[54] Whitaker's _Craven_.
[55] Pennant.
[56] _Hist. Whalley_.
[57] Webster, in his _Metallographia_, mentions a field called Skilhorn,
in the township of Rivington-within-Craven, "belonging to one Mr Pudsay,
an ancient esquire, and owner of Bolton Hall, juxta Bolland; who, in the
reign of Queen Elizabeth, did get good store of silver-ore, and convert
it to his own use, or rather coined it, as many do believe, there being
many shillings marked with an escallop, which the people of that country
call Pudsay shillings to this day. But whether way soever it was, he
procured his pardon for it, and had it, as I am certified from the
mouths of those who had seen it." Webster further adds: "While old Basby
(a chemist) was with me, I procured some of the ore, which yielded after
the rate of twenty-six pounds of silver per ton. Since then, good store
of lead has been gotten; but I never could procure any more of the sort
formerly gotten; the miners being so cunning, that if they meet with any
vein that contains so much ore as will make it a myne royall, they will
not discover it."
Dr Whitaker, in his _History of Craven,_ says: "The following papers,
lately communicated to me from the evidences of the Pudsays, put the
matter out of doubt:--'Case of a myne royall. Although the gold or
silver contained in the base metalls of a mine in the land of a subject
be of less value than the baser metall, yet if gold and silver doe
countervaile the charge of refining, or bee of more value than the baser
metall spent in refining itt, this is a myne royall, and _as wel the
base metall_ as the gold and silver in it, belongs to the crown.
"'Edw. Herbert, Attorney-General. Oliver St John, Solicitor-General. Orl.
Bridgman. Joh. Glanvill. Jeoffry Palmer. Tho. Lane. Jo. Maynard. Hdw.
Hyde. J. Glynn. Harbottle Grimstone,' &c.
"So favourable at that time were the opinions of the most constitutional
lawyers (for such were the greater part of these illustrious names) to
the prerogative. But the law on this head has been very wisely altered
by two statutes of William and Mary.--Blackstone, iv. 295.
"The other paper is of later date:--'To the King's most excellent
Majestie. The humble petition of Ambrose Pudsay, Esq., sheweth, that
your petitioner having suffered much by imprisonment, plunder, &c., for
his bounden loyalty, and having many years concealed a myne royall, in
Craven, in Yorkshire, prayeth a patent for digging and refining the
same.'"
[58] _Hist, of Whalley_, p. 504.
[59] This lady, whose attractions or good fortune must have been
uncommon, says the historian of Craven, was daughter to Henry Pudsay of
Bolton. She married, first, Sir Thomas Talbot of Bashall, who died 13
Henry VII.; after which she became the second wife of Henry, Lord
Clifford, the shepherd; and, after his decease, by the procurement of
Henry VIII., gave her hand to Richard Grey, youngest son of Thomas,
Marquis of Dorset.