industrial biography-第16节

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supplies　of　arms　had　been　drawn　by　the　King's　army；　were　forthwith

destroyed。



Dudley　fully　shared　in　the　dangers　and　vicissitudes　of　that　trying

period；　and　bore　his　part　throughout　like　a　valiant　soldier。　　For　two

years　nothing　was　heard　of　him；　until　in　1648；　when　the　king's　party

drew　together　again；　and　made　head　in　different　parts　of　the　country；

north　and　south。　　Goring　raised　his　standard　in　Essex；　but　was　driven

by　Fairfax　into　Colchester；　where　he　defended　himself　for　two　months。

While　the　siege　was　in　progress；　the　royalists　determined　to　make　an

attempt　to　raise　it。　　On　this　Dud　Dudley　again　made　his　appearance　in

the　field；　and；　joining　sundry　other　counties；　he　proceeded　to　raise

200　men；　mostly　at　his　own　charge。　　They　were；　however；　no　sooner

mustered　in　Bosco　Bello　woods　near　Madeley；　than　they　were　attacked

by　the　Parliamentarians；　and　dispersed　or　taken　prisoners。　　Dud　was

among　those　so　taken；　and　he　was　first　carried　to　Hartlebury　Castle

and　thence　to　Worcester；　where　he　was　imprisoned。　　Recounting　the

sufferings　of　himself　and　his　followers　on　this　occasion；　in　the

petition　presented　to　Charles　II。　in　1660；*

　＇footnote。。。

State　Paper　Office；　Dom。　Charles　II。；　vol。　xi。　54。

　。。。＇

he　says；　〃200　men　were　dispersed；　killed；　and　some　taken；　namely；

Major　Harcourt；　Major　Elliotts；　Capt。　　Long；　and　Cornet　Hodgetts；　of

whom　Major　Harcourt　was　miserably　burned　with　matches。　　The　petitioner

and　the　rest　were　stripped　almost　naked；　and　in　triumph　and　scorn

carried　up　to　the　city　of　Worcester　（which　place　Dud　had　fortified

for　the　king）；　and　kept　close　prisoners；　with　double　guards　set　upon

the　prison　and　the　city。〃



Notwithstanding　this　close　watch　and　durance；　Dudley　and　Major

Elliotts　contrived　to　break　out　of　gaol；　making　their　way　over　the

tops　of　the　houses；　afterwards　passing　the　guards　at　the　city　gates；

and　escaping　into　the　open　country。　　Being　hotly　pursued　；　they

travelled　during　the　night；　and　took　to　the　trees　during　the　daytime。

They　succeeded　in　reaching　London；　but　only　to　drop　again　into　the

lion's　mouth；　for　first　Major　Elliotts　was　captured；　then　Dudley；　and

both　were　taken　before　Sir　John　Warner；　the　Lord　Mayor；　who　forthwith

sent　them　before　the　〃cursed　committee　of　insurrection；〃　as　Dudley

calls　them。　　The　prisoners　were　summarily　sentenced　to　be　shot　to

death；　and　were　meanwhile　closely　imprisoned　in　the　Gatehouse　at

Westminster；　with　other　Royalists。



The　day　before　their　intended　execution；　the　prisoners　formed　a　plan

of　escape。　　It　was　Sunday　morning；　the　20th　August；　1648；　when　they

seized　their　opportunity；　〃at　ten　of　the　cloeke　in　sermon　time；〃　and；

overpowering　the　gaolers；　Dudley；　with　Sir　Henry　Bates；　Major

Elliotts；　Captain　South；　Captain　Paris；　and　six　others；　succeeded　in

getting　away；　and　making　again　for　the　open　country。　　Dudley　had

received　a　wound　in　the　leg；　and　could　only　get　along　with　great

difficulty。　　He　records　that　he　proceeded　on　crutches；　through

Worcester；　Tewkesbury；　and　Gloucester；　to　Bristol；　having　been　〃fed

three　weeks　in　private　in　an　enemy's　hay　mow。〃　　Even　the　most

lynx…eyed　Parliamentarian　must　have　failed　to　recognise　the　quondam

royalist　general　of　artillery　in　the　helpless　creature　dragging

himself　along　upon　crutches；　and　he　reached　Bristol　in　safety。



His　military　career　now　over；　he　found　himself　absolutely　penniless。

His　estate　of　about　200L。　per　annum　had　been　sequestrated　and　sold　by

the　government；*

　＇footnote。。。

The　Journals　of　the　House　of　Commons；　on　the　2nd　Nov。　1652；　have　the

following　entry：　　〃The　House　this　day　resumed　the　debate　upon　the

additional　Bill　for　sale　of　several　lands　and　estates　forfeited　to

the　Commonwealth　for　treason；　when　it　was　resolved　that　the　name　of

Dud　Dudley　of　Green　Lodge　be　inserted　into　this　Bill。〃

　。。。＇

his　house　in　Worcester　had　been　seized　and　his　sickly　wife　turned　out

of　doors；　and　his　goods；　stock；　great　shop；　and　ironworks；　which　he

himself　valued　at　2000L。；　were　destroyed。　　He　had　also　lost　the

offices　of　Serjeant…at…arms；　Lieutenant　of　Ordnance；　and　Surveyor　of

the　Mews；　which　he　had　held　under　the　king；　in　a　word；　he　found

himself　reduced　to　a　state　of　utter　destitution。



Dudley　was　for　some　time　under　the　necessity　of　living　in　great

privacy　at　Bristol；　but　when　the　king　had　been　executed；　and　the

royalists　were　finally　crushed　at　Worcester；　Dud　gradually　emerged

