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supply of the articles manufactured from the metal。  The Saxons were

the principal consumers of English tin; and we obtained from them in

return nearly the whole of our tin…plates。  All attempts made to

manufacture them in England had hitherto failed; the beating out of

the iron by hammers into laminae sufficiently thin and smooth; and

the subsequent distribution and fixing of the film of tin over the

surface of the iron; proving difficulties which the English

manufacturers were unable to overcome。  To master these difficulties

the indefatigable Yarranton set himself to work。  〃Knowing;〃 says he;

〃the usefulness of tin…plates and the goodness of our metals for that

purpose; I did; about sixteen years since (i。e。  about 1665);

endeavour to find out the way for making thereof; whereupon I

acquainted a person of much riches; and one that was very

understanding in the iron manufacture; who was pleased to say that he

had often designed to get the trade into England; but never could

find out the way。  Upon which it was agreed that a sum of monies

should be advanced by several persons;*

 'footnote。。。

In the dedication of his book; entitled Englands Improvement by Sea

and Land; Part I。; Yarranton gives the names of the 〃noble patriots〃

who sent him on his journey of inquiry。  They were Sir Waiter Kirtham

Blount; Bart。; Sir Samuel Baldwin and Sir Timothy Baldwin; Knights;

Thomas Foley and Philip Foley; Esquires; and six other gentlemen。  The

father of the Foleys was himself supposed to have introduced the art

of iron…splitting into England by an expedient similar to that

adopted by Yarranton in obtaining a knowledge of the tin…plate

manufacture (Self…Help; p。145)。  The secret of the silk…throwing

machinery of Piedmont was in like manner introduced into England by

Mr。 Lombe of Derby; who shortly succeeded in founding a flourishing

branch of manufacture。  These were indeed the days of romance and

adventure in manufactures。

 。。。'

for the defraying of my charges of travelling to the place where

these plates are made; and from thence to bring away the art of

making them。  Upon which; an able fire…man; that well understood the

nature of iron; was made choice of to accompany me; and being fitted

with an ingenious interpreter that well understood the language; and

that had dealt much in that commodity; we marched first for Hamburgh;

then to Leipsic; and from thence to Dresden; the Duke of Saxony's

court; where we had notice of the place where the plates were made;

which was in a large tract of mountainous land; running from a place

called Seger…Hutton unto a town called Awe 'Au'; being in length

about twenty miles。〃*

 'footnote。。。

The district is known as the Erzgebirge or Ore Mountains; and the

Riesengebirge or Giant Mountains; MacCulloch says that upwards of 500

mines are wrought in the former district; and that one…thirtieth of

the entire population of Saxony to this day derive their subsistence

from mining industry and the manufacture of metallic products。

Geographical Dict。 ii。 643; edit。 1854。

 。。。'



It is curious to find how much the national industry of England has

been influenced by the existence from time to time of religious

persecutions abroad; which had the effect of driving skilled

Protestant artisans; more particularly from Flanders and France; into

England; where they enjoyed the special protection of successive

English Governments; and founded various important branches of

manufacture。  But it appears from the history of the tin manufactures

of Saxony; that that country also had profited in like manner by the

religious persecutions of Germany; and even of England itself。  Thus

we are told by Yarranton that it was a Cornish miner; a Protestant;

banished out of England for his religion in Queen Mary's time; who

discovered the tin mines at Awe; and that a Romish priest of Bohemia;

who had been converted to Lutheranism and fled into Saxony for

refuge; 〃was the chief instrument in the manufacture until it was

perfected。〃  These two men were held in great regard by the Duke of

Saxony as well as by the people of the country; for their ingenuity

and industry proved the source of great prosperity and wealth;

