Themachinewasamereuprightdrillworkedbythewater-wheel，whichwasonlyeighteeninchesacrossthebreast。Thepropertybelonged，asitstilldoes，totheAshburnhamfamily，whoaresaidtohavederivedgreatwealthfromthemanufactureofgunsattheirworks，whichwereamongthelastcarriedoninSussex。TheAshburnhamironwasdistinguishedforitstoughness，andwassaidtobeequaltothebestSpanishorSwedishiron。
Manynewmenalsobecameenriched，andfoundedcountyfamilies；theFullerfamilyfranklyavowingtheirorigininthesingularmottoofCarboneetforcipibus——literally，bycharcoalandtongs。*
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RemindingoneoftheoddmottoassumedbyGillespie，thetobacconistofEdinburgh，founderofGillespie’sHospital，onwhosecarriage-panelswasemblazonedaScotchmull，withthemotto，”Whawadha’thochtit，Thatnosescouldha’boughtit！”
ItisjustpossiblethattheFullersmayhavetakentheirmottofromthewordsemployedbyJuvenalindescribingthefatherofDemosthenes，whowasablacksmithandasword-cutler——”Quempaterardentismassaefuliginelippus，AcarboneetforcipibusgladiosqueparanteIncudeetluteoVulcanoadrhetoramisit。”
MenthenwentintoSussextopushtheirfortunesattheforges，astheynowdoinWalesorStaffordshire；andtheysucceededthen，astheydonow，bydintofapplication，industry，andenergy。TheSussexArchaeologicalPapersfor1860containacuriousrecordofsuchanadventurer，inthehistoryofthefounderoftheGalefamily。LeonardGalewasbornin1620atRiverhead，nearSevenoaks，wherehisfatherpursuedthetradeofablacksmith。Whentheyouthhadreachedhisseventeenthyear，hisfatherandmother，withfiveoftheirsonsanddaughters，diedoftheplague，Leonardandhisbrotherbeingtheonlymembersofthefamilythatsurvived。Thepatrimonyof200L。leftthemwassoonspent；afterwhichLeonardpaidoffhisservants，andtooktoworkdiligentlyathisfather’strade。Savingalittlemoney，hedeterminedtogodownintoSussex，whereweshortlyfindhimworkingtheSt。Leonard’sForge，andafterwardstheTensleyForgenearCrawley，andtheCowdenIron-works，whichthenboreahighreputation。Afterfortyyears’labour，heaccumulatedagoodfortune，whichhelefttohissonofthesamename，whowentoniron-forging，andeventuallybecameacountygentleman，ownerofthehouseandestateofCrabbettnearWorth，andMemberofParliamentforEastGrinstead。
Severalofthenewfamilies，however，afteroccupyingahighpositioninthecounty，againsubsidedintothelabouringclass，illustratingtheLancashireproverbof”Twiceclogs，onceboots，”thesonssquanderingwhatthefather’shadgathered，andfallingbackintotheranksagain。ThusthegreatFowlesfamilyofRiverhalldisappearedaltogetherfromSussex。OneofthembuiltthefinemansionofRiverhall，nobleevenindecay。AnotherhadagrantoffreewarrenfromKingJamesoverhisestatesinWadhurst，Frant，Rotherfield，andMayfield。Mr。Lowersaysthefourthindescentfromthispersonkepttheturnpike-gateatWadhurst，andthatthelastofthefamily，aday-labourer，emigratedtoAmericain1839，carryingwithhim，asthesolerelicofhisfamilygreatness，theroyalgrantoffreewarrengiventohisancestor。TheBarhamsandManserswerealsogreatiron-men，officiatingashighsheriffsofthecountyatdifferenttimes，andoccupyingspaciousmansions。Onebranchofthesefamiliesterminated，Mr。Lowersays，withNicholasBarham，whodiedintheworkhouseatWadhurstin1788；andanothercontinuestoberepresentedbyawheelwrightatWadhurstofthesamename。
