　secret　of　converting　iron

into　gold；　the　Duke　replied：　　　〃By　no　means：　　I　want　all　the　iron　I

can　find　to　resist　my　enemies：　　as　for　gold；　I　get　it　from　England。〃

Thus　the　strength　and　wealth　of　nations　depend　upon　coal　and　iron；

not　forgetting　Men；　far　more　than　upon　gold。



Thanks　to　our　Armstrongs　and　Whitworths；　our　Browns　and　our　Smiths；

the　iron　defences　of　England；　manned　by　our　soldiers　and　our　sailors；

furnish　the　assurance　of　continued　security　for　our　gold　and　our

wealth；　and；　what　is　infinitely　more　precious；　for　our　industry　and

our　liberty。





CHAPTER　II。



EARLY　ENGLISH　IRON　MANUFACTURE。



〃He　that　well　observes　it；　and　hath　known　the　welds　of　Sussex；　Surry；

and　Kent'；　the　grand　nursery　especially　of　oake　and　beech；　shal　find

such　an　alteration；　within　lesse　than　30　yeeres；　as　may　well　strike　a

feare；　lest　few　yeeres　more；　as　pestilent　as　the　former；　will　leave

fewe　good　trees　standing　in　those　welds。　　Such　a　heate　issueth　out　of

the　many　forges　and　furnaces　for　the　making　of　iron；　and　out　of　the

glasse　kilnes；　as　hath　devoured　many　famous　woods　within　the

welds；〃　JOHN　NORDEN；　Surveyors'　Dialogue　（1607）。





Few　records　ex