industrial biography-第16部分

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hundred　years　since；　they　are　indifferently　designated　as　Yarran；

Yarranton；　and　Yarrington。　　The　name　was　most　probably　derived　from

two　farms　named　Great　and　Little　Yarranton；　or　Yarran　（originally

Yarhampton）；　situated　in　the　parish　of　Astley。　　The　Yarrantons

frequently　filled　local　offices　in　that　parish；　and　we　find　several

of　them　officiating　at　different　periods　as　bailiffs　of　Bewdley。

　。。。＇

In　his　sixteenth　year　he　was　put　apprentice　to　a　Worcester

linendraper；　and　remained　at　that　trade　for　some　years；　but　not

liking　it；　he　left　it；　and　was　leading　a　country　life　when　the　civil

wars　broke　out。　　Unlike　Dudley；　he　took　the　side　of　the　Parliament；

and　joined　their　army；　in　which　he　served　for　some　time　as　a　soldier。

His　zeal　and　abilities　commended　him　to　his　officers；　and　he　was

raised　from　one　position　to　another；　until　in　the　course　of　a　few

years　we　find　him　holding　the　rank　of　captain。　　〃While　a　soldier；〃

says　he；　〃I　had　sometimes　the　honour　and　misfortune　to　lodge　and

dislodge　an　army；〃　but　this　is　all　the　information　he　gives　us　of　his

military　career。　　In　the　year　1648　he　was　instrumental　in　discovering

and　frustrating　a　design　on　the　part　of　the　Royalists　to　seize　Doyley

House　in　the　county　of　Hereford；　and　other　strongholds；　for　which　he

received　the　thanks　of　Parliament　〃for　his　ingenuity；　discretion；　and

valour；〃　and　a　substantial　reward　of　500L。*

　＇footnote。。。

Journals　of　the　House　of　Commons；　lst　July；　1648。

　。。。＇

He　was　also　recommended　to　the　Committee　of　Worcester　for　further

employment。　　But　from　that　time　we　hear　no　more　of　him　in　connection

with　the　civil　wars。　　When　Cromwell　assumed　the　supreme　control　of

affairs；　Yarranton　retired　from　the　army　with　most　of　the

Presbyterians；　and　devoted　himself　to　industrial　pursuits。



We　then　find　him　engaged　in　carrying　on　the　manufacture　of　iron　at

Ashley；　near　Bewdley；　in　Worcestershire。　　〃In　the　year　1652〃；　says　he；

〃I　entered　upon　iron…works；　and　plied　them　for　several　years。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

YARRANTON'S　England's　Improvement　by　Sea　and　Land。　　Part　I。　　London；

1677。

　。。。＇

He　made　it　a　subject　of　his　diligent　study　how　to　provide　employment

for　the　poor；　then　much　distressed　by　the　late　wars。　　With　the　help　of

his　wife；　he　established　a　manufacture　of　linen；　which　was　attended

with　good　results。　　Observing　how　the　difficulties　of　communication；

by　reason　of　the　badness　of　the　roads；　hindered　the　development　of

the　rich　natural　resources　of　the　western　counties；*

　＇footnote。。。

There　seems　a　foundation　of　truth　in　the　old　English　distich　



　The　North　for　Greatness；　the　East　for　Health；

　The　South　for　Neatness；　the　West　for　Wealth。

　。。。＇

he　applied　himself　to　the　improvement　of　the　navigation　of　the　larger

rivers；　making　surveys　of　them　at　his　own　cost；　and　endeavouring　to

stimulate　local　enterprise　so　as　to　enable　him　to　carry　his　plans

into　effect。



While　thus　occupied；　the　restoration　of　Charles　II。　took　place；　and

whether　through　envy　or　enmity　Yarranton's　activity　excited　the

suspicion　of　the　authorities。　　His　journeys　from　place　to　place　seemed

to　them　to　point　to　some　Presbyterian　plot　on　foot。　　On　the　13th　of

November；　1660；　Lord　Windsor；　Lord…Lieutenant　of　the　county；　wrote　to

the　Secretary　of　State〃There　is　a　quaker　in　prison　for　speaking

treason　against　his　Majesty；　and　a　countryman　also；　and　Captain

Yarrington　for　refusing　to　obey　my　authority。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

