"It may please your good Lordship,
"Understanding that his Majesty will be pleased to sell some good
portion of wood in the Forest of Deane, which lies very convenient to
the Company's Wire Works at Tynterne and Whitebrooke, we are enforced
to have recourse to your lordship, as to our Governor of the said
Company, humbly praying your lordship to afford us some reasonable
quantity thereof, the better to uphold the said works, whereof by
information from our farmers there, we stand in such need, as without
your lordship's favour we shall hardly be able to subsist any long
time. We do not entreat your lordship for any other or more easy
price than that your lordship directs the sale of it to others; only
we humbly pray for some preferment in the opportunity of the place
where the woods lie, and in the quantity, as it may answer in some
portion to our wants. Herein, if your lordship will be pleased to
favour us, then we humbly pray your lordship to direct us to some
such persons as your Lordship resolves to employ in the business.
And as we humbly take our leaves of your lordship,
"Your lordship's humbly at command.
"London."
What success attended this application, or the enterprise which it was
intended to promote, does not appear. Wealth flowed in from other
quarters, so that the great philosopher was relieved from the necessity
of trying to make money by making iron. Tyntern, however, and also
Whitebrook, have ever since been connected with that kind of manufacture.
A third "bargayne," and corresponding with the two previous ones, was
agreed to on the 3rd May, 1615, with Sir Basil Brook, from whom rent in
kind was thus retained:--"iron, 320 tons p. annum, wch att xiill xs the
tonn, cometh to 4000 per an.: the rent reserved to be payd in iron by 40
tonns p. month, wch cometh to 500ll every month; so in toto yearelye
4000ll."
A proviso was added that--"The workes already buylt, onlye grantted wth
no power to remove them, but bound to mayntayne and leave them in good
case and repayre, wth all stock of hammers, anvils, and other necessarys
received att the pattentees' intyre," as also that "libertye for myne and
synders for supplying of the workes onlye, to be taken by delivery of the
miners att the price agreed uppon."
Great confidence was reposed in Sir Basil Brook, since he, with Robert
Chaldecott, obtained a contemporary grant of the office of clerk or
overseer of the iron works in the Forest for fifteen years. {31a} But so
much did they abuse it, that ere three years had elapsed, a commission
was issued, 17 July, 1618, to Sir Thos. Brudnell, Sir John Tracy, Sir
William Cooke, and others, {31b} "to survey and examine the wastes made
in the Forest of Dean by Sir Basil Brooke and others, farmers of iron
works there." In their report, one item states that "His Majestie, since
the erecting the iron works, had received a greater revenue than
formerly." They were to proceed on interrogatories prepared by Sir Wm.
Throgmorton, Bart., who was himself engaged in the like manufacture,
{31c} being associated therein with Sir Sackville Crowe, Bart., John
Taylor, and John Guernsey, of Bristol, merchant farmers of his Majesty's
iron works. Sir Edward and Sir John Winter, of Lydney, and Henry, Lord
Herbert of Ragland, had iron works as well.
In April, 1621, {31d} Messrs. Richd. Challoner and Phil. Harris, tenants
to Lord Robartes, appear to have succeeded to the works formerly held by
Sir Basil Brook. Within four years, however, one Christ. Bainbridge
obtained judgment against them for cutting down 1200 trees for their own
purposes, but they were ultimately pardoned, as likewise their
predecessors, who had become liable for 33,675 pounds 16s. 8d.
The name of Sir Edwd. Villiers now appears {32} as renting iron works in
the Forest; then that of Sir Richd. Catchmay, having Wm. Rowles and Robt.
Treswell for his overseers.
Amidst these successive changes, the only person who seems to have
continued in uninterrupted possession of his works for making iron, was
William Earl of Pembroke, Lord Steward. In 1627 he had the lease of them
renewed to him for twenty-one years. By him, probably, the 610 guns were
cast, as ordered by the Crown for the States General of Holland, A.D.
1629. The spot where they were made was, it would seem, ever after
called "Guns Mills," and by which name it is still known. Guns Pill, on
the Severn, was the place, doubtless, where they were afterwards shipped.
