industrial biography-第21章

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project；　is　already　of　general　use。。。。　　The　canal　since　executed　under

the　inspection　of　Mr。　Brindley；　running　parallel　with　the　river。。。。

cost　the　proprietors　105；000L。〃

　。。。＇



Another　of　Yarranton's　far…sighted　schemes　of　a　similar　kind　was　one

to　connect　the　Thames　with　the　Severn　by　means　of　an　artificial　cut；

at　the　very　place　where；　more　than　a　century　after　his　death；　it　was

actually　carried　out　by　modern　engineers。　　This　canal；　it　appears；　was

twice　surveyed　under　his　direction　by　his　son。　　He　did；　however；

succeed　in　his　own　time　in　opening　up　the　navigation。　　of　the　Avon；

and　was　the　first　to　carry　barges　upon　its　waters　from　Tewkesbury　to

Stratford。



The　improvement　of　agriculture；　too；　had　a　share　of　Yarranton's

attention。　　He　saw　the　soil　exhausted　by　long　tillage　and　constantly

repeated　crops　of　rye；　and　he　urged　that　the　land　should　have　rest　or

at　least　rotation　of　crop。　　With　this　object　he　introduced

clover…seed；　and　supplied　it　largely　to　the　farmers　of　the　western

counties；　who　found　their　land　doubled　in　value　by　the　new　method　of

husbandry；　and　it　shortly　became　adopted　throughout　the　country。

Seeing　how　commerce　was　retarded　by　the　small　accommodation　provided

for　shipping　at　the　then　principal　ports；　Yarranton　next　made　surveys

and　planned　docks　for　the　city　of　London；　but　though　he　zealously

advocated　the　subject；　he　found　few　supporters；　and　his　plans　proved

fruitless。　　In　this　respect　he　was　nearly　a　hundred　and　fifty　years

before　his　age；　and　the　London　importers　continued　to　conduct　their

shipping　business　in　the　crowded　tideway　of　the　Thames　down　even　to

the　beginning　of　the　present　century。



While　carrying　on　his　iron　works；　it　occurred　to　Yarranton　that　it

would　be　of　great　national　advantage　if　the　manufacture　of　tin…plate

could　be　introduced　into　England。　　Although　the　richest　tin　mines　then

known　existed　in　this　country；　the　mechanical　arts　were　at　so　low　an

ebb　that　we　were　almost　entirely　dependent　upon　foreigners　for　the

supply　of　the　articles　manufactured　from　the　metal。　　The　Saxons　were

the　principal　consumers　of　English　tin；　and　we　obtained　from　them　in

return　nearly　the　whole　of　our　tin…plates。　　All　attempts　made　to

manufacture　them　in　England　had　hitherto　failed；　the　beating　out　of

the　iron　by　hammers　into　laminae　sufficiently　thin　and　smooth；　and

the　subsequent　distribution　and　fixing　of　the　film　of　tin　over　the

surface　of　the　iron；　proving　difficulties　which　the　English

manufacturers　were　unable　to　overcome。　　To　master　these　difficulties

the　indefatigable　Yarranton　set　himself　to　work。　　〃Knowing；〃　says　he；

〃the　usefulness　of　tin…plates　and　the　goodness　of　our　metals　for　that

purpose；　I　did；　about　sixteen　years　since　（i。e。　　about　1665）；

endeavour　to　find　out　the　way　for　making　thereof；　whereupon　I

acquainted　a　person　of　much　riches；　and　one　that　was　very

understanding　in　the　iron　manufacture；　who　was　pleased　to　say　that　he

had　often　designed　to　get　the　trade　into　England；　but　never　could

find　out　the　way。　　Upon　which　it　was　agreed　that　a　sum　of　monies

should　be　advanced　by　several　persons；*

　＇footnote。。。

In　the　dedication　of　his　book；　entitled　Englands　Improvement　by　Sea

and　Land；　Part　I。；　Yarranton　gives　the　names　of　the　〃noble　patriots〃

who　sent　him　on　his　journey　of　inquiry。　　They　were　Sir　Waiter　Kirtham

Blount；　Bart。；　Sir　Samuel　Baldwin　and　Sir　Timothy　Baldwin；　Knights；

Thomas　Foley　and　Philip　Foley；　Esquires；　and　six　other　gentlemen。　　The

father　of　the　Foleys　was　himself　supposed　to　have　introduced　the　art

of　iron…splitting　into　England　by　an　expedient　similar　to　that

adopted　by　Yarranton　in　obtaining　a　knowledge　of　the　tin…plate

manufacture　（Self…Help；　p。145）。　　The　secret　of　the　silk…throwing

machinery　of　Piedmont　was　in　like　manner　introduced　into　England　by

Mr。　Lombe　of　Derby；　who　shortly　succeeded　in　founding　a　flourishing

branch　of　manufacture。　　These　were　indeed　the　days　of　romance　and