State　Paper　Office。　　Dom。　Charles　II。　1660…1。　　Yarranton　afterwards

succeeded　in　making　a　friend　of　Lord　Windsor；　as　would　appear　from

his　dedication　of　England's　Improvement　to　his　Lordship；　whom　he

thanks　for　the　encouragement　he　had　given　to　him　in　his　survey　of

several　rivers　with　a　view　to　their　being　rendered　navigable。

　。。。＇

It　would　appear　from　subsequent　letters　that　Yarranton　must　have　lain

in　prison　for　nearly　two　years；　charged　with　conspiring　against　the

king's　authority；　the　only　evidence　against　him　consisting　of　some

anonymous　letter's。　　At　the　end　of　May；　1662；　he　succeeded　in　making

his　escape　from　the　custody　of　the　Provost　Marshal。　　The　High　Sheriff

scoured　the　country　after　him　at　the　head　of　a　party　of　horse；　and

then　he　communicated　to　the　Secretary　of　State；　Sir　Edward　Nicholas；

that　the　suspected　conspirator　could　not　be　found；　and　was　supposed

to　have　made　his　way　to　London。　　Before　the　end　of　a　month　Yarranton

was　again　in　custody；　as　appears　from　the　communication　of　certain

justices　of　Surrey　to　Sir　Edward　Nicholas。*

　＇footnote。。。

The　following　is　a　copy　of　the　document　from　the　State　Papers：　　

〃John　Bramfield；　Geo。　Moore；　and　Thos。　Lee；　Esqrs。　and　Justices　of

Surrey；　to　Sir　Edw。　Nicholas。There　being　this　day　brought　before　us

one　Andrew　Yarranton；　and　he　accused　to　have　broken　prison；　or　at

least　made　his　escape　out　of　the　Marshalsea　at　Worcester；　being　there

committed　by　the　Deputy…Lieuts。　　upon　suspicion　of　a　plot　in　November

last；　we　having　thereupon　examined　him；　he　allegeth　that　his　Majesty

hath　been　sought　unto　on　his　behalf；　and　hath　given　order　to　yourself

for　his　discharge；　and　a　supersedeas　against　all　persons　and

warrants；　and　thereupon　hath　desired　to　appeal　unto　you。　　The　which　we

conceiving　to　be　convenient　and　reasonable　（there　being　no　positive

charge　against　　him　before　us）；　have　accordingly　herewith　conveyed

him　unto　you　by　a　safe　hand；　to　be　further　examined　or　disposed　of　as

you　shall　find　meet。S。　P。　O。　Dom。　Chas。　II。　23rd　June；　1662。

　。。。＇

As　no　further　notice　of　Yarranton　occurs　in　the　State　Papers；　and　as

we　shortly　after　find　him　publicly　occupied　in　carrying　out　his　plans

for　improving　the　navigation　of　the　western　rivers；　it　is　probable

that　his　innoceney　of　any　plot　was　established　after　a　legal

investigation。　　A　few　years　later　he　published　in　London　a　4to。　tract

entitled　'A　Full　Discovery　of　the　First　Presbyterian　Sham　Plot；'

