industrial biography-第11部分

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The　iron　manufacture　of　Sussex　reached　its　height　towards　the　close

of　the　reign　of　Elizabeth；　when　the　trade　became　so　prosperous　that；

instead　of　importing　iron；　England　began　to　export　it　in　considerable

quantities；　in　the　shape　of　iron　ordnance。　　Sir　Thomas　Leighton　and

Sir　Henry　Neville　had　obtained　patents　from　the　queen；　which　enabled

them　to　send　their　ordnance　abroad；　the　conseqnence　of　which　was　that

the　Spaniards　were　found　arming　their　ships　and　fighting　us　with　guns

of　our　own　manufacture。　　Sir　Walter　Raleigh；　calling　attention　to　the

subject　in　the　House　of　Commons；　said；　〃I　am　sure　heretofore　one　ship

of　Her　Majesty's　was　able　to　beat　ten　Spaniards；　but　now；　by　reason

of　our　own　ordnance；　we　are　hardly　matcht　one　to　one。〃　　Proclamations

were　issued　forbidding　the　export　of　iron　and　brass　ordnance；　and　a

bill　was　brought　into　Parliament　to　put　a　stop　to　the　trade；　but；　not

withstanding　these　prohibitions；　the　Sussex　guns　long　continued　to　be

smuggled　out　of　the　country　in　considerable　numbers。　　〃It　is　almost

incredible；〃　says　Camden；　〃how　many　guns　are　made　of　the　iron　in　this

county。　　Count　Gondomar　（the　Spanish　ambassador）　well　knew　their

goodness　when　he　so　often　begged　of　King　James　the　boon　to　export

them。〃　　Though　the　king　refused　his　sanction；　it　appears　that　Sir

Anthony　Shirley　of　Weston；　an　extensive　iron…master；　succeeded　in

forwarding　to　the　King　of　Spain　a　hundred　pieces　of　cannon。



So　active　were　the　Sussex　manufacturers；　and　so　brisk　was　the　trade

they　carried　on；　that　during　the　reign　of　James　I。　　it　is　supposed

one…half　of　the　whole　quantity　of　iron　produced　in　England　was　made

there。　　Simon　Sturtevant；　in　his　'Treatise　of　Metallica；'　published　in

1612；　estimates　the　whole　number　of　iron…mills　in　England　and　Wales

at　800；　of　which；　he　says；　〃there　are　foure　hundred　milnes　in　Surry；

Kent；　and　Sussex；　as　the　townsmen　of　Haslemere　have　testified　and

numbered　unto　me。　　But　the　townsmen　of　Haslemere　must　certainly　have

been　exaggerating；　unless　they　counted　smiths'　and　farriers'　shops　in

the　number　of　iron…mills。　　About　the　same　time　that　Sturtevant's

treatise　was　published；　there　appeared　a　treatise　entitled　the

'Surveyor's　Dialogue；'　by　one　John　Norden；　the　object　of　which　was　to

make　out　a　case　against　the　iron…works　and　their　being　allowed　to

burn　up　the　timber　of　the　country　for　fuel。　　Yet　Norden　does　not　make

the　number　of　iron…works　much　more　than　a　third　of　Sturtevant's

estimate。　　He　says；　〃I　have　heard　that　there　are　or　lately　were　in

Sussex　neere　140　hammers　and　furnaces　for　iron；　and　in　it　and　Surrey

adjoining　three　or　four　glasse…houses。〃　　Even　the　smaller　number

stated　by　Norden；　however；　shows　that　Sussex　was　then　regarded　as　the

principal　seat　of　the　iron…trade。　　Camden　vividly　describes　the　noise

and　bustle　of　the　manufacturethe　working　of　the　heavy　hammers；

which；　〃beating　upon　the　iron；　fill　the　neighbourhood　round　about；

day　and　night；　with　continual　noise。〃　　These　hammers　were　for　the　most

part　worked　by　the　power　of　water；　carefully　stored　in　the　artificial

〃Hammer…ponds〃　above　described。　　The　hammer…shaft　was　usually　of　ash；

about　9　feet　long；　clamped　at　intervals　with　iron　hoops。　　It　was

worked　by　the　revolutions　of　the　water…wheel；　furnished　with