An inventory, unique, probably, in its singularly explicit description of
the buildings and machinery used by the above-named manufacturers, and
bearing the date of 1635, happily came under Mr. Wyrrall's observation,
and was by him carefully transcribed. We learn from it that the stone
body of the _furnace_ now used in the neighbourhood was usually about 22
feet square, the blast being kept up by a water-wheel not less than 22
feet in diameter, acting upon two pairs of bellows, measuring 18 feet by
4, and kept in blast for several months together. Such structures
existed at Cannop, Park End, Sowdley, and Lydbrook. Besides which, there
were _forges_, comprising chafferies and fineries, at Park End,
Whitecroft, Sowdley, and Lydbrook.
A SURVEY OF THE FOREST OF DEAN IRON WORKS
IN 1635.
"_Canop Furnace_.--Most pt new built, the rest repaired by the Farmers,
22ft square, wheel 22ft diamr. Furnace box built years since by the
Farmers. Bridge-house 48ft by 21, 9 high, built 4 years. Bellows boards
18ft by 4. Clerk's house and stable built by the Farmers. A cottage
built by the Workmen belonging to the Works, now occupied by the Filler.
Built before the Farmers hired. Founder's house, Minecracker's cabin, a
Mine Kiln.
"_Park Furnace_.--Same dimensions, repaired 4 years since by the Farmers,
Wheel and almost all the houses built by the Farmers.
"_Park End Forge_.--2 Hamrs, 3 Fineries, 1 Chaffery, repd 2 years since,
one of the Fineries new.
"_Whitecroft Forge_,--built abt 6 yrs since by the Farmers, do do
"_Bradley Forge_.--do do do
"_Sowdley Furnace_, built 3 years--Qu. if rebuilt? Bridge house, pt
built by the Farmers, pt old and decayd, Trow leading to the wheel, .5
made new 5 years since, decayd, 5 Cottages, 1 built by the Farmers. A
dam a mile above Sowdley built by the Farmers. A dam half a mile still
higher, built long since.
"_Sowdley Forge_, 2 Fineries, 1 Chaffery built 2 years, in the place of
the old Forge. Trows and Penstocks made new by the Farmers, decayed.
"_Lydbrook Furnace_, 23ft long, 9 bottom, 23ft deep, new built 3 yrs
since from the ground, 3ft higher than before, much cracked. A great
Buttress behind the Furnace to strengthen it.
"_Lydbrook Forge_.--1 Chaffery, 2 Fineries, House built 4 years, being
burnt by accident."
Besides the above, Mr. Wyrrall transcribed the following additional
particulars from a MS. dated 23 September, 1635, and endorsed,--"The
booke of Survey for the Forest of Deane Iron work, and the Warrant
annexed unto yt."
"_Cannope Furnace_.--Now blowinge, and likely to contynue aboute 3 weeks.
The most part new built, and the rest repaired by the Farmers about 4
years since. Stone walls, about 60lb, consistinge of the stone body
thereof 22 foote square, wherein are:--
"In the fore front 4 Sowes of Iron )
) 7 Sowes.
and the Tempiron Wall 3 Sowes )
"A Wheele, 22 Foote diamr, 7 Iron Whops, one the Waste, made about three
years since. With shafte and all things belonging about 20lb, in good
repaire.
"The Furnace Howse half tiled, built with timber 4 years since by the
Farmers, cost about 80lb, in repaire.
"The Bridge House, 21 foot broad, 48 foot longe, and 9 foote heigh, built
about 2 years since, the bridge about 4 years, covered with bords
bottomed with Planks.
"5 bellow bords ready sawed, 18ft longe, 4ft broad. A Watter Trowe lft
at bottome and 15 ynches high, 75 yards long, leadinge the water to the
Wheele, cut out of the whole tymber, and ledged at the top, newe made
within 4 years, and now in repaire, cost about 20lb.
"The Hutch leading the Watter from the Wheele, 5 foot square, 85 foote
long, not mended by these Farmers, in repaire.
"In doinge of the saied Workes, besides the Hutch used by estimate about
150 Tonns, at VIIIs, and the Hutch about 40 Tonns, being trees only slitt
and clapt together at 5s the Ton.
"_Outhouses_.--The Furnace Keeper's Cabbyne built of timber covered with
bords built by the Farmers, cost 3lb, 4 tonns.
"A Cottage neare the said Furnaces built by the workmen of the said
Works, now enjoyed by the Filler there, and not belonging to the Workes.
