按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
welds；〃 JOHN NORDEN； Surveyors' Dialogue （1607）。
Few records exist of the manufacture of iron in England in early
times。 After the Romans left the island； the British； or more
probably the Teutonic tribes settled along the south coast； continued
the smelting and manufacture of the metal after the methods taught
them by the colonists。 In the midst of the insecurity； however；
engendered by civil war and social changes； the pursuits of industry
must necessarily have been considerably interfered with； and the art
of iron…forging became neglected。 No notice of iron being made in
Sussex occurs in Domesday Book； from which it would appear that the
manufacture had in a great measure ceased in that county at the time
of the Conquest； though it was continued in the iron…producing
districts bordering on Wales。 In many of the Anglo…Saxon graves which
have been opened； long iron swords have been found； showing that
weapons of that metal were in common use。 But it is probable that
iron was still scarce； as ploughs and other agricultural implements
continued to be made of wood；one of the Anglo…Saxon laws enacting
that no man should undertake to guide a plough who could not make
one； and that the cords with which it was bound should be of twisted
willows。 The metal was held in esteem principally as the material of
war。 All male adults were required to be provided with weapons； and
honour was awarded to such artificers as excelled in the fabrication
of swords； arms； and defensive armour。*
＇footnote。。。
WILKINS； Leges Sax。 25。
。。。＇
Camden incidentally states that the manufacture of iron was continued
in the western counties during the Saxon era； more particularly in
the Forest of Dean； and that in the time of Edward the Confessor the
tribute paid by the city of Gloucester consisted almost entirely of
iron rods wrought to a size fit for making nails for the king's
ships。 An old religious writer speaks of the ironworkers of that day
as heathenish in their manners； puffed up with pride； and inflated
with worldly prosperity。 On the occasion of St。 Egwin's visit to the
smiths of Alcester； as we are told in the legend； he found then given
up to every kind of luxury； and when he proceeded to preach unto
them； they beat upon their anvils in contempt of his doctrine so as
completely to deafen him； upon which he addressed his prayers to
heaven； and the town was immediately destroyed。*
＇footnote。。。
Life of St。 Egwin； in Capgrave's Nova Legenda Anglioe。 Alcester was；
as its name indicates； an old Roman settlement （situated on the
Icknild Street）； where the art of working in iron was practised from
an early period。 It was originally called Alauna； being situated on
the river Alne in Warwickshire。 It is still a seat of the needle
manufacture。
。。。＇
But the first reception given to John Wesley by the miners of the
Forest of Dean； more than a thousand years later； was perhaps
scarcely more gratifying than that given to St。 Egwin。
That working in iron was regarded as an honourable and useful calling
in the Middle Ages； is apparent from the extent to which it was
followed by the monks； some of whom were excellent craftsmen。 Thus
St。 Dunstan； who governed England in the time of Edwy the Fair； was a
skilled blacksmith and metallurgist。 He is said to have had a forge
even in his bedroom； and it was there that his reputed encounter with
Satan occurred； in which of course the saint came off the victor。
There was another monk of St。 Alban's； called Anketil； who flourished
in the twelfth century； so famous for his skill as a worker in iron；
silver； gold； jewelry； and gilding； that he was invited by the king
of Denmark to be his goldsmith and banker。 A pair of gold and silver
candlesticks of his manufacture； presented by the abbot of St。
Alban's to Pope Adrian IV。； were so much esteemed for their exquisite
workmanship that they were consecrated to St。 Peter； and were the
means of obtaining high ecclesiastical distinction for the abbey。
We also find that the abbots of monasteries situated in the iron
districts； among their other labours； devoted themselves to the
manufacture of iron from the ore。 The extensive beds of cinders still
found in the immediate neighbourhood of Rievaulx and Hackness； in
Yorkshire； show that the monks were well acquainted with the art of
forging； and early turned to account the riches of the Cleveland
ironstone。 In the Forest of Dean also； the abbot of Flaxley was
possessed of one stationary and one itinerant forge； by grant from
Henry II； and he was allowed two oaks weekly for fuel；a privilege
afterwards commuted； in 1258； for Abbot's Wood of 872 acres； which
was held by the abbey until its dissolution in the reign of Henry
VIII。 At the same time the Earl of Warwick had forges at work in his
woods at Lydney； and in 1282； as many as 72 forges were leased from
the Crown by various iron…smelters in the same Forest of Dean。
There are numerous indications of iron…smelting having been conducted
on a considerable scale at some remote period in the neighbourhood of
Leeds； in Yorkshire。 In digging out the foundations of houses in
Briggate； the principal street of that town； many 〃bell pits〃 have
been brought to light； from which ironstone has been removed。 The new
cemetery at Burmandtofts； in the same town； was in like manner found
pitted over with these ancient holes。 The miner seems to have dug a
well about 6 feet in diameter； and so soon as he reached the mineral；
he worked it away all round； leaving the bell…shaped cavities in
question。 He did not attempt any gallery excavations； but when the
pit was exhausted； a fresh one was sunk。 The ore； when dug； was
transported； most probably on horses' backs； to the adjacent
districts for the convenience of fuel。 For it was easier to carry the
mineral to the woodthen exclusively used for smelting'than to
bring the wood to the mineral。 Hence the numerous heaps of scoriae
found in the neighbourhood of Leeds；at Middleton； Whitkirk； and
Horsforthall within the borough。 At Horsforth； they are found in
conglomerated masses from 30 to 40 yards long； and of considerable
width and depth。 The remains of these cinder…beds in various
positions； some of them near the summit of the hill； tend to show；
that as the trees were consumed； a new wind furnace was erected in
another situation； in order to lessen the labour of carrying the
fuel。 There are also deposits of a similar kind at Kirkby Overblow； a
village a few miles to the north…east of Leeds； and Thoresby states
that the place was so called because it was the village of the 〃Ore
blowers；〃hence the corruption of 〃Overblow。〃 A discovery has
recently been made among the papers of the Wentworth family； of a
contract for supplying wood and ore for iron 〃blomes〃 at Kirskill
near Otley； in the fourteenth century；*
＇footnote。。。
The following is an extract of this curious document； which is