Curiosities of Great Britain: England and Wales Delineated Vol.1-11: Historical, Entertaining & Commercial; Alphabetically Arranged. 11 Volume set.Dugdale, Thomas
History
Curiosities of Great Britain: England and Wales Delineated Vol.1-11: Historical, Entertaining & Commercial; Alphabetically Arranged. 11 Volume set.
Dugdale, Thomas
Great Britain -- Gazetteers
there is however a small manufactory of serges. The parish church is a
fine old fabric, consisting of three aisles; the tower and some other
parts of the structure are fancifully ornamented; various carvings,
monstrous heads, angels, and other figures appear on the cornices. From
the repetition of the shovel, pick, hammers, and other tools, it seems
probable that the miners were the principle contributors towards the
expences of the building. In the year 1774, as some tinners were
searching for tin in a stream work near the town, about seventeen feet
under the surface of the ground, they discovered a silver cup, which is
now used for wine at the Communion table, in which were several ancient
pieces of gold and silver ornaments; they consisted of bracelets, rings,
and buckles, evidently for a person of high rank, with many of the most
curious Saxon coins ever discovered at one time. All these articles fell
out on moving the ground, and some were probably lost in shovelling out
the rubbish; those which were picked up were dispersed about the
country, and many of them broken. The celebrated Pentuan stone quarry,
from which the materials of many churches and family seats have been
taken, is in this parish. Polgooth mine (before mentioned) was
considered the richest ever worked in England, and is situated about two
miles south-west of the town. The surrounding country appears for many
miles bleak, desolate, and barren, yet its bowels contain vast
treasures; though, as a talented author has observed, "like the shabby
mien of a miser, its aspect does not correspond with its hoards." The
shafts by which the miners descend, and through which the ore is raised
to the surface, are scattered over a considerable extent of sterile
ground, whose dreary appearance, and the sallow countenances of the
miners, concur to excite ideas of gloom, apprehension, and melancholy.
The number of shafts is not less than fifty, from twenty to thirty of
which are constantly in use. When a stranger is induced to descend, he
is previously accoutred in a flannel shirt and trowsers, a close cap, an
old hat to shelter his face from droppings, and a thick pair of shoes. A
lighted candle is put into one hand, and a spare one suspended to a
button of his jacket. Every part of the ordinary clothing is laid aside,
and the flannel dress worn close to the skin, in order to absorb the
profuse perspiration which the closeness of the mine or the labour of
mounting the ladders may occasion.
_Market_, Friday.--_Fairs_, Whit Thursday, and Nov. 30, for oxen,
sheep, and cloth.--_Mail_ arrives 12.35 afternoon; departs 10.27.
morning.
[Sidenote: Blackmore Court held here.]
[Sidenote: Silver cup found 17 ft. under ground.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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