TheironmanufactureofSussexreacheditsheighttowardsthecloseofthereignofElizabeth，whenthetradebecamesoprosperousthat，insteadofimportingiron，Englandbegantoexportitinconsiderablequantities，intheshapeofironordnance。SirThomasLeightonandSirHenryNevillehadobtainedpatentsfromthequeen，whichenabledthemtosendtheirordnanceabroad，theconseqnenceofwhichwasthattheSpaniardswerefoundarmingtheirshipsandfightinguswithgunsofourownmanufacture。SirWalterRaleigh，callingattentiontothesubjectintheHouseofCommons，said，”IamsureheretoforeoneshipofHerMajesty’swasabletobeattenSpaniards，butnow，byreasonofourownordnance，wearehardlymatchtonetoone。”Proclamationswereissuedforbiddingtheexportofironandbrassordnance，andabillwasbroughtintoParliamenttoputastoptothetrade；but，notwithstandingtheseprohibitions，theSussexgunslongcontinuedtobesmuggledoutofthecountryinconsiderablenumbers。”Itisalmostincredible，”saysCamden，”howmanygunsaremadeoftheironinthiscounty。CountGondomartheSpanishambassadorwellknewtheirgoodnesswhenhesooftenbeggedofKingJamestheboontoexportthem。”Thoughthekingrefusedhissanction，itappearsthatSirAnthonyShirleyofWeston，anextensiveiron-master，succeededinforwardingtotheKingofSpainahundredpiecesofcannon。
SoactiveweretheSussexmanufacturers，andsobriskwasthetradetheycarriedon，thatduringthereignofJamesI。itissupposedone-halfofthewholequantityofironproducedinEnglandwasmadethere。SimonSturtevant，inhis’TreatiseofMetallica，’publishedin1612，estimatesthewholenumberofiron-millsinEnglandandWalesat800，ofwhich，hesays，”therearefourehundredmilnesinSurry，Kent，andSussex，asthetownsmenofHaslemerehavetestifiedandnumbereduntome。ButthetownsmenofHaslemeremustcertainlyhavebeenexaggerating，unlesstheycountedsmiths’andfarriers’shopsinthenumberofiron-mills。AboutthesametimethatSturtevant’streatisewaspublished，thereappearedatreatiseentitledthe’Surveyor’sDialogue，’byoneJohnNorden，theobjectofwhichwastomakeoutacaseagainsttheiron-worksandtheirbeingallowedtoburnupthetimberofthecountryforfuel。YetNordendoesnotmakethenumberofiron-worksmuchmorethanathirdofSturtevant’sestimate。Hesays，”IhaveheardthatthereareorlatelywereinSussexneere140hammersandfurnacesforiron，andinitandSurreyadjoiningthreeorfourglasse-houses。”EventhesmallernumberstatedbyNorden，however，showsthatSussexwasthenregardedastheprincipalseatoftheiron-trade。Camdenvividlydescribesthenoiseandbustleofthemanufacture——theworkingoftheheavyhammers，which，”beatingupontheiron，filltheneighbourhoodroundabout，dayandnight，withcontinualnoise。”Thesehammerswereforthemostpartworkedbythepowerofwater，carefullystoredintheartificial”Hammer-ponds”abovedescribed。Thehammer-shaftwasusuallyofash，about9feetlong，clampedatintervalswithironhoops。Itwasworkedbytherevolutionsofthewater-wheel，furnishedwithprojectingarmsorknobstoraisethehammer，whichfellaseachknobpassed，therapidityofitsactionofcoursedependingonthevelocitywithwhichthewater-wheelrevolved。Theforge-blastwasalsoworkedforthemostpartbywater-power。Wherethefurnacesweresmall，theblastwasproducedbyleatherbellowsworkedbyhand，orbyahorsewalkinginagin。Thefoot-blastsoftheearlieriron-smeltersweresoimperfectthatbutasmallproportionoftheorewasreduced，sothattheiron-makersoflatertimes，moreparticularlyintheForestofDean，insteadofdiggingforironstone，resortedtothebedsofancientscoriaefortheirprincipalsupplyofthemineral。