which　most　probably　contained　a　vindication　of　his　conduct。*

　＇footnote。。。

We　have　been　unable　to　refer　to　this　tract；　there　being　no　copy　of　it

in　the　British　Museum。

　。。。＇



Yarranton　was　no　sooner　at　liberty　than　we　find　him　again　occupied

with　his　plans　of　improved　inland　navigation。　　His　first　scheme　was　to

deepen　the　small　river　Salwarp；　so　as　to　connect　Droitwich　with　the

Severn　by　a　water　communication；　and　thus　facilitate　the　transport　of

the　salt　so　abundantly　yielded　by　the　brine　springs　near　that　town。

In　1665；　the　burgesses　of　Droitwich　agreed　to　give　him　750L。　and

eight　salt　vats　in　Upwich；　valued　at　80L。　per　annum；　with

three…quarters　of　a　vat　in　Northwich；　for　twenty…one　years；　in

payment　for　the　work。　　But　the　times　were　still　unsettled；　and

Yarranton　and　his　partner　Wall　not　being　rich；　the　scheme　was　not

then　carried　into　effect。*

　＇footnote。。。

NASH'S　Worcestershire；　i。　306。

　。。。＇

In　the　following　year　we　find　him　occupied　with　a　similar　scheme　to

open　up　the　navigation　of　the　river　Stour；　passing　by　Stourport　and

Kidderminster；　and　connect　it　by　an　artificial　cut　with　the　river

Trent。　　Some　progress　was　made　with　this　undertaking；　so　far　in

advance　of　the　age；　but；　like　the　other；　it　came　to　a　stand　still　for

want　of　money；　and　more　than　a　hundred　years　passed　before　it　was

carried　out　by　a　kindred　geniusJames　Brindley；　the　great　canal

maker。　　Mr。　Chambers　says　that　when　Yarranton's　scheme　was　first

brought　forward；　it　met　with　violent　opposition　and　ridicule。　　The

undertaking　was　thought　wonderfully　bold；　and；　joined　to　its　great

extent；　the　sandy；　spongy　nature　of　the　ground；　the　high　banks

necessary　to　prevent　the　inundation　of　the　Stour　on　the　canal；

furnished　its　opponents；　if　not　with　sound　argument；　at　least　with

very　specious　topics　for　opposition　and　laughter。*

　＇footnote。。。

JOHN　CHAMBERS；　Biographical　Illustrations　of　Worcestershire。　　London；

1820。

　。。。＇

Yarranton's　plan　was　to　make　the　river　itself　navigable；　and　by

uniting　it　with　other　rivers；　open　up　a　communication　with　the　Trent；

while　Brindley's　was　to　cut　a　canal　parallel　with　the　river；　and

supply　it　with　water　from　thence。　　Yarranton　himself　thus　accounts　for

the　failure　of　his　scheme　in　'England's　Improvement　by　Sea　and

Land'：　　　〃It　was　my　projection；〃　he　says；　〃and　I　will　tell　you　the

reason　why　it　was　not　finished。　　The　river　Stour　and　some　other　rivers

were　granted　by　an　Act　of　Parliament　to　certain　persons　of　honor；　and

some　progress　was　made　in　the　work；　but　within　a　small　while　after

the　Act　passed*

　＇footnote。。。

The　Act　for　making　the　Stour　and　Salwarp　navigable　originated　in　the

Lords　and　was　passed　in　the　year　1661。

　。。。＇

it　was　let　fall　again；　but　it　being　a　brat　of　my　own；　I　was　not

willing　it　should　be　abortive；　wherefore　I　made　offers　to　perfect　it；

having　a　third　part　of　the　inheritance　to　me　and　my　heirs　for　ever；

and　we　came　to　an　agreement；　upon　which　I　fell　on；　and　made　it

completely　navigable　from　Stourbridge　to　Kidderminster；　and　carried

down　many　hundred　tons　of　coal；　and　laid　out　near　1000L。；　and　there

it　was　obstructed　for　want　of　money。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

Nash；　in　his　Hist。　　of　Worc。；　intimates　that　Lord　Windsor　subsequently

renewed　the　attempt　to　make　the　Salwarp　navigable。　　He　constructed

five　out　of　the　six　locks；　and　then　abandoned　the　scheme。　　Gough；　in

his　edition　of　Camden's　Brit。　ii。　357；　Lond。　1789；　says；　〃It　is　not

long　since　some　of　the　boats　made　use　of　in　Yarranton's　navigation

were　found。　　Neither　tradition　nor　our　projector's　account　of　the

matter　perfectly　satisfy　us　why　this　navigation　was　neglected。。。。。　　We

must　therefore　conclude　that　the　numerous　works　and　glass…houses　upon

the　Stour；　and　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Stourbridge；　did　not　then

exist；　A。D。　　1666。　　。。。。The　navigable　communication　which　now　connects

Trent　and　Severn；　and　which　runs　in　the　course　of　Yarranton's

project；　is　already　of　general　use。。。。　　The　canal　since　executed　under

the　inspection　of　Mr。　Brindley；　running　parallel