Iron Making in the Olden Times: as instanced in the Ancient Mines, Forges, and Furnaces of The Forest of Dean — John Shaqi
Iron Making in the Olden Times: as instanced in the Ancient Mines, Forges, and Furnaces of The Forest of DeanNicholls, H. G. (Henry George)
History
Iron Making in the Olden Times: as instanced in the Ancient Mines, Forges, and Furnaces of The Forest of Dean
Nicholls, H. G. (Henry George)
Iron -- History; Iron industry and trade -- England
Similar appreciation of the remunerative character of iron making occurs
in connection with a still more illustrious person. There exists a
letter, dated 7 May, 1611, addressed by Sir Francis Bacon to Cecil, Lord
Salisbury, endorsed, "Ld Lisle, Sir F. Bacon, and others, to be preferred
in the sale intended in the Forest of Deane for some reasonable portion
of wood, for maintenance of their Wire-works, paying as any others."
The letter itself runs in these words:--
"It may please your good Lordship,
"Understanding that his Majesty will be pleased to sell some good
portion of wood in the Forest of Deane, which lies very convenient to
the Company's Wire Works at Tynterne and Whitebrooke, we are enforced
to have recourse to your lordship, as to our Governor of the said
Company, humbly praying your lordship to afford us some reasonable
quantity thereof, the better to uphold the said works, whereof by
information from our farmers there, we stand in such need, as without
your lordship's favour we shall hardly be able to subsist any long
time. We do not entreat your lordship for any other or more easy
price than that your lordship directs the sale of it to others; only
we humbly pray for some preferment in the opportunity of the place
where the woods lie, and in the quantity, as it may answer in some
portion to our wants. Herein, if your lordship will be pleased to
favour us, then we humbly pray your lordship to direct us to some
such persons as your Lordship resolves to employ in the business.
And as we humbly take our leaves of your lordship,
"Your lordship's humbly at command.
"London."
What success attended this application, or the enterprise which it was
intended to promote, does not appear. Wealth flowed in from other
quarters, so that the great philosopher was relieved from the necessity
of trying to make money by making iron. Tyntern, however, and also
Whitebrook, have ever since been connected with that kind of manufacture.
A third "bargayne," and corresponding with the two previous ones, was
agreed to on the 3rd May, 1615, with Sir Basil Brook, from whom rent in
kind was thus retained:--"iron, 320 tons p. annum, wch att xiill xs the
tonn, cometh to 4000 per an.: the rent reserved to be payd in iron by 40
tonns p. month, wch cometh to 500ll every month; so in toto yearelye
4000ll."
A proviso was added that--"The workes already buylt, onlye grantted wth
no power to remove them, but bound to mayntayne and leave them in good
case and repayre, wth all stock of hammers, anvils, and other necessarys
received att the pattentees' intyre," as also that "libertye for myne and
synders for supplying of the workes onlye, to be taken by delivery of the
miners att the price agreed uppon."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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