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。