Iron Making in the Olden Times Part 3

"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 quant.i.ty 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 quant.i.ty, 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."

Great confidence was reposed in Sir Basil Brook, since he, with Robert Chaldecott, obtained a contemporary grant of the office of clerk or overseer of the iron works in the Forest for fifteen years. {31a} But so much did they abuse it, that ere three years had elapsed, a commission was issued, 17 July, 1618, to Sir Thos. Brudnell, Sir John Tracy, Sir William Cooke, and others, {31b} "to survey and examine the wastes made in the Forest of Dean by Sir Basil Brooke and others, farmers of iron works there." In their report, one item states that "His Majestie, since the erecting the iron works, had received a greater revenue than formerly." They were to proceed on interrogatories prepared by Sir Wm.

Throgmorton, Bart., who was himself engaged in the like manufacture, {31c} being a.s.sociated therein with Sir Sackville Crowe, Bart., John Taylor, and John Guernsey, of Bristol, merchant farmers of his Majesty's iron works. Sir Edward and Sir John Winter, of Lydney, and Henry, Lord Herbert of Ragland, had iron works as well.

In April, 1621, {31d} Messrs. Richd. Challoner and Phil. Harris, tenants to Lord Robartes, appear to have succeeded to the works formerly held by Sir Basil Brook. Within four years, however, one Christ. Bainbridge obtained judgment against them for cutting down 1200 trees for their own purposes, but they were ultimately pardoned, as likewise their predecessors, who had become liable for 33,675 pounds 16s. 8d.

The name of Sir Edwd. Villiers now appears {32} as renting iron works in the Forest; then that of Sir Richd. Catchmay, having Wm. Rowles and Robt.

Treswell for his overseers.

Amidst these successive changes, the only person who seems to have continued in uninterrupted possession of his works for making iron, was William Earl of Pembroke, Lord Steward. In 1627 he had the lease of them renewed to him for twenty-one years. By him, probably, the 610 guns were cast, as ordered by the Crown for the States General of Holland, A.D.

1629. The spot where they were made was, it would seem, ever after called "Guns Mills," and by which name it is still known. Guns Pill, on the Severn, was the place, doubtless, where they were afterwards shipped.

An inventory, unique, probably, in its singularly explicit description of the buildings and machinery used by the above-named manufacturers, and bearing the date of 1635, happily came under Mr. Wyrrall's observation, and was by him carefully transcribed. We learn from it that the stone body of the _furnace_ now used in the neighbourhood was usually about 22 feet square, the blast being kept up by a water-wheel not less than 22 feet in diameter, acting upon two pairs of bellows, measuring 18 feet by 4, and kept in blast for several months together. Such structures existed at Cannop, Park End, Sowdley, and Lydbrook. Besides which, there were _forges_, comprising chafferies and fineries, at Park End, Whitecroft, Sowdley, and Lydbrook.

A SURVEY OF THE FOREST OF DEAN IRON WORKS IN 1635.

"_Canop Furnace_.--Most pt new built, the rest repaired by the Farmers, 22ft square, wheel 22ft diamr. Furnace box built years since by the Farmers. Bridge-house 48ft by 21, 9 high, built 4 years. Bellows boards 18ft by 4. Clerk's house and stable built by the Farmers. A cottage built by the Workmen belonging to the Works, now occupied by the Filler.

Built before the Farmers hired. Founder's house, Minecracker's cabin, a Mine Kiln.

"_Park Furnace_.--Same dimensions, repaired 4 years since by the Farmers, Wheel and almost all the houses built by the Farmers.

"_Park End Forge_.--2 Hamrs, 3 Fineries, 1 Chaffery, repd 2 years since, one of the Fineries new.

"_Whitecroft Forge_,--built abt 6 yrs since by the Farmers, do do

"_Bradley Forge_.--do do do

"_Sowdley Furnace_, built 3 years--Qu. if rebuilt? Bridge house, pt built by the Farmers, pt old and decayd, Trow leading to the wheel, .5 made new 5 years since, decayd, 5 Cottages, 1 built by the Farmers. A dam a mile above Sowdley built by the Farmers. A dam half a mile still higher, built long since.

"_Sowdley Forge_, 2 Fineries, 1 Chaffery built 2 years, in the place of the old Forge. Trows and Penstocks made new by the Farmers, decayed.

"_Lydbrook Furnace_, 23ft long, 9 bottom, 23ft deep, new built 3 yrs since from the ground, 3ft higher than before, much cracked. A great b.u.t.tress behind the Furnace to strengthen it.

"_Lydbrook Forge_.--1 Chaffery, 2 Fineries, House built 4 years, being burnt by accident."

Besides the above, Mr. Wyrrall transcribed the following additional particulars from a MS. dated 23 September, 1635, and endorsed,--"The booke of Survey for the Forest of Deane Iron work, and the Warrant annexed unto yt."

"_Cannope Furnace_.--Now blowinge, and likely to contynue aboute 3 weeks.

The most part new built, and the rest repaired by the Farmers about 4 years since. Stone walls, about 60lb, consistinge of the stone body thereof 22 foote square, wherein are:--

"In the fore front 4 Sowes of Iron )

) 7 Sowes.

and the Tempiron Wall 3 Sowes )

"A Wheele, 22 Foote diamr, 7 Iron Whops, one the Waste, made about three years since. With shafte and all things belonging about 20lb, in good repaire.

"The Furnace Howse half tiled, built with timber 4 years since by the Farmers, cost about 80lb, in repaire.

"The Bridge House, 21 foot broad, 48 foot longe, and 9 foote heigh, built about 2 years since, the bridge about 4 years, covered with bords bottomed with Planks.

"5 bellow bords ready sawed, 18ft longe, 4ft broad. A Watter Trowe lft at bottome and 15 ynches high, 75 yards long, leadinge the water to the Wheele, cut out of the whole tymber, and ledged at the top, newe made within 4 years, and now in repaire, cost about 20lb.

"The Hutch leading the Watter from the Wheele, 5 foot square, 85 foote long, not mended by these Farmers, in repaire.

"In doinge of the saied Workes, besides the Hutch used by estimate about 150 Tonns, at VIIIs, and the Hutch about 40 Tonns, being trees only slitt and clapt together at 5s the Ton.

"_Outhouses_.--The Furnace Keeper's Cabbyne built of timber covered with bords built by the Farmers, cost 3lb, 4 tonns.

"A Cottage neare the said Furnaces built by the workmen of the said Works, now enjoyed by the Filler there, and not belonging to the Workes.

"A Howse wherein the Clarke dwells, built by the Farmers wth a stable, 20 n.o.bs 6 Tonns.

"Another howse adjoyninge for the founder, built before the Farmers'

time.

"Another little cabbyne for the Myne Cracker, built before the Farmers'

time.

"8 dozen of Collyers' Hurdles, 13s 4d.

"A Myne Kilne not in repaire, built before the Farmers' tyme, with 5 piggs of Iron in the walls, 20s will repaire.

"Cole places.

"_Implen__nts_--one paire of Bellowes furnished with Iron implemnts, somewhat defective in the lethers, valued at 15lb, made by the Farmers, the repaire whereof will cost 6lb 13s 4d.

"6 cambes of iron in Wheele Shaft waying about 4cwt.

"3 water Trowes for the Worke.

"1 Grindstone, 19 longe Ringers, 1 short one, one Constable, 7 Sinder Shovells, 1 moulding Ship, 2 casting ladles, 1 Cinder-hooke, 1 Plackett, 2 buck stoves, 1 Tuiron hooke, 1 Iron Tempe, 1 Sinder plate, 1 dame plate.