projecting　arms　or　knobs　to　raise　the　hammer；　which　fell　as　each　knob

passed；　the　rapidity　of　its　action　of　course　depending　on　the

velocity　with　which　the　water…wheel　revolved。　　The　forge…blast　was

also　worked　for　the　most　part　by　water…power。　　Where　the　furnaces　were

small；　the　blast　was　produced　by　leather　bellows　worked　by　hand；　or

by　a　horse　walking　in　a　gin。　　The　foot…blasts　of　the　earlier

iron…smelters　were　so　imperfect　that　but　a　small　proportion　of　the

ore　was　reduced；　so　that　the　iron…makers　of　later　times；　more

particularly　in　the　Forest　of　Dean；　instead　of　digging　for　ironstone；

resorted　to　the　beds　of　ancient　scoriae　for　their　principal　supply　of

the　mineral。



Notwithstanding　the　large　number　of　furnaces　in　blast　throughout　the

county　of　Sussex　at　the　period　we　refer　to；　their　produce　was

comparatively　small；　and　must　not　be　measured　by　the　enormous　produce

of　modern　iron…works；　for　while　an　iron…furnace　of　the　present　day

will　easily　turn　out　150　tons　of　pig　per　week；　the　best　of　the　older

furnaces　did　not　produce　more　than　from　three　to　four　tons。　　One　of

the　last　extensive　contracts　executed　in　Sussex　was　the　casting　of

the　iron　rails　which　enclose　St。　　Paul's　Cathedral。　　The　contract　was

thought　too　large　for　one　iron…master　to　undertake；　and　it　was

consequently　distributed　amongst　several　contractors；　though　the

principal　part　of　the　work　was　executed　at　Lamberhurst；　near

Tunbridge　Wells。　　But　to　produce　the　comparatively　small　quantity　of

iron　turned　out　by　the　old　works；　the　consumption　of　timber　was

enormous；　for　the　making　of　every　ton　of　pig…iron　required　four　loads

of　timber　converted　into　charcoal　fuel；　and　the　making　of　every　ton

of　bar…iron　required　three　additional　loads。　　Thus；　notwithstanding

the　indispensable　need　of　iron；　the　extension　of　the　manufacture；　by

threatening　the　destruction　of　the　timber　of　the　southern　counties；

came　to　be　regarded　in　the　light　of　a　national　calamity。　　Up　to　a

certain　point；　the　clearing　of　the　Weald　of　its　dense　growth　of

underwood　had　been　of　advantage；　by　affording　better　opportunities

for　the　operations　of　agriculture。　　But　the　〃voragious　iron…mills〃

were　proceeding　to　swallow　up　everything　that　would　burn；　and　the　old

forest　growths　were　rapidly　disappearing。　　An　entire　wood　was　soon

exhausted；　and　long　time　was　needed　before　it　grew　again。　　At

Lamberhurst　alone；　though　the　produce　was　only　about　five　tons　of

iron　a…week；　the　annual　consumption　of　wood　was　about　200；000　cords！

Wood　continued　to　be　the　only　material　used　for　fuel　generallya

strong　prejudice　existing　against　the　use　of　sea…coal　for　domestic

purposes。*

　＇footnote。。。

It　was　then　believed　that　sea　or　pit…coal　was　poisonous　when　burnt　in

dwellings；　and　that　it　was　especially　injurious　to　the　human

complexion。　　All　sorts　of　diseases　were　attributed　to　its　use；　and　at

one　time　it　was　even　penal　to　burn　it。　　The　Londoners　only　began　to

reconcile　themselves　to　the　use　of　coal　when　the　wood　within　reach　of

the　metropolis　had　been　nearly　all　burnt　up；　and　no　other　fuel　was　to

be　had。

　。。。＇

It　therefore　began　to　be　feared　that　there　would　be　no　available　fuel

left　within　practicable　reach　of　the　metropolis；　and　the　contingency

of　having　to　face　the　rigorous　cold　of　an　English　winter　without　fuel

