industrial biography-第10节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


workmanship　that　they　were　consecrated　to　St。　　Peter；　and　were　the

means　of　obtaining　high　ecclesiastical　distinction　for　the　abbey。



We　also　find　that　the　abbots　of　monasteries　situated　in　the　iron

districts；　among　their　other　labours；　devoted　themselves　to　the

manufacture　of　iron　from　the　ore。　　The　extensive　beds　of　cinders　still

found　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood　of　Rievaulx　and　Hackness；　in

Yorkshire；　show　that　the　monks　were　well　acquainted　with　the　art　of

forging；　and　early　turned　to　account　the　riches　of　the　Cleveland

ironstone。　　In　the　Forest　of　Dean　also；　the　abbot　of　Flaxley　was

possessed　of　one　stationary　and　one　itinerant　forge；　by　grant　from

Henry　II；　and　he　was　allowed　two　oaks　weekly　for　fuel；a　privilege

afterwards　commuted；　in　1258；　for　Abbot's　Wood　of　872　acres；　which

was　held　by　the　abbey　until　its　dissolution　in　the　reign　of　Henry

VIII。　　At　the　same　time　the　Earl　of　Warwick　had　forges　at　work　in　his

woods　at　Lydney；　and　in　1282；　as　many　as　72　forges　were　leased　from

the　Crown　by　various　iron…smelters　in　the　same　Forest　of　Dean。



There　are　numerous　indications　of　iron…smelting　having　been　conducted

on　a　considerable　scale　at　some　remote　period　in　the　neighbourhood　of

Leeds；　in　Yorkshire。　　In　digging　out　the　foundations　of　houses　in

Briggate；　the　principal　street　of　that　town；　many　〃bell　pits〃　have

been　brought　to　light；　from　which　ironstone　has　been　removed。　　The　new

cemetery　at　Burmandtofts；　in　the　same　town；　was　in　like　manner　found

pitted　over　with　these　ancient　holes。　　The　miner　seems　to　have　dug　a

well　about　6　feet　in　diameter；　and　so　soon　as　he　reached　the　mineral；

he　worked　it　away　all　round；　leaving　the　bell…shaped　cavities　in

question。　　He　did　not　attempt　any　gallery　excavations；　but　when　the

pit　was　exhausted；　a　fresh　one　was　sunk。　　The　ore；　when　dug；　was

transported；　most　probably　on　horses'　backs；　to　the　adjacent

districts　for　the　convenience　of　fuel。　　For　it　was　easier　to　carry　the

mineral　to　the　woodthen　exclusively　used　for　smelting'than　to

bring　the　wood　to　the　mineral。　　Hence　the　numerous　heaps　of　scoriae

found　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Leeds；at　Middleton；　Whitkirk；　and

