industrial biography-第15章

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for　abroad；　and　both　iron　and　steel　came　to　be　imported　in

largely…increased　quantities。　　This　branch　of　trade　was　principally　in

the　hands　of　the　Steelyard　Company　of　Foreign　Merchants；　established

in　Upper　Thames　Street；　a　little　above　London　Bridge；　and　they

imported　large　quantities　of　iron　and　steel　from　foreign　countries；

principally　from　Sweden；　Germany；　and　Spain。　　The　best　iron　came　from

Spain；　though　the　Spaniards　on　their　part　coveted　our　English　made

cannons；　which　were　better　manufactured　than　theirs；　while　the　best

steel　came　from　Germany　and　Sweden。*

　＇footnote。。。

As　late　as　1790；　long　after　the　monopoly　of　the　foreign　merchants　had

been　abolished；　Pennant　says；　〃The　present　Steelyard　is　the　great

repository　of　imported　iron；　which　furnishes　our　metropolis　with　that

necessary　material。　　The　quantity　of　bars　that　fills　the　yards　and

warehouses　of　this　quarter　strikes　with　astonishment　the　most

indifferent　beholder。〃PENNANT；　Account　of　London；　309。

　。。。＇



Under　these　circumstances；　it　was　natural　that　persons　interested　in

the　English　iron　manufacture　should　turn　their　attention　to　some

other　description　of　fuel　which　should　serve　as　a　substitute　for　the

prohibited　article。　　There　was　known　to　be　an　abundance　of　coal　in　the

northern　and　midland　counties；　and　it　occurred　to　some　speculators

more　than　usually　daring；　to　propose　it　as　a　substitute　for　the

charcoal　fuel　made　from　wood。　　But　the　same　popular　prejudice　which

existed　against　the　use　of　coal　for　domestic　purposes；　prevented　its

being　employed　for　purposes　of　manufacture；　and　they　were　thought

very　foolish　persons　indeed　who　first　promulgated　the　idea　of

smelting　iron　by　means　of　pit…coal。　　The　old　manufacturers　held　it　to

be　impossible　to　reduce　the　ore　in　any　other　way　than　by　means　of

charcoal　of　wood。　　It　was　only　when　the　wood　in　the　neighbourhood　of

the　ironworks　had　been　almost　entirely　burnt　up；　that　the

manufacturers　were　driven　to　entertain　the　idea　of　using　coal　as　a

substitute；　but　more　than　a　hundred　years　passed　before　the　practice

of　smelting　iron　by　its　means　became　general。



The　first　who　took　out　a　patent　for　the　purpose　was　one　Simon

Sturtevant；　a　German　skilled　in　mining　operations；　the　professed

object　of　his　invention　being　〃to　neale；　melt；　and　worke　all　kind　of

metal　oares；　irons；　and　steeles　with　sea…coale；　pit…coale；

earth…coale；　and　brush　fewell。〃　　The　principal　end　of　his　invention；

he　states　in　his　Treatise　of　Metallica；*

　＇footnote。。。

STURTEVANT'S　Metallica；　briefly　comprehending　the　Doctrine　of　Diverse

New　Metallical　Inventions；　&c。　　Reprinted　and　published　at　the　Great

Seal　Patent　Office；　1858。

　。。。＇

is　to　save　the　consumption　and　waste　of　the　woods　and　timber　of　the

country；　and；　should　his　design　succeed；　he　holds　that　it　〃will　prove

to　be　the　best　and　most　profitable　business　and　invention　that　ever

was　known　or　invented　in　England　these　many　yeares。〃　　He　says　he　has

already　made　trial　of　the　process　on　a　small　scale；　and　is　confident

that　it　will　prove　equally　successful　on　a　large　one。　　Sturtevant　was

not　very　specific　as　to　his　process；　but　it　incidentally　appears　to

have　been　his　purpose　to　reduce　the　coal　by　an　imperfect　combustion

to　the　condition　of　coke；　thereby　ridding　it　of　〃those　malignant

proprieties　which　are　averse　to　the　nature　of　metallique　substances。〃

The　subject　was　treated　by　him；　as　was　customary　in　those　days；　as　a

great　mystery；　made　still　more　mysterious　by　the　multitude　of　learned

words　under　which　he　undertook　to　describe　his　〃Ignick　Invention〃　All

the　operations　of　industry　were　then　treated　as　secrets。　　Each　trade

was　a　craft；　and　those　who　followed　it　were　called　craftsmen。　　Even

the　common　carpenter　was　a　handicraftsman；　and　skilled　artisans　were

〃cunning　men。〃　　But　the　higher　branches　of　work　were　mysteries；　the

communication　of　which　to　others　was　carefully　guarded　by　the

