industrial biography-第25章

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sometimes　from　great　distances；　slung　in　bags　across　horses'

backs；for　the　state　of　the　roads　was　then　so　execrable　as　not　to

admit　of　its　being　led　for　any　considerable　distance　in　carts。　　At

length　we　arrive　at　a　period　when　coal　seems　to　have　come　into

general　use；　and　when　necessity　led　to　its　regular　employment　both　in

smelting　the　ore　and　in　manufacturing　the　metal。　　And　this　brings　us

to　the　establishment　of　the　Coalbrookdale　works；　where　the　smelting

of　iron　by　means　of　coke　and　coal　was　first　adopted　on　a　large　scale

as　the　regular　method　of　manufacture。



Abraham　Darby；　the　first　of　a　succession　of　iron　manufacturers　who

bore　the　same　name；　was　the　son　of　a　farmer　residing　at　Wrensnest；

near　Dudley。　　He　served　an　apprenticeship　to　a　maker　of　malt…kilns

near　Birmingham；　after　which　he　married　and　removed　to　Bristol　in

1700；　to　begin　business　on　his　own　account。　　Industry　is　of　all

politics　and　religions：　　thus　Dudley　was　a　Royalist　and　a　Churchman；

Yarranton　was　a　Parliamentarian　and　a　Presbyterian；　and　Abraham　Darby

was　a　Quaker。　　At　Bristol　he　was　joined　by　three　partners　of　the　same

persuasion；　who　provided　the　necessary　capital　to　enable　him　to　set

up　works　at　Baptist　Mills；　near　that　city；　where　he　carried　on　the

business　of　malt…mill　making；　to　which　he　afterwards　added　brass　and

iron　founding。



At　that　period　cast…iron　pots　were　in　very　general　use；　forming　the

principal　cooking　utensils　of　the　working　class。　　The　art　of　casting

had；　however；　made　such　small　progress　in　England　that　the　pots　were

for　the　most　part　imported　from　abroad。　　Darby　resolved；　if　possible；

to　enter　upon　this　lucrative　branch　of　manufacture；　and　he　proceeded

to　make　a　number　of　experiments　in　pot…making。　　Like　others　who　had

preceded　him；　he　made　his　first　moulds　of　clay；　but　they　cracked　and

burst；　and　one　trial　failed　after　another。　　He　then　determined　to　find

out　the　true　method　of　manufacturing　the　pots；　by　travelling　into　the

country　from　whence　the　best　were　imported；　in　order　to　master　the

grand　secret　of　the　trade。　　With　this　object　he　went　over　to　Holland

in　the　year　1706；　and　after　diligent　inquiry　he　ascertained　that　the

only　sure　method　of　casting　〃Hilton　ware；〃　as　such　castings　were　then

called；　was　in　moulds　of　fine　dry　sand。　　This　was　the　whole　secret。



Returning　to　Bristol；　accompanied　by　some　skilled　Dutch　workmen；

Darby　began　the　new　manufacture；　and　succeeded　to　his　satisfaction。

The　work　was　at　first　carried　on　with　great　secrecy；　lest　other

makers　should　copy　the　art；　and　the　precaution　was　taken　of　stopping

the　keyhole　of　the　workshop…door　while　the　casting　was　in　progress。

To　secure　himself　against　piracy；　he　proceeded　to　take　out　a　patent

for　the　process　in　the　year　1708；　and　it　was　granted　for　the　term　of

fourteen　years。　　The　recital　of　the　patent　is　curious；　as　showing　the

backward　state　of　English　iron…founding　at　that　time。　　It　sets　forth

that　〃whereas　our　trusty　and　well…beloved　Abraham　Darby；　of　our　city

of　Bristol；　smith；　hath　by　his　petition　humbly　represented　to　us；

that　by　his　study；　industry；　and　expense；　he　hath　found　out　and

brought　to　perfection　a　new　way　of　casting　iron　bellied　pots　and

other　iron　bellied　ware　in　sand　only；　without　loam　or　clay；　by　which

such　iron　pots　and　other　ware　may　be　cast　fine　and　with　more　ease　and

expedition；　and　may　be　afforded　cheaper　than　they　can　be　by　the　way

commonly　used；　and　in　regard　to　their　cheapness　may　be　of　great

advantage　to　the　poor　of　this　our　kingdom；　who　for　the　most　part　use

such　ware；　and　in　all　probability　will　prevent　the　merchants　of

England　going　to　foreign　markets　for　such　ware；　from　whence　great

quantities　are　imported；　and　likewise　may　in　time　supply　other

markets　with　that　manufacture　of　our　dominions；〃　&c。。。。。　　grants　the

said　Abraham　Darby　the　full　power　and　sole　privilege　to　make　and　sell

such　pots　and　ware　for　and　during　the　term　of　fourteen　years　thence

