industrial biography-第16章

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neighbourhoodcoal　in　some　places　lying　in　seams　ten　feet

thickironstone　four　feet　thick　immediately　under　the　coal；　with

limestone　conveniently　adjacent　to　both。　　The　conjunction　seemed

almost　providential〃as　if。〃　　observes　Dud；　〃God　had　decreed　the　time

when　and　how　these　smiths　should　be　supplied；　and　this　island　also；

with　iron；　and　most　especially　that　this　cole　and　ironstone　should

give　the　first　and　just　occasion　for　the　invention　of　smelting　iron

with　pit…cole；〃　though；　as　we　have　already　seen；　all　attempts

heretofore　made　with　that　object　had　practically　failed。



Dud　was　a　special　favourite　of　the　Earl　his　father；　who　encouraged

his　speculations　with　reference　to　the　improvement　of　the　iron

manufacture；　and　gave　him　an　education　calculated　to　enable　him　to

turn　his　excellent　practical　abilities　to　account。　　He　was　studying　at

Baliol　College；　Oxford；　in　the　year　1619；　when　the　Earl　sent　for　him

to　take　charge　of　an　iron　furnace　and　two　forges　in　the　chase　of

Pensnet　in　Worcestershire。　　He　was　no　sooner　installed　manager　of　the

works；　than；　feeling　hampered　by　the　want　of　wood　for　fuel；　his

attention　was　directed　to　the　employment　of　pit…coal　as　a　substitute。

He　altered　his　furnace　accordingly；　so　as　to　adapt　it　to　the　new

process；　and　the　result　of　the　first　trial　was　such　as　to　induce　him

to　persevere。　　It　is　nowhere　stated　in　Dud　Dudley's　Treatise　what　was

the　precise　nature　of　the　method　adopted　by　him；　but　it　is　most

probable　that；　in　endeavouring　to　substitute　coal　for　wood　as　fuel；

he　would　subject　the　coal　to　a　process　similar　to　that　of

charcoal…burning。　　The　result　would　be　what　is　called　Coke；　and　as

Dudley　informs　us　that　he　followed　up　his　first　experiment　with　a

second　blast；　by　means　of　which　he　was　enabled　to　produce　good

marketable　iron；　the　presumption　is　that　his　success　was　also　due　to

an　improvement　of　the　blast　which　he　contrived　for　the　purpose　of

keeping　up　the　active　combustion　of　the　fuel。　　Though　the　quantity

produced　by　the　new　process　was　comparatively　smallnot　more　than

three　tons　a　week　from　each　furnaceDudley　anticipated　that　greater

experience　would　enable　him　to　increase　the　quantity；　and　at　all

events　he　had　succeeded　in　proving　the　practicability　of　smelting

iron　with　fuel　made　from　pit…coal；　which　so　many　before　him　had　tried

in　vain。



Immediately　after　the　second　trial　had　been　made　with　such　good

issue；　Dud　wrote　to　his　father　the　Earl；　then　in　London；　informing

him　what　he　had　done；　and　desiring　him　at　once　to　obtain　a　patent　for

the　invention　from　King　James。　　This　was　readily　granted；　and　the

patent　（No。　18）；　dated　the　22nd　February；　1620；　was　taken　out　in　the

name　of　Lord　Dudley　himself。



Dud　proceeded　with　the　manufacture　of　iron　at　Pensnet；　and　also　at

Cradley　in　Staffordshire；　where　he　erected　another　furnace；　and　a

year　after　the　patent　was　granted　he　was　enabled　to　send　up　to　the

Tower；　by　the　King's　command；　a　considerable　quantity　of　the　new　iron

for　trial。　　Many　experiments　were　made　with　it：　　its　qualities　were

fairly　tested；　and　it　was　pronounced　〃good　merchantable　iron。〃　　Dud

adds；　in　his　Treatise；　that　his　brother…in…law；　Richard　Parkshouse；

of　Sedgeley；*

　＇footnote。。。

Mr。　Parkshouse　was　one　of　the　esquires　to　Sir　Ferdinando　Dudley　（the

legitimate　son　of　the　Earl　of　Dudley）　When　he　was　made　Knight　of　the

Bath。　　Sir　Ferdinando's　only　daughter　Frances　married　Humble　Ward；　son

and　heir　of　William　Ward；　goldsmith　and　jeweller　to　Charles　the

First's　queen。　　Her　husband　having　been　created　a　baron　by　the　title

of　Baron　Ward　of　Birmingham；　and　Frances　becoming　Baroness　of　Dudley

in　her　own　right　on　the　demise　of　her　father；　the　baronies　of　Dudley

and　Ward　thus　became　united　in　their　eldest　son　Edward　in　the　year

1697。

　。。。＇

〃had　a　fowling…gun　there　made　of　the　Pit…cole　iron；〃　which　was　〃well

approved。〃　　There　was　therefore　every　prospect　of　the　new　method　of

