industrial biography-第12章

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smelting　ore；　and　the　proximity　of　the　mineral　to　the　timber；　as　well

as　the　situation　of　the　district　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　capital；

sufficiently　account　for　the　Sussex　iron…works　being　among　the　most

important　which　existed　in　England　previous　to　the　discovery　of

smelting　by　pit…coal。



The　iron　manufacturers　of　the　south　were　especially　busy　during　the

fifteenth　and　sixteenth　centuries。　　Their　works　were　established　near

to　the　beds　of　ore；　and　in　places　where　water…power　existed；　or　could

be　provided　by　artificial　means。　　Hence　the　numerous　artificial　ponds

which　are　still　to　be　found　all　over　the　Sussex　iron　district。　　Dams

of　earth；　called　〃pond…bays；〃　were　thrown　across　watercourses；　with

convenient　outlets　built　of　masonry；　wherein　was　set　the　great　wheel

which　worked　the　hammer　or　blew　the　furnace。　　Portions　of　the

adjoining　forest…land　were　granted　or　leased　to　the　iron…smelters；

and　the　many　places　still　known　by　the　name　of　〃Chart〃　in　the　Weald；

probably　mark　the　lands　chartered　for　the　purpose　of　supplying　the

iron…works　with　　their　necessary　fuel。　　The　cast…iron　tombstones　and

slabs　in　many　Sussex　churchyards；the　andirons　and　chimney　backs*

　＇footnote。。。

The　back　of　a　grate　has　recently　been　found；　cast　by　Richard　Leonard

at　Brede　Furnace　in　1636。　　It　is　curious　as　containing　a

representation　of　the　founder　with　his　dog　and　cups；　a　drawing　of　the

furnace；　with　the　wheelbarrow　and　other　implements　for　the　casting；

and　on　a　shield　the　pincers　and　other　marks　of　the　blacksmith。

Leonard　was　tenant　of　the　Sackville　furnace　at　Little

Udimore。Sussex　Archaeological　Collections；　vol。xii。

　。。。＇

still　found　in　old　Sussex　mansions　and　farm…houses；　and　such　names　as

Furnace　Place；　Cinder　Hill；　Forge　Farm；　and　Hammer　Pond；　which　are　of

very　frequent　occurrence　throughout　the　county；　clearly　mark　the

extent　and　activity　of　this　ancient　branch　of　industry。*

　＇footnote　。。。

For　an　interesting　account　of　the　early　iron　industry　of　Sussex　see

M。　A。　LOWER'S　Contributions　to　Literature；　Historical；　Antiquarian；

and　Metrical。　　London；　1854。

　。。。＇

Steel　was　also　manufactured　at　several　places　in　the　county；　more

particularly　at　Steel…Forge　Land；　Warbleton；　and　at　Robertsbridge。

The　steel　was　said　to　be　of　good　quality；　resembling　Swedishboth

alike　depending　for　their　excellence　on　the　exclusive　use　of　charcoal

in　smelting　the　ore；iron　so　produced　maintaining　its　superiority

over　coal…smelted　iron　to　this　day。



When　cannon　came　to　be　employed　in　war；　the　nearness　of　Sussex　to

London　and　the　Cinque　Forts　gave　it　a　great　advantage　over　the

remoter　iron…producing　districts　in　the　north　and　west　of　England；

and　for　a　long　time　the　iron…works　of　this　county　enjoyed　almost　a

monopoly　of　the　manufacture。　　The　metal　was　still　too　precious　to　be

used　for　cannon　balls；　which　were　hewn　of　stone　from　quarries　on

Maidstone　Heath。　　Iron　was　only　available；　and　that　in　limited

quantities；　for　the　fabrication　of　the　cannon　themselves；　and

wrought…iron　was　chiefly　used　for　the　purpose。　　An　old　mortar　which

formerly　lay　on　Eridge　Green；　near　Frant；　is　said　to　have　been　the

first　mortar　made　in　England；*

　＇footnote。。。

Archaeologia；　vol。　x。　472。

　。。。＇

only　the　chamber　was　cast；　while　the　tube　consisted　of　bars

strongly　hooped　together。　　Although　the　local　distich　says　that



　　　　　〃Master　Huggett　and　his　man　John

　　　　　They　did　cast　the　first　cannon；〃



there　is　every　reason　to　believe　that　both　cannons　and　mortars　were

made　in　Sussex　before　Huggett's　time；　the　old　hooped　guns　in　the

Tower　being　of　the　date　of　Henry　VI。　　The　first　cast…iron　cannons　of

English　manufacture　were　made　at　Buxtead；　in　Sussex；　in　1543；　by

Ralph　Hogge；　master　founder；　who　employed　as　his　principal　assistant

one　Peter　Baude；　a　Frenchman。　　Gun…founding　was　a　French　invention；

and　Mr。　Lower　supposes　that　Hogge　brought　over　Baude　from　France　to