from　his　concealment。　　He　was　still　the　sole　possessor　of　the　grand

secret　of　smelting　iron　with　pit…coal；　and　he　resolved　upon　one　more

commercial　adventure；　in　the　hope　of　yet　turning　it　to　good　account。

He　succeeded　in　inducing　Walter　Stevens；　linendraper；　and　John　Stone；

merchant；　both　of　Bristol；　to　join　him　as　partners　in　an　ironwork；

which　they　proceeded　to　erect　near　that　city。　　The　buildings　were　well

advanced；　and　nearly　700L。　had　been　expended；　when　a　quarrel　occurred

between　Dudley　and　his　partners；　which　ended　in　the　stoppage　of　the

works；　and　the　concern　being　thrown　into　Chancery。　　Dudley　alleges

that　the　other　partners　〃cunningly　drew　him　into　a　bond；〃　and　〃did

unjustly　enter　staple　actions　in　Bristol　of　great　value　against　him；

because　he　was　of　the　king's　party；〃　but　it　would　appear　as　if　there

had　been　some　twist　or　infirmity　of　temper　in　Dudley　himself；　which

prevented　him　from　working　harmoniously　with　such　persons　as　he

became　associated　with　in　affairs　of　business。



In　the　mean　time　other　attempts　were　made　to　smelt　iron　with

pit…coal。　　Dudley　says　that　Cromwell　and　the　then　Parliament　granted　a

patent　to　Captain　Buck　for　the　purpose；　and　that　Cromwell　himself；

Major　Wildman；　and　various　others　were　partners　in　the　patent。　　They

erected　furnaces　and　works　in　the　Forest　of　Dean；*

　＇footnote。。。

Mr。　Mushet；　in　his　'Papers　on　Iron；'　says；　that　〃although　he　had

carefully　examined　every　spot　and　relic　in　Dean　Forest　likely　to

denote　the　site　of　Dud　Dudley's　enterprising　but　unfortunate

experiment　of　making　pig…iron　with　pit　coal；〃　it　had　been　without

success；　neither　could　he　find　any　traces　of　the　like　operations　of

Cromwell　and　his　partners。

　。。。＇

but；　though　Cromwell　and　his　officers　could　fight　and　win　battles；

they　could　not　smelt　and　forge　iron　with　pit…coal。　　They　brought　one

Dagney；　an　Italian　glass…maker；　from　Bristol；　to　erect　a　new　furnace

for　them；　provided　with　sundry　pots　of　glass…house　clay；　but　no

success　attended　their　efforts。　　The　partners　knowing　of　Dudley's

possession　of　the　grand　secret；　invited　him　to　visit　their　works；　but

all　they　could　draw　from　him　was　that　they　would　never　succeed　in

making　iron　to　profit　by　the　methods　they　were　pursuing。　　They　next

proceeded　to　erect　other　works　at　Bristol；　but　still　they　failed。

Major　Wildman*

　＇footnote。。。

Dudley　says；　〃Major　Wildman；　more　barbarous　to　me　than　a　wild　man；

although　a　minister；　bought　the　author's　estate；　near　200L。　per

annum；　intending　to　compell　from　the　author　his　inventions　of　making

iron　with　pitcole；　but　afterwards　passed　my　estate　unto　two　barbarous

brokers　of　London；　that　pulled　down　the　author's　two　mantion　houses；

sold　500　timber　trees　off　his　land；　and　to　this　day　are　his　houses

unrepaired。　　Wildman　himself　fell　under　the　grip　of　Cromwell。　　Being

one　of　the　chiefs　of　the　Republican　party；　he　was　seized　at　Exton；

near　Marlborough；　in　l654；　and　imprisoned　in　Chepstow　Castle。

　。。。＇

bought　Dudley's　sequestrated　estate；　in　the　hope　of　being　able　to

extort　his　secret　of　making　iron　with　pit…coal；　but　all　their

attempts　proving　abortive；　they　at　length　abandoned　the　enterprise　in

despair。　　In　1656；　one　Captain　Copley　obtained　from　Cromwell　a　further

patent　with　a　similar　object；　and　erected　works　near　Bristol；　and

also　in　the　Forest　of　Kingswood。　　The　mechanical　engineers　employed　by

Copley　failed　in　making　his　bellows　blow；　on　which　he　sent　for

Dudley；　who　forthwith　〃made　his　bellows　to　be　blown　feisibly；〃　but

Copley　failed；　like　his　predecessors；　in　making　iron；　and　at　length

he　too　desisted　from　further　experiments。



Such　continued　to　be　the　state　of　things　until　the　Restoration；　when

we　find　Dud　Dudley　a　petitioner　to　the　king　for　the　renewal　of　his

patent。　　He　was　also　a　petitioner　for　compensation　in　respect　of　the

heavy　losses　he　had　sustained　during　the　civil　wars。　　The　king　was

besieged　by　crowds　of　applicants　of　a　similar　sort；　but　Dudley　was　no

more　successful　than　the　others。　　He　failed　in　obtaining　the　renewal

of　his　patent。　　Another　applicant　for　the　like　privilege；　probably

having　greater　interest　at　court；　proved　more　successful。　　Colonel

Proger　and　three　others*

　＇footnote。。。

June　13；　1661。　　Petition　of　Col。　　Jas。　　Proger　and　three　others　to　the

king　for　a　patent　for　the　sole　exercise　of　their　invention　of　melting

down　iron　and　other　metals　with　coal　instead　of　wood；　as　the　great

consumption　of　coal　＇charcoal　？＇　therein　causes　detriment　to

shipping；　&c。　　With　reference　thereon　to　Attorney…Ge