adventure　in　manufactures。

　。。。＇

for　the　defraying　of　my　charges　of　travelling　to　the　place　where

these　plates　are　made；　and　from　thence　to　bring　away　the　art　of

making　them。　　Upon　which；　an　able　fire…man；　that　well　understood　the

nature　of　iron；　was　made　choice　of　to　accompany　me；　and　being　fitted

with　an　ingenious　interpreter　that　well　understood　the　language；　and

that　had　dealt　much　in　that　commodity；　we　marched　first　for　Hamburgh；

then　to　Leipsic；　and　from　thence　to　Dresden；　the　Duke　of　Saxony's

court；　where　we　had　notice　of　the　place　where　the　plates　were　made；

which　was　in　a　large　tract　of　mountainous　land；　running　from　a　place

called　Seger…Hutton　unto　a　town　called　Awe　＇Au＇；　being　in　length

about　twenty　miles。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

The　district　is　known　as　the　Erzgebirge　or　Ore　Mountains；　and　the

Riesengebirge　or　Giant　Mountains；　MacCulloch　says　that　upwards　of　500

mines　are　wrought　in　the　former　district；　and　that　one…thirtieth　of

the　entire　population　of　Saxony　to　this　day　derive　their　subsistence

from　mining　industry　and　the　manufacture　of　metallic　products。

Geographical　Dict。　ii。　643；　edit。　1854。

　。。。＇



It　is　curious　to　find　how　much　the　national　industry　of　England　has

been　influenced　by　the　existence　from　time　to　time　of　religious

persecutions　abroad；　which　had　the　effect　of　driving　skilled

Protestant　artisans；　more　particularly　from　Flanders　and　France；　into

England；　where　they　enjoyed　the　special　protection　of　successive

English　Governments；　and　founded　various　important　branches　of

manufacture。　　But　it　appears　from　the　history　of　the　tin　manufactures

of　Saxony；　that　that　country　also　had　profited　in　like　manner　by　the

religious　persecutions　of　Germany；　and　even　of　England　itself。　　Thus

we　are　told　by　Yarranton　that　it　was　a　Cornish　miner；　a　Protestant；

banished　out　of　England　for　his　religion　in　Queen　Mary's　time；　who

discovered　the　tin　mines　at　Awe；　and　that　a　Romish　priest　of　Bohemia；

who　had　been　converted　to　Lutheranism　and　fled　into　Saxony　for

refuge；　〃was　the　chief　instrument　in　the　manufacture　until　it　was

perfected。〃　　These　two　men　were　held　in　great　regard　by　the　Duke　of

Saxony　as　well　as　by　the　people　of　the　country；　for　their　ingenuity

and　industry　proved　the　source　of　great　prosperity　and　wealth；

〃several　fine　cities；〃　says　Yarranton；　〃having　been　raised　by　the

riches　proceeding　from　the　tin…works〃not　less　than　80；000　men

depending　upon　the　trade　for　their　subsistence；　and　when　Yarranton

visited　Awe；　he　found　that　a　statue　had　been　erected　to　the　memory　of

the　Cornish　miner　who　first　discovered　the　tin。



Yarranton　was　very　civilly　received　by　the　miners；　and；　contrary　to

his　expectation；　he　was　allowed　freely　to　inspect　the　tin…works　and

examine　the　methods　by　which　the　iron…plates　were　rolled　out；　as　well

as　the　process　of　tinning　them。　　He　was　even　permitted　to　engage　a

number　of　skilled　workmen；　whom　he　brought　over　with　him　to　England

for　the　purpose　of　starting　the　manufacture　in　this　country。　　A

beginning　was　made；　and　the　tin…plates　manufactured　by　Yarranton's

men　were　pronounced　of　better　quality　even　than　those　made　in　Saxony。

〃Many　thousand　plates；〃　Yarranton　says；　〃were　made　from　iron　raised

in　the　Forest　of　Dean；　and　were　tinned　over　with　Cornish　tin；　and　the

plates　proved　far　better　than　the　German　ones；　by　reason　of　the

toughness　and　flexibleness　of　our　forest　iron。　　One　Mr。　Bison；　a

tinman　in　Worcester；　Mr。　Lydiate　near　Fleet　Bridge；　and　Mr。　Harrison

near　the　King's　Bench；　have　wrought　many；　and　know　their　goodness。〃

As　Yarranton's　account　was　written　and　published　during　the　lifetime

of　the　parties；　there　is　no　reason　to　doubt　the　accuracy　of　his

statement。



Arrangements　were　made　to　carry　on　the　manufacture　upon　a　large

scale；　but　the　secret　having　got　wind；　a　patent　was　taken　out；　or

〃trumpt　up〃　as　Yarranton　calls　it；　for　the　manufacture；　〃the　patentee

being　countenanced　by　some　persons　of　quality；〃　and　Yarranton　was

precluded　from　carrying　his　operations　further。　　It　i