manufacture　becoming　fairly　established；　and　with　greater　experience

further　improvements　might　with　confidence　be　anticipated；　when　a

succession　of　calamities　occurred　to　the　inventor　which　involved　him

in　difficulties　and　put　an　effectual　stop　to　the　progress　of　his

enterprise。



The　new　works　had　been　in　successful　operation　little　more　than　a

year；　when　a　flood；　long　after　known　as　the　〃Great　May…day　Flood；〃

swept　away　Dudley's　principal　works　at　Cradley；　and　otherwise

inflicted　much　damage　throughout　the　district。　　〃At　the　market　town

called　Stourbridge；〃　says　Dud；　in　the　course　of　his　curious

narrative；　〃although　the　author　sent　with　speed　to　preserve　the

people　from　drowning；　and　one　resolute　man　was　carried　from　the

bridge　there　in　the　day…time；　the　nether　part　of　the　town　was　so　deep

in　water　that　the　people　had　much　ado　to　preserve　their　lives　in　the

uppermost　rooms　of　their　houses。〃　　Dudley　himself　received　very　little

sympathy　for　his　losses。　　On　the　contrary；　the　iron…smelters　of　the

district　rejoiced　exceedingly　at　the　destruction　of　his　works　by　the

flood。　　They　had　seen　him　making　good　iron　by　his　new　patent　process；

and　selling　it　cheaper　than　they　could　afford　to　do。　　They　accordingly

put　in　circulation　all　manner　of　disparaging　reports　about　his　iron。

It　was　bad　iron；　not　fit　to　be　used；　indeed　no　iron；　except　what　was

smelted　with　charcoal　of　wood；　could　be　good。　　To　smelt　it　with　coal

was　a　dangerous　innovation；　and　could　only　result　in　some　great

public　calamity。　　The　ironmasters　even　appealed　to　King　James　to　put　a

stop　to　Dud's　manufacture；　alleging　that　his　iron　was　not

merchantable。　　And　then　came　the　great　flood；　which　swept　away　his

works；　the　hostile　ironmasters　now　hoping　that　there　was　an　end　for

ever　of　Dudley's　pit…coal　iron。



But　Dud；　with　his　wonted　energy；　forthwith　set　to　work　and　repaired

his　furnaces　and　forges；　though　at　great　cost；　and　in　the　course　of　a

short　time　the　new　manufacture　was　again　in　full　progress。　　The

ironmasters　raised　a　fresh　outcry　against　him；　and　addressed　another

strong　memorial　against　Dud　and　his　iron　to　King　James。　　This　seems　to

have　taken　effect；　and　in　order　to　ascertain　the　quality　of　the

article　by　testing　it　upon　a　large　scale；　the　King　commanded　Dudley

to　send　up　to　the　Tower　of　London；　with　every　possible　speed；

quantities　of　all　the　sorts　of　bar…iron　made　by　him；　fit　for　the

〃making　of　muskets；　carbines；　and　iron　for　great　bolts　for　shipping；

which　iron；〃　continues　Dud；　〃being　so　tried　by　artists　and　smiths；

the　ironmasters　and　iron…mongers　were　all　silenced　until　the　21st

year　of　King　James's　reign。〃　　The　ironmasters　then　endeavoured　to　get

the　Dudley　patent　included　in　the　monopolies　to　be　abolished　by　the

statute　of　that　year；　but　all　they　could　accomplish　was　the

limitation　of　the　patent　to　fourteen　years　instead　of　thirty…one；　the

special　exemption　of　the　patent　from　the　operation　of　the　statute

affording　a　sufficient　indication　of　the　importance　already　attached

to　the　invention。　　After　that　time　Dudley　〃went　on　with　his　invention

cheerfully；　and　made　annually　great　store　of　iron；　good　and

merchantable；　and　sold　it　unto　diverse　men　at　twelve　pounds　per　ton。〃

〃I　also；〃　said　he；　〃made　all　sorts　of　cast…iron　wares；　as　brewing

cisterns；　pots；　mortars；　&c。；　better　and　cheaper　than　any　yet　made　in

these　nations　with　charcoal；　some　of　which　are　yet　to　be　seen　by　any

man　（at　the　author's　house　in　the　city　of　Worcester）　that　desires　to

be　satisfied　of　the　truth　of　the　invention。〃



Notwithstanding　this　decided　success；　Dudley　encountered　nothing　but

trouble　and　misfortune。　　The　ironmasters　combined　to　resist　his

invention；　they　fastened　lawsuit's　upon　him；　and　succeeded　in　getting

him　ousted　from　his　works　at　Cradley。　　From　thence　he　removed　to

Himley　in　the　county　of　Stafford；　where　he　set　up　a　pit…coal　furnace；

but　being　without　the　means　of　forging　the　iron　into　bars；　he　was

constrained　to　sell　the　pig…iron　to　the　charcoal…ironmasters；　〃who

did　him　much　prejudice；　not　onl