industrial biography-第22章

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precluded　from　carrying　his　operations　further。　　It　is　not　improbable

that　the　patentee　in　question　was　William　Chamberlaine；　Dud　Dudley's

quondam　partner　in　the　iron　manufacture。*

　＇footnote。。。

Chamberlaine　and　Dudley's　first　licence　was　granted　in　1661　for

plating　steel　and　tinning　the　said　plates；　and　Chamberlaine's　sole

patent　for　〃plating　and　tinning　iron；　copper；　&c。；〃　was　granted　in

1673；　probably　the　patent　in　question。

　。。。＇

〃What　with　the　patent　being　in　our　way；〃　says　Yarranton；　〃and　the

richest　of　our　partners　being　afraid　to　offend　great　men　in　power；

who　had　their　eye　upon　us；　it　caused　the　thing　to　cool；　and　the

making　of　the　tin…plates　was　neither　proceeded　in　by　us；　nor　possibly

could　be　by　him　that　had　the　patent；　because　neither　he　that　hath　the

patent；　nor　those　that　have　countenanced　him；　can　make　one　plate　fit

for　use。〃　　Yarranton's　labours　were　thus　lost　to　the　English　public

for　a　time；　and　we　continued　to　import　all　our　tin…plates　from

Germany　until　about　sixty　years　later；　when　a　tin…plate　manufactory

was　established　by　Capel　Hanbury　at　Pontypool　in　Monmouthshire；　where

it　has　since　continued　to　be　successfully　carried　on。



We　can　only　briefly　refer　to　the　subsequent　history　of　Andrew

Yarranton。　　Shortly　after　his　journey　into　Saxony；　he　proceeded　to

Holland　to　examine　the　inland　navigations　of　the　Dutch；　to　inspect

their　linen　and　other　manufactures；　and　to　inquire　into　the　causes　of

the　then　extraordinary　prosperity　of　that　country　compared　with

England。　　Industry　was　in　a　very　languishing　state　at　home。　　〃People

confess　they　are　sick；〃　said　Yarranton；　〃that　trade　is　in　a

consumption；　and　the　whole　nation　languishes。〃　　He　therefore

determined　to　ascertain　whether　something　useful　might　not　be　learnt

from　the　example　of　Holland。　　The　Dutch　were　then　the　hardest　working

and　the　most　thriving　people　in　Europe。　　They　were　manufacturers　and

carriers　for　the　world。　　Their　fleets　floated　on　every　known　sea；　and

their　herring…busses　swarmed　along　our　coasts　as　far　north　as　the

Hebrides。　　The　Dutch　supplied　our　markets　with　fish　caught　within

sight　of　our　own　shores；　while　our　coasting　population　stood　idly

looking　on。　　Yarranton　regarded　this　state　of　things　as　most

discreditable；　and　he　urged　the　establishment　of　various　branches　of

home　industry　as　the　best　way　of　out…doing　the　Dutch　without　fighting

them。



Wherever　he　travelled　abroad；　in　Germany　or　in　Holland；　he　saw

industry　attended　by　wealth　and　comfort；　and　idleness　by　poverty　and

misery。　　The　same　pursuits；　he　held；　would　prove　as　beneficial　to

England　as　they　were　abundantly　proved　to　have　been　to　Holland。　　The

healthy　life　of　work　was　good　for　allfor　individuals　as　for　the

whole　nation；　and　if　we　would　out…do　the　Dutch；　he　held　that　we　must

out…do　them　in　industry。　　But　all　must　be　done　honestly　and　by　fair

means。　　〃Common　Honesty；〃　said　Yarranton；　〃is　as　necessary　and　needful

in　kingdoms　and　commonwealths　that　depend　upon　Trade；　as　discipline

is　in　an　army；　and　where　there　is　want　of　common　Honesty　in　a　kingdom

or　commonwealth；　from　thence　Trade　shall　depart。　　For　as　the　Honesty

of　all　governments　is；　so　shall　be　their　Riches；　and　as　their　Honour；

Honesty；　and　Riches　are；　so　will　be　their　Strength；　and　as　their

Honour；　Honesty；　Riches；　and　Strength　are；　so　will　be　their　Trade。

These　are　five　sisters　that　go　hand　in　hand；　and　must　not　be　parted。〃

Admirable　sentiments；　which　are　as　true　now　as　they　were　two　hundred

years　ago；　when　Yarranton　urged　them　upon　the　attention　of　the

English　public。



On　his　return　from　Holland；　he　accordingly　set　on　foot　various

schemes　of　public　utility。　　He　stirred　up　a　movement　for　the

encouragement　of　the　British　fisheries。　　He　made　several　journeys　into

Ireland　for　the　purpose　of　planting　new　manufactures　there。　　He

surveyed　the　River　Slade　with　the　object　of　rendering　it　navigable；

and　proposed　a　plan　for　improving　the　harbour　of　Dublin。　　He　also

