thoughthemanufacturenearthatplacehaslongsinceceased。
AlthoughthemakingofironwasthuscarriedoninvariouspartsofEnglandintheMiddleAges,thequantityproducedwasaltogetherinsufficienttomeettheordinarydemand,asitappearsfromourearlyrecordstohavelongcontinuedoneoftheprincipalarticlesimportedfromforeigncountries。Englishironwasnotonlydearer,butitwasmuchinferiorinqualitytothatmanufacturedabroad;andhenceallthebestarmsandtoolscontinuedtobemadeofforeigniron。Indeedthescarcityofthismetaloccasionallyledtogreatinconvenience,andtopreventitsrisinginpriceParliamentenacted,in1354,thatnoiron,eitherwroughtorunwrought,shouldbeexported,underheavypenalties。Fornearlytwohundredyears——thatis,throughoutthefourteenthandfifteenthcenturies——theEnglishmarketwasprincipallysuppliedwithironandsteelfromSpainandGermany;theforeignmerchantsoftheSteelyarddoingalargeandprofitabletradeinthosecommodities。Whilethewoollenandotherbranchesoftradeweremakingconsiderableprogress,themanufactureofironstoodstill。Amongthelistsofarticles,theimportationofwhichwasprohibitedinEdwardIV。’sreign,withaviewtotheprotectionofdomesticmanufactures,wefindnomentionofiron,whichwasstill,asamatterofnecessity,allowedtocomefreelyfromabroad。
ThefirstindicationsofrevivalintheironmanufactureshowedthemselvesinSussex,adistrictinwhichtheRomanshadestablishedextensiveworks,andwheresmeltingoperationswerecarriedontoapartialextentintheneighbourhoodofLewes,inthethirteenthandfourteenthcenturies,wheretheironwasprincipallymadeintonailsandhorse-shoes。Thecountyaboundsinironstone,whichiscontainedinthesandstonebedsoftheForestridge,lyingbetweenthechalkandooliteofthedistrict,calledbygeologiststheHastingssand。
Thebedsruninanorth-westerlydirection,byAshburnhamandHeathfield,toCrowboroughandthereabouts。Inearlytimestheregionwascoveredwithwood,andwasknownastheGreatForestofAnderida。
TheWeald,orwildwood,aboundedinoaksofgreatsize,suitableforsmeltingore;andtheproximityofthemineraltothetimber,aswellasthesituationofthedistrictintheneighbourhoodofthecapital,sufficientlyaccountfortheSussexiron-worksbeingamongthemostimportantwhichexistedinEnglandprevioustothediscoveryofsmeltingbypit-coal。
Theironmanufacturersofthesouthwereespeciallybusyduringthefifteenthandsixteenthcenturies。Theirworkswereestablishedneartothebedsofore,andinplaceswherewater-powerexisted,orcouldbeprovidedbyartificialmeans。HencethenumerousartificialpondswhicharestilltobefoundallovertheSussexirondistrict。Damsofearth,called”pond-bays,”werethrownacrosswatercourses,withconvenientoutletsbuiltofmasonry,whereinwassetthegreatwheelwhichworkedthehammerorblewthefurnace。Portionsoftheadjoiningforest-landweregrantedorleasedtotheiron-smelters;
andthemanyplacesstillknownbythenameof”Chart”intheWeald,probablymarkthelandscharteredforthepurposeofsupplyingtheiron-workswiththeirnecessaryfuel。Thecast-irontombstonesandslabsinmanySussexchurchyards,——theandironsandchimneybacks*
[footnote……
Thebackofagratehasrecentlybeenfound,castbyRichardLeonardatBredeFurnacein1636。Itiscuriousascontainingarepresentationofthefounderwithhisdogandcups;adrawingofthefurnace,withthewheelbarrowandotherimplementsforthecasting,andonashieldthepincersandothermarksoftheblacksmith。
LeonardwastenantoftheSackvillefurnaceatLittleUdimore——SussexArchaeologicalCollections,vol。xii。
stillfoundinoldSussexmansionsandfarm-houses,andsuchnamesasFurnacePlace,CinderHill,ForgeFarm,andHammerPond,whichareofveryfrequentoccurrencethroughoutthecounty,clearlymarktheextentandactivityofthisancientbranchofindustry。*
[footnote……
ForaninterestingaccountoftheearlyironindustryofSussexseeM。A。LOWER’SContributionstoLiterature,Historical,Antiquarian,andMetrical。London,1854。
Steelwasalsomanufacturedatseveralplacesinthecounty,moreparticularlyatSteel-ForgeLand,Warbleton,andatRobertsbridge。
Thesteelwassaidtobeofgoodquality,resemblingSwedish——bothalikedependingfortheirexcellenceontheexclusiveuseofcharcoalinsmeltingtheore,——ironsoproducedmaintainingitssuperiorityovercoal-smeltedirontothisday。
Whencannoncametobeemployedinwar,thenearnessofSussextoLondonandtheCinqueFortsgaveitagreatadvantageovertheremoteriron-producingdistrictsinthenorthandwestofEngland,andforalongtimetheiron-worksofthiscountyenjoyedalmostamonopolyofthemanufacture。Themetalwasstilltooprecioustobeusedforcannonballs,whichwerehewnofstonefromquarriesonMaidstoneHeath。Ironwasonlyavailable,andthatinlimitedquantities,forthefabricationofthecannonthemselves,andwrought-ironwaschieflyusedforthepurpose。AnoldmortarwhichformerlylayonEridgeGreen,nearFrant,issaidtohavebeenthefirstmortarmadeinEngland;*