regulations　of　the　trades　guilds。　　Although　the　early　patents　are

called　specifications；　they　in　reality　specify　nothing。　　They　are　for

the　most　part　but　a　mere　haze　of　words；　from　which　very　little

definite　information　can　be　gleaned　as　to　the　processes　patented。　　It

may　be　that　Sturtevant　had　not　yet　reduced　his　idea　to　any

practicable　method；　and　therefore　could　not　definitely　explain　it。

However　that　may　be；　it　is　certain　that　his　process　failed　when　tried

on　a　large　scale；　and　Sturtevant's　patent　was　accordingly　cancelled

at　the　end　of　a　year。





The　idea；　however；　had　been　fairly　born；　and　repeated　patents　were

taken　out　with　the　same　object　from　time　to　time。　　Thus；　immediately

on　Sturtevant's　failure　becoming　known；　one　John　Rovenzon；　who　had

been　mixed　up　with　the　other's　adventure；　applied　for　a　patent　for

making　iron　by　the　same　process；　which　was　granted　him　in　1613。　　His

'Treatise　of　Metallica'*

　＇footnote。。。

Reprinted　and　published　at　the　Great　Seal　Patent　Office；　1858。

　。。。＇

shows　that　Rovenzon　had　a　true　conception　of　the　method　of

manufacture。　　Nevertheless　he；　too；　failed　in　carrying　out　the

invention　in　practice；　and　his　patent　was　also　cancelled。　　Though

these　failures　were　very　discouraging；　like　experiments　continued　to

be　made　and　patents　taken　out；principally　by　Dutchmen　and　Germans；*

　＇footnote。。。

Among　the　early　patentees；　besides　the　names　of　Sturtevant　and

Rovenzon；　we　find　those　of　Jordens；　Francke；　Sir　Phillibert　Vernatt；

and　other　foreigners　of　the　above　nations。

　。。。＇

but　no　decided　success　seems　to　have　attended　their　efforts　until

the　year　1620；　when　Lord　Dudley　took　out　his　patent　〃for　melting　iron

ore；　making　bar…iron；　&c。；　with　coal；　in　furnaces；　with　bellows。〃

This　patent　was　taken　out　at　the　instance　of　his　son　Dud　Dudley；

whose　story　we　gather　partly　from　his　treatise　entitled　'Metallum

Martis；'　and　partly　from　various　petitions　presented　by　him　to　the

king；　which　are　preserved　in　the　State　Paper　Office；　and　it　runs　as

follows：　　



Dud　Dudley　was　born　in　1599；　the　natural　son　of　Edward　Lord　Dudley　of

Dudley　Castle　in　the　county　of　Worcester。　　He　was　the　fourth　of　eleven

children　by　the　same　mother；　who　is　described　in　the　pedigree　of　the

family　given　in　the　Herald's　visitation　of　the　county　of　Stafford　in

the　year　1663；　signed　by　Dud　Dudley　himself；　as　〃Elizabeth；　daughter

of　William　Tomlinson　of　Dudley；　concubine　of　Edward　Lord　Dudley。〃

Dud's　eldest　brother　is　described　in　the　same　pedigree　as　Robert

Dudley；　Squire；　of　Netherton　Hall；　and　as　his　sisters　mostly　married

well；　several　of　them　county　gentlemen；　it　is　obvious　that　the

family；　notwithstanding　that　the　children　were　born　out　of　wedlock；

held　a　good　position　in　their　neighbourhood；　and　were　regarded　with

respect。　　Lord　Dudley；　though　married　and　having　legitimate　heirs　at

the　time；　seems　to　have　attended　to　the　up…bringing　of　his　natural

children；　educating　them　carefully；　and　afterwards　employing　them　in

confidential　offices　connected　with　the　management　of　his　extensive

property。　　Dud　describes　himself　as　taking　great　delight；　when　a

youth；　in　his　father's　iron…works　near　Dudley；　where　he　obtained

considerable　knowledge　of　the　various　processes　of　the　manufacture。



The　town　of　Dudley　was　already　a　centre　of　the　iron　manufacture；

though　chiefly　of　small　wares；　such　as　nails；　horse…shoes；　keys；

locks；　and　common　agricultural　tools；　and　it　was　estimated　that　there

were　about　20；000　smiths　and　workers　in　iron　of　various　kinds　living

within　a　circuit　of　ten　miles　of　Dudley　Castle。　　But；　as　in　the

southern　counties；　the　production　of　iron　had　suffered　great

diminution　from　the　want　of　fuel　in　the　district；　〃though　formerly　a

mighty　woodland　country；　and　many　important　branches　of　the　local

trade　were　brought　almost　to　a　stand…still。　　Yet　there　was　an

extraordinary　abundance　of　coal　to　be　met　with　in　the

neighbourhoodcoal　in　some　places　lying　in　seams　ten　feet

thickironstone　four　feet　thick　immediately　under　the　coal；　with

limestone　conveni