surveyed　the　Dee　in　England　with　a　view　to　its　being　connected　with

the　Severn。　　Chambers　says　that　on　the　decline　of　his　popularity　in

1677；　he　was　taken　by　Lord　Clarendon　to　Salisbury　to　survey　the　River

Avon；　and　find　out　how　that　river　might　be　made　navigable；　and　also

whether　a　safe　harbour　for　ships　could　be　made　at　Christchurch；　and

that　having　found　where　he　thought　safe　anchorage　might　be　obtained；

his　Lordship　proceeded　to　act　upon　Yarranton's　recommendations。*

　＇footnote。。。

JOHN　CHAMBERS；　Biographical　Illustrations　of　Worcestershire。　　London；

1820。

　。。。＇



Another　of　his　grand　schemes　was　the　establishment　of　the　linen

manufacture　in　the　central　counties　of　England；　which；　he　showed；

were　well　adapted　for　the　growth　of　flax；　and　he　calculated　that　if

success　attended　his　efforts；　at　least　two　millions　of　money　then

sent　out　of　the　country　for　the　purchase　of　foreign　linen　would　be

retained　at　home；　besides　increasing　the　value　of　the　land　on　which

the　flax　was　grown；　and　giving　remunerative　employment　to　our　own

people；　then　emigrating　for　want　of　work。　　〃　Nothing　but　Sloth　or

Envy；〃　he　said；　〃can　possibly　hinder　my　labours　from　being　crowned

with　the　wished　for　success；　our　habitual　fondness　for　the　one　hath

already　brought　us　to　the　brink　of　ruin；　and　our　proneness　to　the

other　hath　almost　discouraged　all　pious　endeavours　to　promote　our

future　happiness。〃



In　1677　he　published　the　first　part　of　his　England's　Improvement　by

Sea　and　Landa　very　remarkable　book；　full　of　sagacious　insight　as

respected　the　future　commercial　and　manufacturing　greatness　of

England。　　Mr。　Dove　says　of　this　book　that　Yarranton〃　chalks　out　in　it

the　future　course　of　Britain　with　as　free　a　hand　as　if　second…sight

had　revealed　to　him　those　expansions　of　her　industrial　career　which

never　fail　to　surprise　us；　even　when　we　behold　them　realized。〃

Besides　his　extensive　plans　for　making　harbours　and　improving

internal　navigation　with　the　object　of　creating　new　channels　for

domestic　industry；　his　schemes　for　extending　the　iron　and　the　woollen

trades；　establishing　the　linen　manufacture；　and　cultivating　the　home

fisheries；　we　find　him　throwing　out　various　valuable　suggestions　with

reference　to　the　means　of　facilitating　commercial　transactions；　some

of　winch　have　only　been　carried　out　in　our　own　day。　　One　of　his

grandest　ideas　was　the　establishment　of　a　public　bank；　the　credit　of

which；　based　upon　the　security　of　freehold　land；*

　＇footnote。。。

Yarranton's　Land　Bank　was　actually　projected　in　1695；　and　received

the　sanction　of　Parliament；　though　the　Bank　of　England　（founded　in

the　preceding　year）　petitioned　against　it；　and　the　scheme　was

dropped。

　。。。＇

should　enable　its　paper　〃to　go　in　trade　equal　with　ready　money。〃　　A

bank　of　this　sort　formed　one　of　the　principal　means　by　which　the

Dutch　had　been　enabled　to　extend　their　commercial　transactions；　and

Yarranton　accordingly　urged　its　introduction　into　England。　　Part　of

his　scheme　consisted　of　a　voluntary　register　of　real　property；　for

the　purpose　of　effecting　simplicity　of　title；　and　obtaining　relief

from　the　excessive　charges　for　law；*

　＇footnote。。。

It　is　interesting　to　note　in　passing；　that　part　of　Yarranton's　scheme

has　recently　been　carried　into　effect　by　the　Act　（25　and　26　Vict。　　c。

53）　passed　in　1862　for　the　Registration　of　Real　Estate。

　。。。＇

as　well　as　enabling　money　to　be　readily　raised　for　commercial

purposes　on　security　of　the　land　registered。



He　pointed　out　very　graphically　the　straits　to　which　a　man　is　put　who

is　possessed　of　real　property　enough；　but　in　a　time　of　pressure　is

unable　to　turn　himself　round　for　want　of　ready　cash。　　〃Then；〃　says　he；

〃all　his　creditors　crowd　to　him　as　pigs　do　through　a　hole　to　a　bean

and　pease　rick。〃　　〃Is　it　not　a　sad　thing；〃　he　asks；　〃that　a

goldsmith's　boy　in　Lombard　Street；　who　gives　notes　for　the　monies

handed　him　by　the　merchants；　should　take　up　more　monies　upon　his

notes　in　one　day　than　two　lords；　four　knights；　and