"A Howse wherein the Clarke dwells, built by the Farmers wth a stable, 20
Nobs 6 Tonns.
"Another howse adjoyninge for the founder, built before the Farmers'
time.
"Another little cabbyne for the Myne Cracker, built before the Farmers'
time.
"8 dozen of Collyers' Hurdles, 13s 4d.
"A Myne Kilne not in repaire, built before the Farmers' tyme, with 5
piggs of Iron in the walls, 20s will repaire.
"Cole places.
"_Implen__nts_--one paire of Bellowes furnished with Iron implemnts,
somewhat defective in the lethers, valued at 15lb, made by the Farmers,
the repaire whereof will cost 6lb 13s 4d.
"6 cambes of iron in Wheele Shaft waying about 4cwt.
"3 water Trowes for the Worke.
"1 Grindstone, 19 longe Ringers, 1 short one, one Constable, 7 Sinder
Shovells, 1 moulding Ship, 2 casting ladles, 1 Cinder-hooke, 1 Plackett,
2 buck stoves, 1 Tuiron hooke, 1 Iron Tempe, 1 Sinder plate, 1 dame
plate.
"4 Wheele barrowes, 1 great Sledge, 1 Tuiron plate cast, 1 Shamell plate,
1 Gage, 1 crackt wooden beam and scales, furnished, and triangles, 1 ton
of Wtts, Pigs used for weights upon the bellows poises. 3.5c of Rawe
Iron, 1 new firkett in the Backside, 1 lader of 14 rungs, 1 dozen of cole
basketts, 2 Myne hammers, 2 Myne Shovells, 2 Coale Rakes, 2 Myne Rakes, 2
baskes to put myne into the Furnace.
"_Parke Furnace_.--The stone body thereof 22 foote square in the Front, 2
broken Sowes, one taken thence, 2 sowes in the Wall.
"Repaired 4 years since by the Farmers, viz., the backe wall from the
foundation to the top, and parte of the wall over the Bellows, 40lb it
cost.
"The Water Wheele 22 feet heigh, wth a Shaft whereon 7 whops, 2 Gudgions
and 2 brasses, built about the same tyme, in repaire, valued at 20lb.
The Furnace Howse tiled, built with stone wall 9 foot heigh, 22 foote
square, the Roof good, built about the same tyme, in repair, saving a
Lace by the Bridge. The stone worke valued at 10lb. The Carpenter's
worke one the roof at 20s, the tilinge valued at 6lb 13s 4d.
"A Pent house under the Furnace, 10s.
"The Bridge House 42ft longe, 22ft broad, the said walles, 8.5 foot,
covered with boards, double bottomed with plancke, upon stronge sleepers,
valued at 40lb.
"Fence Walls all built by the Farmers about 4 yeares since.
"100 foote of trowes made of square timber, hollowed and covered with
plancke, valued at 10lb, made by the Farmers.
"Another Water course, built with stone one both sides and covered wth
planckes 2.5 foot broad, 46 foot, in repaire, 5lb.
"An Iron cast grate one the same watercourse.
"A watercourse of half a mile one the North of the Furnace, at the head
thereof a dam and a small breach, wants soweringe, otherwise good, cutt
by the Farmers, and cost them 20lb, and will cost 3lb.
"A Water course of above .5 mile to the South, made before their tyme.
"The Hutch built with stone and covered with plankes of 6 foot heigh, 3
foot broad, 70ft, saving about 11 foot at the vent which is timber,
repaired by the Farmers, in repaire, but the Courant stopt below with
cinders, 13lb 6s 8d; the cutting of a newe will cost 8lb.
"The Fownder's howse built before the Farmers' tyme.
"A Cottage adjoininge.
"A Cabbyne for the bridge-server, covered with boards, built by them
about a yeare since, 3 tonns, 18ft longe, 11 broad, valued at 5lb.
"A Cabbyne adjoining to the Furnace for the Furnace Keeper, about a Tonn,
built by the Farmers, and valued at 2lb.
"A Faire Howse, the ends stone built, the rest with Timber 50 foot longe,
16 broad; in it is a crosse building ? stories heigh, in repaire, tiled,
built before the Farmers now granted, with stables belonging, of tymber.
"A smale cottage, now William Wayt's.
"A myne kylne, the inside in decay, the piggs of iron taken out of the
draught thereof, the repaire will cost 2lb.
