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
"Articles for the Sale of 10 thousand dozn of cinders, in certain
grounds near Mr. Wyrall's house, called the Correggio, the Limekiln
Patch, the Long Sevens, and the Ockwal Field, if so many could be
found there. The Price, 10 Pence the dozen, or 12 Bushels; 6 to be
heaped and the other 6 even with the top of the Bushel, or
hand-weaved. Such of them as should be taken to Bishopswood or
Parkend to be measured by the Bushel used at Bishop's wood Furnace;
and such as should be carried to Blakeney Furnace by the Bushel used
there. To be raised and fitted for carriage by Avenant and Whealer.
To employ no persons in raising the cinders but such as Mr. Wyrall
approves of. Mr. Wyrall to carry yearly as many cinders as he should
please, not exceeding 250 Dozens, to Parkend, at 4s a dozen. Should
carry to the banks of the river Wye, at 13d a Dozen such as should be
used at Bishop's Wood Furnace. Avenant and Whealer to get 800 dozn a
year, and as many more as they shd please till the 10 Thousand Dozens
should be raised: and pay for them yearly on the 1st day of May, and
the 1st day of October; and should leave the ground as level and
plain as usually is where cinders are gotten (which was promising
nothing at all)."
According to a paper examined by Mr. Mushet, and referring probably to
the year 1720 or 1730, the iron-making district of the Forest of Dean
contained ten blast furnaces, viz., six in Gloucestershire, three in
Herefordshire, and one at Tintern, making their total number just equal
to that of the then iron-making district of Sussex. In Mr. Taylor's map
of Gloucestershire, published in 1777, iron furnaces, forges, or engines
are indicated at Bishopswood, Lydbrook, the New Wear, Upper Red Brook,
Park End, Bradley, and Flaxley. Yet only a small portion of the mineral
used at these works was obtained from the Dean Forest mines, if we may
judge from the statement made by Mr. Hopkinson, in 1788, before the
Parliamentary Commissioners, to the effect that "there is no regular iron
mine work now carried on in the said Forest, but there were about
twenty-two poor men who, at times when they had no other work to do,
employed themselves in searching for and getting iron mine or ore in the
old holes and pits in the said Forest, which have been worked out many
years." Such a practice is well remembered by the aged miners, the chief
part of the ore used in the above-named furnaces having been brought by
sea from Whitehaven. {54} Thus Mr. Mushet represents, "at Tintern the
furnace charge for forge pig iron was generally composed of a mixture of
seven-eighths of Lancashire iron ore and one-eighth part of a lean
calcareous sparry iron ore, from the Forest of Dean, called flux, the
average yield of which mixture was fifty per cent. of iron. When in full
work, Tintern Abbey charcoal furnace made weekly from twenty-eight to
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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