ensuing。〃



Darby　proceeded　to　make　arrangements　for　carrying　on　the　manufacture

upon　a　large　scale　at　the　Baptist　Mills；　but　the　other　partners

hesitated　to　embark　more　capital　in　the　concern；　and　at　length

refused　their　concurrence。　　Determined　not　to　be　baulked　in　his

enterprise；　Darby　abandoned　the　Bristol　firm；　and　in　the　year　1709　he

removed　to　Coalbrookdale　in　Shropshire；　with　the　intention　of

prosecuting　the　enterprise　on　his　own　account。　　He　took　the　lease　of　a

little　furnace　which　had　existed　at　the　place　for　more　than　a

century；　as　the　records　exist　of　a　〃smethe〃　or　〃smeth…house〃　at

Coalbrookdale　in　the　time　of　the　Tudors。　　The　woods　of　oak　and　hazel

which　at　that　time　filled　the　beautiful　dingles　of　the　dale；　and

spread　in　almost　a　continuous　forest　to　the　base　of　the　Wrekin；

furnished　abundant　fuel　for　the　smithery。　　As　the　trade　of　the

Coalbrookdale　firm　extended；　these　woods　became　cleared；　until　the

same　scarcity　of　fuel　began　to　be　experienced　that　had　already

desolated　the　forests　of　Sussex；　and　brought　the　manufacture　of　iron

in　that　quarter　to　a　stand…still。



It　appears　from　the　'Blast　Furnace　Memorandum　Book'　of　Abraham　Darby；

which　we　have　examined；　that　the　make　of　iron　at　the　Coalbrookdale

foundry；　in　1713；　varied　from　five　to　ten　tons　a　week。　　The　principal

articles　cast　were　pots；　kettles；　and　other　〃hollow　ware；〃　direct

from　the　smelting…furnace；　the　rest　of　the　metal　was　run　into　pigs。

In　course　of　time　we　find　that　other　castings　were　turned　out：　　a　few

grates；　smoothing…irons；　door…frames；　weights；　baking…plates；

cart…bushes；　iron　pestles　and　mortars；　and　occasionally　a　tailor's

goose。　　The　trade　gradually　increased；　until　we　find　as　many　as　150

pots　and　kettles　cast　in　a　week。



The　fuel　used　in　the　furnaces　appears；　from　the　Darby

Memorandum…Book；　to　have　been　at　first　entirely　charcoal；　but　the

growing　scarcity　of　wood　seems　to　have　gradually　led　to　the　use　of

coke；　brays　or　small　coke；　and　peat。　　An　abundance　of　coals　existed　in

the　neighbourhood：　　by　rejecting　those　of　inferior　quality；　and　coking

the　others　with　great　care；　a　combustible　was　obtained　better　fitted

even　than　charcoal　itself　for　the　fusion　of　that　particular　kind　of

ore　which　is　found　in　the　coal…measures。　　Thus　we　find　Darby's　most

favourite　charge　for　his　furnaces　to　have　been　five　baskets　of　coke；

two　of　brays；　and　one　of　peat；　next　followed　the　ore；　and　then　the

limestone。　　The　use　of　charcoal　was　gradually　given　up　as　the　art　of

smelting　with　coke　and　brays　improved；　most　probably　aided　by　the

increased　power　of　the　furnace…blast；　until　at　length　we　find　it

entirely　discontinued。



The　castings　of　Coalbrookdale　gradually　acquired　a　reputation；　and

the　trade　of　Abraham　Darby　continued　to　increase　until　the　date　of

his　death；　which　occurred　at　Madeley　Court　in　1717。　　His　sons　were　too

young　at　the　time　to　carry　on　the　business　which　he　had　so

successfully　started；　and　several　portions　of　the　works　were　sold　at

a　serious　sacrifice。　　But　when　the　sons　had　grown　up　to　manhood；　they

too　entered　upon　the　business　of　iron…founding；　and　Abraham　Darby's

son　and　grandson；　both　of　the　same　name；　largely　extended　the

operations　of　the　firm；　until　Coalbrookdale；　or；　as　it　was　popularly

called；　〃Bedlam；〃　became　the　principal　seat　of　one　of　the　most

important　branches　of　the　iron　trade。



There　seems　to　be　some　doubt　as　to　the　precise　time　when　pit…coal　was

first　regularly　employed　at　Coalbrookdale　in　smelting　the　ore。　　Mr。

Scrivenor　says；　〃pit…coal　was　first　used　by　Mr。　Abraham　Darby；　in　his

furnace　at　Coalbrookdale；　in　1713；〃*

　＇footnote。。。

History　of　the　Iron　Trade；　p。　56。

　。。。＇

but　we　can　find　no　confirmation　of　this　statement　in　the　records　of

the　Company。　　It　is　probable　that　Mr。　Darby　used　raw　coal；　as　was　done

in　the　Forest　of　Dean　at　the　same　time；*

　＇footnote。。。

See　Mr。　Powle's　account　of　the　Iron　Works　in　the　Forest　of　Dean

（1677…8）；　in　the　Philosophical　Transactions；　vol。　ii。　p。　418；　where

he　says；　〃After　the