"Tymber in doeinge of )
) 150 tonnes, VIs VIIId the tonne.
the saied worke )
"_Implem__nts_.--1 pr bellowes open with the furniture of iron thereto
belonging, defective in the lethers, valued at 13lb 6s 8d, the repaire
will cost 10lb.; 2 buckstaves, 1 dam-plate, 2 cinder plats, 1 tuiron
plate, 1 plackett, 1 gadge, 1 tuiron hoocke, 1 dam hoocke or stopinge
hoocke, 4 iron shovells, 9 ringers, 6 cole baskets, 2 wheel barrows, 2
myne hammers, 1 coale rake, 2 cinder raks, 1 great sledge, 1 ringer
hammer, 1 constable, 1 shammell plate, 6 iron cambs.
"A beame with scales, hoocks, triangles and lincks, with about .5 a ton
of rawe iron for a wt, in repaire: 1 sowe of iron of 16cwt. which was in
the front wall, soe now lyes before the doore, 5lb).
"1 Grindstone, 2 bellowe boards, never used, and 4 old ones, 1lb 10s.
"Collyers' Hurdles.
"The tymber ymployed about the said worke estimated at 140 tonns, and
valued at 8s the tonn, 56lb.
"The Repaire of the body of the furnace and the buildings, beames thereto
belonginge, and other defects, to make it fit to blowe, estimated at
60lb.
"_Park End Forge_--consistinge of 2 hamers, 3 Fyneryes and 1 chaffery,
repayered about 2 years since by the Farmers, viz., 2 newe drome beames,
2 great hamers, shafts with wheeles and armes all newe, the body of the
forge repaired in sundry places, one of the fyneryes built newe with the
whole and shafts.
"The harmes to the great hamers newe and in repaire valued at 12lb.
"One other finerye chimney, made within the yeare, 5lb, 3 newe trowes
through the bay, 26ft longe a piece, covered with planke one the west
side, 13lb 6s 8d.
"The hamer hutch one the west side, heigh and broad one the one side,
plancked in the bottome ranges of tymber with spreaders conteyninge 150
foote in length, 40lb.
"The chaffery wheele in the west side, old and decayed, 3lb to repaire
it.
"One longe trowe one the est side leading the watter to the fynerye, 66
foote longe, 6lb 13s 4d; another great trowe with a penstocke, 32 foote,
cost 3lb 6s 8d; 1 great penstocke in the hamer trowe, 14 foot longe, 2
foote square, 40s.
"2 Water Pricke Posts with his laces, 4lb.
"The Hamer Hutch one the west side, 4 foote square, bottoms and sides
with plancks, 2 ranges of timber 150 foote longe, 10lb.
"The bodye of one Fynerye wheele all newe, made within 2 yeares last past
by the Farmers.
"One little house for the carpenter to work in one the bay.
"Two ranges of tymber worke in the lower side of the bay, consistinge of
sils, laces, and posts, built by the Farmers within 2 yeares, 120 foote,
12 heigh, 80lb.
"The front of the bay where the water is led to the west side and
drawinge gates built about 2 years since. Stone walls on each side, 5lb.
"A flowd gate with 6 sluices, strongly tymbered, built with stronge wall
one either side thereof, 160 foote longe, 3ft heigh, 3 foot thicke,
aproned and plancked on the top for a bridge 3 years since, 44 foot
longe, 22ft broad, 50lb.
* * * * *
The same careful investigator (Mr. Wyrrall) of every particular relating
to the iron works of the Forest, formed a glossary of the terms used in
the above specifications, which not only sufficiently explains them, but
also shows that very similar apparatus continued to be used in this
neighbourhood up to the close of the last century. It proceeds thus:--
"_Sows of Iron_ are the long pieces of cast iron as they run into the
sand immediately from the furnace; thus called from the appearance of
this and the shorter pieces which are runned into smaller gutters made in
the same sand, from the resemblance they have to a sow lying on her side
with her pigs at her dugs. These are for working up in the forges; but
it is usual to cast other sows of iron of very great size to lay in the
walls of the furnaces as beams to support the great strain of the work.
"_Dam Plate_ is a large flat plate of cast iron placed on its edge
against the front of the furnace, with a stone cut sloping and placed on
the inside. This plate has a notch on the top for the cinder or scruff
to run off, and a place at the side to discharge the metal at casting.