[footnote……
Archaeologia,vol。x。472。
onlythechamberwascast,whilethetubeconsistedofbarsstronglyhoopedtogether。Althoughthelocaldistichsaysthat”MasterHuggettandhismanJohnTheydidcastthefirstcannon,”
thereiseveryreasontobelievethatbothcannonsandmortarsweremadeinSussexbeforeHuggett’stime;theoldhoopedgunsintheTowerbeingofthedateofHenryVI。Thefirstcast-ironcannonsofEnglishmanufactureweremadeatBuxtead,inSussex,in1543,byRalphHogge,masterfounder,whoemployedashisprincipalassistantonePeterBaude,aFrenchman。Gun-foundingwasaFrenchinvention,andMr。LowersupposesthatHoggebroughtoverBaudefromFrancetoteachhisworkmenthemethodofcastingtheguns。AboutthesametimeHoggeemployedaskilledFlemishgunsmithnamedPeterVanCollet,who,accordingtoStowe,”devisedorcausedtobemadecertainmortarpieces,beingatthemouthfromeleventonineincheswide,fortheusewhereofthesaidPetercausedtobemadecertainhollowshotofcast-irontobestuffedwithfyrework,whereofthebiggersortforthesamehasscrewsofirontoreceiveamatchtocarryfyrefortobreakinsmallpiecesthesaidhollowshot,whereofthesmallestpiecehittingamanwouldkillorspoilhim。”Inshort,PeterVanCollethereintroducedthemanufactureoftheexplosiveshellintheforminwhichitcontinuedtobeuseddowntoourownday。
Baude,theFrenchman,afterwardssetupbusinessonhisownaccount,makingmanyguns,bothofbrassandiron,someofwhicharestillpreservedintheTower。*
[footnote……
Oneofthese,61/2feetlong,andof21/2inchesbore,manufacturedin1543,bearsthecastinscriptionofPetrusBaudeGallusoperisartifex。
Otherworkmen,learningthetradefromhim,alsobegantomanufactureontheirownaccount;oneofBaude’sservants,namedJohnJohnson,andafterhimhissonThomas,becomingfamousfortheexcellenceoftheircast-ironguns。TheHoggescontinuedthebusinessforseveralgenerations,andbecameawealthycountyfamily。Huggettwasanothercannonmakerofrepute;andOwenbecamecelebratedforhisbrassculverins。Mr。Lowermentions,asacuriousinstanceofthetenacitywithwhichfamiliescontinuetofollowaparticularvocation,thatmanypersonsofthenameofHuggettstillcarryonthetradeofblacksmithinEastSussex。ButmostoftheearlyworkmenattheSussexiron-works,asinotherbranchesofskilledindustryinEnglandduringthesixteenthcentury,wereforeigners——FlemishandFrench——manyofwhomhadtakenrefugeinthiscountryfromthereligiouspersecutionsthenragingabroad,whileothers,ofspecialskill,wereinvitedoverbytheironmanufacturerstoinstructtheirworkmenintheartofmetal-founding。*
[footnote……
Mr。Lowersays,”Manyforeignerswerebroughtovertocarryontheworks;whichperhapsmayaccountforthenumberofFrenchmenandGermanswhosenamesappearinourparishregistersaboutthemiddleofthesixteenthcentury。”——ContributionstoLiterature,108。
AsmuchwealthwasgainedbythepursuitoftherevivedironmanufactureinSussex,iron-millsrapidlyextendedovertheore-yieldingdistrict。Thelandedproprietorsenteredwithzealintothisnewbranchofindustry,andwhenwoodranshort,theydidnothesitatetosacrificetheirancestraloakstoprovidefuelforthefurnaces。Mr。Lowersayseventhemostancientfamilies,suchastheNevilles,Howards,Percys,Stanleys,Montagues,Pelhams,Ashburnhams,Sidneys,Sackvilles,Dacres,andFinches,prosecutedthemanufacturewithalltheapparentardourofBirminghamandWolverhamptonmeninmoderntimes。WilliamPenn,thecourtierQuaker,hadiron-furnacesatHawkhurstandotherplacesinSussex。TheruinsoftheAshburnhamforge,situatedafewmilestothenorth-eastofBattle,stillservetoindicatetheextentofthemanufacture。Attheupperpartofthevalleyinwhichtheworksweresituated,anartificiallakewasformedbyconstructinganembankmentacrossthewatercoursedescendingfromthehigherground,*
[footnote……
Theembankmentandsluicesofthefurnace-pondattheupperpartofthevalleycontinuetobemaintained,thelakebeingusedbythepresentLordAshburnhamasapreserveforfishandwater-fowl。
andthusasufficientfallofwaterwasprocuredforthepurposeofblowingthefurnaces,thesiteofwhichisstillmarkedbysurroundingmoundsofironcindersandcharcoalwaste。Threequartersofamilelowerdownthevalleystoodtheforge,alsoprovidedwithwater-powerforworkingthehammer;andsomeoftheoldbuildingsarestillstanding,amongotherstheboring-house,ofsmallsize,nowusedasanordinarylabourer’scottage,wherethegunswerebored。