industrial biography-第13章

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still　standing；　among　others　the　boring…house；　of　small　size；　now

used　as　an　ordinary　labourer's　cottage；　where　the　guns　were　bored。

The　machine　was　a　mere　upright　drill　worked　by　the　water…wheel；　which

was　only　eighteen　inches　across　the　breast。　　The　property　belonged；　as

it　still　does；　to　the　Ashburnham　family；　who　are　said　to　have　derived

great　wealth　from　the　manufacture　of　guns　at　their　works；　which　were

among　the　last　carried　on　in　Sussex。　　The　Ashburnham　iron　was

distinguished　for　its　toughness；　and　was　said　to　be　equal　to　the　best

Spanish　or　Swedish　iron。



Many　new　men　also　became　enriched；　and　founded　county　families；　the

Fuller　family　frankly　avowing　their　origin　in　the　singular　motto　of

Carbone　et　forcipibusliterally；　by　charcoal　and　tongs。*

　＇footnote。。。

Reminding　one　of　the　odd　motto　assumed　by　Gillespie；　the　tobacconist

of　Edinburgh；　founder　of　Gillespie's　Hospital；　on　whose

carriage…panels　was　emblazoned　a　Scotch　mull；　with　the　motto；



　〃Wha　wad　ha'　thocht　it；

　That　noses　could　ha'　bought　it！〃



It　is　just　possible　that　the　Fullers　may　have　taken　their　motto　from

the　words　employed　by　Juvenal　in　describing　the　father　of　Demosthenes；

who　was　a　blacksmith　and　a　sword…cutler　



　〃Quem　pater　ardentis　massae　fuligine　lippus；

　A　carbone　et　forcipibus　gladiosque　parante

　Incude　et　luteo　Vulcano　ad　rhetora　misit。〃



　。。。＇



Men　then　went　into　Sussex　to　push　their　fortunes　at　the　forges；　as

they　now　do　in　Wales　or　Staffordshire；　and　they　succeeded　then；　as

they　do　now；　by　dint　of　application；　industry；　and　energy。　　The　Sussex

Archaeological　Papers　for　1860　contain　a　curious　record　of　such　an

adventurer；　in　the　history　of　the　founder　of　the　Gale　family。　　Leonard

Gale　was　born　in　1620　at　Riverhead；　near　Sevenoaks；　where　his　father

pursued　the　trade　of　a　blacksmith。　　When　the　youth　had　reached　his

seventeenth　year；　his　father　and　mother；　with　five　of　their　sons　and

daughters；　died　of　the　plague；　Leonard　and　his　brother　being　the　only

members　of　the　family　that　survived。　　The　patrimony　of　200L。　　left　them

was　soon　spent；　after　which　Leonard　paid　off　his　servants；　and　took

to　work　diligently　at　his　father's　trade。　　Saving　a　little　money；　he

determined　to　go　down　into　Sussex；　where　we　shortly　find　him　working

the　St。　　Leonard's　Forge；　and　afterwards　the　Tensley　Forge　near

Crawley；　and　the　Cowden　Iron…works；　which　then　bore　a　high

reputation。　　After　forty　years'　labour；　he　accumulated　a　good　fortune；

which　he　left　to　his　son　of　the　same　name；　who　went　on　iron…forging；

and　eventually　became　a　county　gentleman；　owner　of　the　house　and

estate　of　Crabbett　near　Worth；　and　Member　of　Parliament　for　East

Grinstead。



Several　of　the　new　families；　however；　after　occupying　a　high　position

in　the　county；　again　subsided　into　the　labouring　class；　illustrating

the　Lancashire　proverb　of　〃Twice　clogs；　once　boots；〃　the　sons

squandering　what　the　father's　had　gathered；　and　falling　back　into　the

ranks　again。　　Thus　the　great　Fowles　family　of　Riverhall　disappeared

altogether　from　Sussex。　　One　of　them　built　the　fine　mansion　of

Riverhall；　noble　even　in　decay。　　Another　had　a　grant　of　free　warren

from　King　James　over　his　estates　in　Wadhurst；　Frant；　Rotherfield；　and

Mayfield。　　Mr。　Lower　says　the　fourth　in　descent　from　this　person　kept

the　turnpike…gate　at　Wadhurst；　and　that　the　last　of　the　family；　a

day…labourer；　emigrated　to　America　in　1839；　carrying　with　him；　as　the

sole　relic　of　his　family　greatness；　the　royal　grant　of　free　warren

given　to　his　ancestor。　　The　Barhams　and　Mansers　were　also　great

iron…men；　officiating　as　high　sheriffs　of　the　county　at　different

times；　and　occupying　spacious　mansions。　　One　branch　of　these　families

terminated；　Mr。　Lower　says；　with　Nicholas　Barham；　who　died　in　the

workhouse　at　Wadhurst　in　1788；　and　another　continues　to　be

represented　by　a　wheelwright　at　Wadhurst　of　the　same　name。



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　refe