"_The Shaft_ of a wheel is a large round beam having the wheel fixed near
the one end of it, and turning upon gudgeons or centres fixed in the two
ends.
"_The Furnace House_ I take to be what we call the casting-house, where
the metal runs out of the furnace into the sand.
"_The Bridge_ is the place where the raw materials are laid down ready to
be thrown into the furnace. I conceive that it had its name (which is
still continued) from this circumstance--that in the infancy of these
works it was built as a bridge, hollow underneath. It was not at first
known what strength was required to support the blast of a furnace
bellows; and the consequence was that they were often out of repair, and
frequently obliged to be built almost entirely new.
"_Bellows Boards_--Not very different from the present dimensions.
"_Water Troughs_--scooped out of the solid timber. This shows the great
simplicity of these times, not 150 years ago.
"_The Hutch_, or as it is now corruptly called the Witch, a wide covered
drain below the furnace-wheel to carry off the water from it, usually
arched, but here only covered with timbers to support the rubbish and
earth thrown upon it.
"_Cambs_ are iron cogs fixed in the shaft to work the bellows as the
wheel turns round.
"_Cinder Shovels_, iron shovels for taking up the cinders into the boxes,
both to measure them and to fill the furnace.
"_Moulding Ship_, an iron tool fixed on a wooden handle, so formed as to
make the gutters in the sand for casting the pig and sow iron.
"_Casting Ladles_, made hollow like a dish, with a lip to lade up the
liquid iron for small castings.
"_Wringers_, large long bars of iron to wring the furnace, that is to
clear it of the grosser and least fluid cinder which rises on the upper
surface, and would there coagulate and soon prevent the furnace from
working aright.
"_Constable_, a bar of very great substance and length, kept always lying
by a furnace in readiness for extraordinary purposes in which uncommon
strength and purchase was required. I suppose this name to have been
given to this tool on account of its superior bulk and power, and in
allusion to the Constable of St. Briavel's Castle, an officer heretofore
of very great weight and consequence in this forest.
"_Cinder Hook_, a hook of iron for drawing away the scruff or cinder
which runs liquid out of the furnace over the dam plate, and soon becomes
a solid substance, which must be removed to make room for fresh cinder to
run out into its place.
"_Plackett_, a tool contrived as a kind of trowel for smoothing and
shaping the clay.
"_Buckstones_, now called Buckstaves, are two thick plates of iron, about
5 or 6 feet long, fixed one on each side of the front of the furnace down
to the ground to support the stone work.
"_Iron Tempe_ is a plate fixed at the bottom of the front wall of the
furnace over the flame between the buckstaves.
"_Tuiron Plate_ is a plate of cast iron fixed before the noses of the
bellows, and so shaped as to conduct the blast into the body of the
furnace.
"_Tuiron Hooke_, a tool contrived for conveying a lump of tempered clay
before the point of the tuiron plate, to guard the wall from wearing away
as it would otherwise do in that part, there being the greatest force of
the fire.
"_Shammel Plate_, a piece of cast iron fixed on a wooden frame, in the
shape of a [Picture: Symbol], which works up and down as a crank, so as
for the camb to lay hold of this iron, and thereby press down the
bellows.
"_Firketts_ are large square pieces of timber laid upon the upper woods
of the bellows, to steady it and to work it.
"_Firkett Hooks_, two strong hooks of square wrought iron fixed at the
smallest end of the bellows to keep it firm and in its place.
"_Gage_, two rods of iron jointed in the middle, with a ring for the
filler to drop the shortest end into the furnace at the top, to know when
it is worked down low enough to be charged.
"_Poises_, wooden beams, one over each bellows, fixed upon centres across
another very large beam; at the longest end of these poises are open
boxes bound with iron, and the little end being fixed with harness to the
upper ends of the firketts are thus pressed down, and the bellows with
it, by the working of the wheel, while the weight of the poises lifts
them up alternately as the wheel goes round."
* * * * *
As to the length of time these works continued in operation, the late Mr.
Mushet, who knew the district intimately, in his valuable papers on iron,
&c., considered that they were abandoned shortly after the date of the
inventory, _i.e._ 1635, since, "with the exception of the slags, traces
of the water-mounds, and the faint lines of the water-courses, not a
vestige of any of them remains."