naturally　occasioning　much　alarm；　the　action　of　the　Government　was

deemed　necessary　to　remedy　the　apprehended　evil。



To　check　the　destruction　of　wood　near　London；　an　Act　was　passed　in

1581　prohibiting　its　conversion　into　fuel　for　the　making　of　iron

within　fourteen　miles　of　the　Thames；　forbidding　the　erection　of　new

ironworks　within　twenty…two　miles　of　London；　and　restricting　the

number　of　works　in　Kent；　Surrey；　and　Sussex；　beyond　the　above　limits。

Similar　enactments　were　made　in　future　Parliaments　with　the　same

object；　which　had　the　effect　of　checking　the　trade；　and　several　of

the　Sussex　ironmasters　were　under　the　necessity　of　removing　their

works　elsewhere。　　Some　of　them　migrated　to　Glamorganshire；　in　South

Wales；　because　of　the　abundance　of　timber　as　well　as　ironstone　in

that　quarter；　and　there　set　up　their　forges；　more　particularly　at

Aberdare　and　Merthyr　Tydvil。　　Mr。　Llewellin　has　recently　published　an

interesting　account　of　their　proceedings；　with　descriptions　of　their

works；*

　＇footnote　。。。

Archaeologia　Cambrensis；　3rd　Series；　No。　34；　April；　1863。　　Art。

〃Sussex　Ironmasters　in　Glamorganshire。〃

　。。。＇

remains　of　which　still　exist　at　Llwydcoed；　Pontyryns；　and　other

places　in　the　Aberdare　valley。　　Among　the　Sussex　masters　who　settled

in　Glamorganshire　for　the　purpose　of　carrying　on　the　iron

manufacture；　were　Walter　Burrell；　the　friend　of　John　Ray；　the

naturalist；　one　of　the　Morleys　of　Glynde　in　Sussex；　the　Relfes　from

Mayfield；　and　the　Cheneys　from　Crawley。



Notwithstanding　these　migrations　of　enterprising　manufacturers；　the

iron　trade　of　Sussex　continued　to　exist　until　the　middle　of　the

seventeenth　century；　when　the　waste　of　timber　was　again　urged　upon

the　attention　of　Parliament；　and　the　penalties　for　infringing　the

statutes　seem　to　have　been　more　rigorously　enforced。　　The　trade　then

suffered　a　more　serious　check；　and　during　the　civil　wars；　a　heavy

blow　was　given　to　it　by　the　destruction　of　the　works　belonging　to　all

royalists；　which　was　accomplished　by　a　division　of　the　army　under　Sir

William　Waller。　　Most　of　the　Welsh　ironworks　were　razed　to　the　ground

about　the　same　time；　and　were　not　again　rebuilt。　　And　after　the

Restoration；　in　1674；　all　the　royal　ironworks　in　the　Forest　of　Dean

were　demolished；　leaving　only　such　to　be　supplied　with　ore　as　were

beyond　the　forest　limits；　the　reason　alleged　for　this　measure　being

lest　the　iron　manufacture　should　endanger　the　supply　of　timber

required　for　shipbuilding　and　other　necessary　purposes。



From　this　time　the　iron　manufacture　of　Sussex；　as　of　England

generally；　rapidly　declined。　　In　1740　there　were　only　fifty…nine

furnaces　in　all　England；　of　which　ten　were　in　Sussex；　and　in　1788

there　were　only　two。　　A　few　years　later；　and　the　Sussex　iron　furnaces

were　blown　out　altogether。　　Farnhurst；　in　western；　and　Ashburnham；　in

eastern　Sussex；　witnessed　the　total　extinction　of　the　manufacture。

The　din　of　the　iron　hammer　was　hushed；　the　glare　of　the　furnace

faded；　the　last　blast　of　the　bellows　was　blown；　and　the　district

returned　to　its　original　rural　solitude。　　Some　of　the　furnace…ponds

were　drained　and　planted　with　hops　or　willows；　others　formed

beautiful　lakes　in　retired　pleasure…grounds；　while　the　remainder　were

used　to　drive　flour…mills；　as　the　streams　in　North　Kent；　instead　of

driving　fulling…mills；　were　employed　to　work　paper…m