Horsforthall　within　the　borough。　　At　Horsforth；　they　are　found　in

conglomerated　masses　from　30　to　40　yards　long；　and　of　considerable

width　and　depth。　　The　remains　of　these　cinder…beds　in　various

positions；　some　of　them　near　the　summit　of　the　hill；　tend　to　show；

that　as　the　trees　were　consumed；　a　new　wind　furnace　was　erected　in

another　situation；　in　order　to　lessen　the　labour　of　carrying　the

fuel。　　There　are　also　deposits　of　a　similar　kind　at　Kirkby　Overblow；　a

village　a　few　miles　to　the　north…east　of　Leeds；　and　Thoresby　states

that　the　place　was　so　called　because　it　was　the　village　of　the　〃Ore

blowers；〃hence　the　corruption　of　〃Overblow。〃　　A　discovery　has

recently　been　made　among　the　papers　of　the　Wentworth　family；　of　a

contract　for　supplying　wood　and　ore　for　iron　〃blomes〃　at　Kirskill

near　Otley；　in　the　fourteenth　century；*

　＇footnote。。。

The　following　is　an　extract　of　this　curious　document；　which　is　dated

the　26th　Dec。　1352：　　　〃Ceste　endenture　fait　entre　monsire　Richard　de

Goldesburghe；　chivaler；dune　part；　et　Robert　Totte；　seignour；　dautre

tesmoigne　qe　le　dit　monsire　Richard　ad　graunte　et　lesse　al　dit　Robert

deuz　Olyveres　contenaunz　vynt　quatre　blomes　de　la　feste　seynt　Piere

ad　vincula　lan　du　regne　le　Roi　Edward　tierce　apres　le　conqueste　vynt

sysme；　en　sun　parke　de　Creskelde；　rendant　al　dit　monsire　Richard

chesqune　semayn　quatorzse　soutz　dargent　duraunt　les　deux　Olyvers

avaunt　dist；　a　tenir　et　avoir　al　avaunt　dit　Robert　del　avaunt　dit

monsire　Richard　de　la　feste　seynt　Piere　avaunt　dist；　taunque　le　bois

soit　ars　du　dit　parke　a　la　volunte　le　dit　monsire　Richard　saunz

interrupcione　＇e　le　dicte　monsieur　Richard　trovera　a　dit　Robert　urre

suffisaunt　pur　lez　ditz　Olyvers　pur　le　son　donaunt：　　these　words　are

interlined＇。　　Et　fait　a　savoir　qe　le　dit　Robert　ne　nule　de　soens

coupard　ne　abatera　nule　manere　darbre　ne　de　boys　put　les　deuz　olyvers

avaunt　ditz　mes　par　la　veu　et　la　lyvere　le　dit　monsire　Richard　；　ou

par　ascun　autre　par　le　dit　monsire　Richard　assigne。　　En　tesmoigaunz

（sic）　de　quenx　choses　a　cestes　presentes　endentures　les　parties

enterchaungablement　ount　mys　lour　seals。　　Escript　a　Creskelde　le

meskerdy　en　le　semayn　de　Pasque　lan　avaunt　diste。〃



It　is　probable　that　the　〃blomes〃　referred　to　in　this　agreement　were

the　bloomeries　or　fires　in　which　the　iron　was　made；　and　that　the

〃olyveres〃　were　forges　or　erections；　each　of　which　contained　so　many

bloomeries；　but　were　of　limited　durability；　and　probably　perished　in

the　using。

　。。。＇

though　the　manufacture　near　that　place　has　long　since　ceased。



Although　the　making　of　iron　was　thus　carried　on　in　various　parts　of

England　in　the　Middle　Ages；　the　quantity　produced　was　altogether

insufficient　to　meet　the　ordinary　demand；　as　it　appears　from　our

early　records　to　have　long　continued　one　of　the　principal　articles

imported　from　foreign　countries。　　English　iron　was　not　only　dearer；

but　it　was　much　inferior　in　quality　to　that　manufactured　abroad；　and

hence　all　the　best　arms　and　tools　continued　to　be　made　of　foreign

iron。　　Indeed　the　scarcity　of　this　metal　occasionally　led　to　great

inconvenience；　and　to　prevent　its　rising　in　price　Parliament　enacted；

in　1354；　that　no　iron；　either　wrought　or　unwrought；　should　be

exported；　under　heavy　penalties。　　For　nearly　two　hundred　yearsthat

is；　throughout　the　fourteenth　and　fifteenth　centuriesthe　English

market　was　principally　supplied　with　iron　and　steel　from　Spain　and

Germany；　the　foreign　merchants　of　the　Steelyard　doing　a　large　and

profitable　trade　in　those　commodities。　　While　the　woollen　and　other

branches　of　trade　were　making　considerable　progress；　the　manufacture

of　iron　stood　still。　　Among　the　lists　of　articles；　the　importation　of

which　was　prohibited　in　Edward　IV。's　reign；　with　a　view　to　the

protection　of　domestic　manufactures；　we　find　no　mention　of　iron；

which　was　still；　as　a　matter　of　necessity；　allowed　to　come　freely

from　abroad。



The　first　indications　of　revival　in　the　iron　manufacture　showed

themselves　in　Sussex；　a　district　in　which　the　Romans　had　established

extensive　works；　and　where　smelting　operations　were　carried　on　to　a

partial　extent　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Lewes；　in　the　thirteenth　and

fourteenth　centuries；　where　the　iron　was　principally　made　into　nails

and　horse…shoes。　　The　county　abounds　in　ironstone；　which　is　contained

in　the　sandstone　beds　of　the　Forest　ridge；　lying　between　the　chalk

and　oolite　of　the　district；　called　by　geologists　the　Hastings　sand。

The　beds　run　in　a　north…westerly　direction；　by　Ashburnham　and

Heathfield；　to　Crowborough　and　thereabouts。　　In　early　times　the　region

was　covered　with　wood；　and　was　known　as　the　Great　Forest　of　Anderida。

The　Weald；　or　wild　wood；　abounded　in　oaks　of　great　size；　suitable　for

smelting　ore；　and　the　proximity　of　the　mineral　to　the　timber；　as　well

as　the　situation　of　the　district　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　capital；

sufficiently　account　for　the　Sussex　iron…works　being　among　the　most

important　which　existed　in　England　previous　to　the　discovery　of

smelting　by　pit…coal。



The　iron　manufacturers　of　the　south　were　especially　busy　during　the

fifteenth　and　sixteenth　centuries。　　Their　works　were　established　near

to　the　beds　of　ore；　and　in　places　where　water…power　existed；　or　could

be　provided　by　artificial　means。　　Hence　the　numerous　artificial　ponds

which　are　still　to　be　found　all　over　the　Sussex　iron　district。　　Dams

of　earth；　called　〃pond…bays；〃　were　thrown　across　watercourses；　with

convenient　outlets　built　of　masonry；　wherein　was　set　the　great　wheel

which　worked　the　hammer　or　blew　the　furnace。　　Portions　of　the

adjoining　forest…land　were　granted　or　leased　to　the　iron…smelters；

and　the　many　places　still　known　by　the　name　of　〃Chart〃　in　the　Weald；

probably　mark　the　lands　chartered　for　the　purpose　of　supplying　the

iron…works　with　　their　necessary　fuel。　　The　cast…iron　tombstones　and

slabs　in　many　Sussex　churchyards；the　andirons　and　chimney　backs*

　＇footnote。。。

The　back　of　a　grate　has　recently　been　found；　cast　by　Richard　Leonard

at　Brede　Furnace　in　1636。　　It　is　curious　as　containing　a

representation　of　the　founder　with　his　dog　and　cups；　a　drawing　of　the

furnace；　with　the　wheelbarrow　and　other　implements　for　the　casting；

and　on　a　shield　the　pincers　and　other　marks　of　the　blacksmith。

Leonard　was　tenant　of　the　Sackville　furnace　at　Little

Udimore。Sussex　Archaeological　Collections；　vol。xii。

　。。。＇

still　found　in　old　Sussex　mansions　and　farm…houses；　and　such　names　as

Furnace　Place；　Cinder　Hill；　Forge　Farm；　and　Hammer　Pond；　which　are　of

very　frequent　occurrence　throughout　the　county；　clearly　mark　the

extent　and　activity　of　this　ancient　branch　of　industry。*

　＇footnote　。。。

For　an　interesting　account　of　the　early　iron　industry　of　Sussex　see

M。　A。　LOWER'S　Contributions　to　Literature；　Historical；　Antiquarian；