teach　his　workmen　the　method　of　casting　the　guns。　　About　the　same　time

Hogge　employed　a　skilled　Flemish　gunsmith　named　Peter　Van　Collet；

who；　according　to　Stowe；　〃devised　or　caused　to　be　made　certain　mortar

pieces；　being　at　the　mouth　from　eleven　to　nine　inches　wide；　for　the

use　whereof　the　said　Peter　caused　to　be　made　certain　hollow　shot　of

cast…iron　to　be　stuffed　with　fyrework；　whereof　the　bigger　sort　for

the　same　has　screws　of　iron　to　receive　a　match　to　carry　fyre　for　to

break　in　small　pieces　the　said　hollow　shot；　whereof　the　smallest

piece　hitting　a　man　would　kill　or　spoil　him。〃　　In　short；　Peter　Van

Collet　here　introduced　the　manufacture　of　the　explosive　shell　in　the

form　in　which　it　continued　to　be　used　down　to　our　own　day。



Baude；　the　Frenchman；　afterwards　set　up　business　on　his　own　account；

making　many　guns；　both　of　brass　and　iron；　some　of　which　are　still

preserved　in　the　Tower。*

　＇footnote。。。

One　of　these；　6　1/2　feet　long；　and　of　2　1/2　inches　bore；　manufactured

in　1543；　bears　the　cast　inscription　of　Petrus　Baude　Gallus　operis

artifex。

　。。。＇

Other　workmen；　learning　the　trade　from　him；　also　began　to　manufacture

on　their　own　account；　one　of　Baude's　servants；　named　John　Johnson；

and　after　him　his　son　Thomas；　becoming　famous　for　the　excellence　of

their　cast…iron　guns。　　The　Hogges　continued　the　business　for　several

generations；　and　became　a　wealthy　county　family。　　Huggett　was　another

cannon　maker　of　repute；　and　Owen　became　celebrated　for　his　brass

culverins。　　Mr。　Lower　mentions；　as　a　curious　instance　of　the　tenacity

with　which　families　continue　to　follow　a　particular　vocation；　that

many　persons　of　the　name　of　Huggett　still　carry　on　the　trade　of

blacksmith　in　East　Sussex。　　But　most　of　the　early　workmen　at　the

Sussex　iron…works；　as　in　other　branches　of　skilled　industry　in

England　during　the　sixteenth　century；　were　foreigners　Flemish　and

Frenchmany　of　whom　had　taken　refuge　in　this　country　from　the

religious　persecutions　then　raging　abroad；　while　others；　of　special

skill；　were　invited　over　by　the　iron　manufacturers　to　instruct　their

workmen　in　the　art　of　metal…founding。*

　＇footnote。。。

Mr。　Lower　says；〃　Many　foreigners　were　brought　over　to　carry　on　the

works；　which　perhaps　may　account　for　the　number　of　Frenchmen　and

Germans　whose　names　appear　in　our　parish　registers　about　the　middle　of

the　sixteenth　century　。〃　Contributions　to　Literature；　108。

　。。。＇



As　much　wealth　was　gained　by　the　pursuit　of　the　revived　iron

manufacture　in　Sussex；　iron…mills　rapidly　extended　over　the

ore…yielding　district。　　The　landed　proprietors　entered　with　zeal　into

this　new　branch　of　industry；　and　when　wood　ran　short；　they　did　not

hesitate　to　sacrifice　their　ancestral　oaks　to　provide　fuel　for　the

furnaces。　　Mr。　Lower　says　even　the　most　ancient　families；　such　as　the

Nevilles；　Howards；　Percys；　Stanleys；　Montagues；　Pelhams；　Ashburnhams；

Sidneys；　Sackvilles；　Dacres；　and　Finches；　prosecuted　the　manufacture

with　all　the　apparent　ardour　of　Birmingham　and　Wolverhampton　men　in

modern　times。　　William　Penn；　the　courtier　Quaker；　had　iron…furnaces　at

Hawkhurst　and　other　places　in　Sussex。　　The　ruins　of　the　Ashburnham

forge；　situated　a　few　miles　to　the　north…east　of　Battle；　still　serve

to　indicate　the　extent　of　the　manufacture。　　At　the　upper　part　of　the

valley　in　which　the　works　were　situated；　an　artificial　lake　was

formed　by　constructing　an　embankment　across　the　watercourse

descending　from　the　higher　ground；*

　＇footnote　。。。

The　embankment　and　sluices　of　the　furnace…pond　at　the　upper　part　of

the　valley　continue　to　be　maintained；　the　lake　being　used　by　the

present　Lord　Ashburnham　as　a　preserve　for　fish　and　water…fowl。

　。。。＇

and　thus　a　sufficient　fall　of　water　was　procured　for　the　purpose　of

blowing　the　furnaces；　the　site　of　which　is　still　marked　by

surrounding　mounds　of　iron　cinders　and　charcoal　waste。　　Three　quarters

of　a　mile　lower　down　the　valley　stood　the　forge；　also　provided　with

water…power　for　working　the　hammer；　and　some　of　the　old　buildings　are

still　standing；　among　others　the