〃several fine cities;〃 says Yarranton; 〃having been raised by the

riches proceeding from the tin…works〃not less than 80;000 men

depending upon the trade for their subsistence; and when Yarranton

visited Awe; he found that a statue had been erected to the memory of

the Cornish miner who first discovered the tin。



Yarranton was very civilly received by the miners; and; contrary to

his expectation; he was allowed freely to inspect the tin…works and

examine the methods by which the iron…plates were rolled out; as well

as the process of tinning them。  He was even permitted to engage a

number of skilled workmen; whom he brought over with him to England

for the purpose of starting the manufacture in this country。  A

beginning was made; and the tin…plates manufactured by Yarranton's

men were pronounced of better quality even than those made in Saxony。

〃Many thousand plates;〃 Yarranton says; 〃were made from iron raised

in the Forest of Dean; and were tinned over with Cornish tin; and the

plates proved far better than the German ones; by reason of the

toughness and flexibleness of our forest iron。  One Mr。 Bison; a

tinman in Worcester; Mr。 Lydiate near Fleet Bridge; and Mr。 Harrison

near the King's Bench; have wrought many; and know their goodness。〃

As Yarranton's account was written and published during the lifetime

of the parties; there is no reason to doubt the accuracy of his

statement。



Arrangements were made to carry on the manufacture upon a large

scale; but the secret having got wind; a patent was taken out; or

〃trumpt up〃 as Yarranton calls it; for the manufacture; 〃the patentee

being countenanced by some persons of quality;〃 and Yarranton was

precluded from carrying his operations further。  It is not improbable

that the patentee in question was William Chamberlaine; Dud Dudley's

quondam partner in the iron manufacture。*

 'footnote。。。

Chamberlaine and Dudley's first licence was granted in 1661 for

plating steel and tinning the said plates; and Chamberlaine's sole

patent for 〃plating and tinning iron; copper; &c。;〃 was granted in

1673; probably the patent in question。

 。。。'

〃What with the patent being in our way;〃 says Yarranton; 〃and the

richest of our partners being afraid to offend great men in power;

who had their eye upon us; it caused the thing to cool; and the

making of the tin…plates was neither proceeded in by us; nor possibly

could be by him that had the patent; because neither he that hath the

patent; nor those that have countenanced him; can make one plate fit

for use。〃  Yarranton's labours were thus lost to the English public

for a time; and we continued to import all our tin…plates from

Germany until about sixty years later; when a tin…plate manufactory

was established by Capel Hanbury at Pontypool in Monmouthshire; where

it has since continued to be successfully carried on。



We can only briefly refer to the subsequent history of Andrew

Yarranton。  Shortly after his journey into Saxony; he proceeded to

Holland to examine the inland navigations of the Dutch; to inspect

their linen and other manufactures; and to inquire into the causes of

the then extraordinary prosperity of that country compared with

England。  Industry was in a very languishing state at home。  〃People

confess they are sick;〃 said Yarranton; 〃that trade is in a

consumption; and the whole nation languishes。〃  He therefore

determined to ascertain whether something useful might not be learnt

from the example of Holland。  The Dutch were then the hardest working

and the most thriving people in Europe。  They were manufacturers and

carriers for the world。  Their fleets floated on every known sea; and

their herring…busses swarmed along our coasts as far north as the

Hebrides。  The Dutch supplied our markets with fish caught within

sight of our own shores; while our coasting population stood idly

looking on。  Yarranton regarded this state of things as most

discreditable; and he urged the establishment of various branches of

home industry as the best way of out…doing the Dutch without fighting

them。



Wherever he travelled abroad; in Germany or in Holland; he saw

industry attended by wealth and comfort; and idleness by poverty and

misery。  The same pursuits; he held; would prove as beneficial to

England as they were abundantly proved to have been to Holland。  The

healthy life of work was good for allfor individuals as for the

whole nation; and if we would out…do the Dutch; he held that we must

out…do them in industry。  But all must be done honestly and by fair

means。  〃Common Honesty;〃 said Yarranton; 〃is as necessary and needful

in kingdoms and commonwealths that depend upon Trade; as discipline

is in an army; and where there is want of commo

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