NotwithstandingthelargenumberoffurnacesinblastthroughoutthecountyofSussexattheperiodwereferto，theirproducewascomparativelysmall，andmustnotbemeasuredbytheenormousproduceofmoderniron-works；forwhileaniron-furnaceofthepresentdaywilleasilyturnout150tonsofpigperweek，thebestoftheolderfurnacesdidnotproducemorethanfromthreetofourtons。OneofthelastextensivecontractsexecutedinSussexwasthecastingoftheironrailswhichencloseSt。Paul’sCathedral。Thecontractwasthoughttoolargeforoneiron-mastertoundertake，anditwasconsequentlydistributedamongstseveralcontractors，thoughtheprincipalpartoftheworkwasexecutedatLamberhurst，nearTunbridgeWells。Buttoproducethecomparativelysmallquantityofironturnedoutbytheoldworks，theconsumptionoftimberwasenormous；forthemakingofeverytonofpig-ironrequiredfourloadsoftimberconvertedintocharcoalfuel，andthemakingofeverytonofbar-ironrequiredthreeadditionalloads。Thus，notwithstandingtheindispensableneedofiron，theextensionofthemanufacture，bythreateningthedestructionofthetimberofthesoutherncounties，cametoberegardedinthelightofanationalcalamity。Uptoacertainpoint，theclearingoftheWealdofitsdensegrowthofunderwoodhadbeenofadvantage，byaffordingbetteropportunitiesfortheoperationsofagriculture。Butthe”voragiousiron-mills”
wereproceedingtoswallowupeverythingthatwouldburn，andtheoldforestgrowthswererapidlydisappearing。Anentirewoodwassoonexhausted，andlongtimewasneededbeforeitgrewagain。AtLamberhurstalone，thoughtheproducewasonlyaboutfivetonsofirona-week，theannualconsumptionofwoodwasabout200，000cords！
Woodcontinuedtobetheonlymaterialusedforfuelgenerally——astrongprejudiceexistingagainsttheuseofsea-coalfordomesticpurposes。*
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Itwasthenbelievedthatseaorpit-coalwaspoisonouswhenburntindwellings，andthatitwasespeciallyinjurioustothehumancomplexion。Allsortsofdiseaseswereattributedtoitsuse，andatonetimeitwasevenpenaltoburnit。TheLondonersonlybegantoreconcilethemselvestotheuseofcoalwhenthewoodwithinreachofthemetropolishadbeennearlyallburntup，andnootherfuelwastobehad。
Itthereforebegantobefearedthattherewouldbenoavailablefuelleftwithinpracticablereachofthemetropolis；andthecontingencyofhavingtofacetherigorouscoldofanEnglishwinterwithoutfuelnaturallyoccasioningmuchalarm，theactionoftheGovernmentwasdeemednecessarytoremedytheapprehendedevil。
TocheckthedestructionofwoodnearLondon，anActwaspassedin1581prohibitingitsconversionintofuelforthemakingofironwithinfourteenmilesoftheThames，forbiddingtheerectionofnewironworkswithintwenty-twomilesofLondon，andrestrictingthenumberofworksinKent，Surrey，andSussex，beyondtheabovelimits。
SimilarenactmentsweremadeinfutureParliamentswiththesameobject，whichhadtheeffectofcheckingthetrade，andseveraloftheSussexironmasterswereunderthenecessityofremovingtheirworkselsewhere。SomeofthemmigratedtoGlamorganshire，inSouthWales，becauseoftheabundanceoftimberaswellasironstoneinthatquarter，andtheresetuptheirforges，moreparticularlyatAberdareandMerthyrTydvil。Mr。Llewellinhasrecentlypublishedaninterestingaccountoftheirproceedings，withdescriptionsoftheirworks，*
[footnote……
ArchaeologiaCambrensis，3rdSeries，No。34，April，1863。Art。”SussexIronmastersinGlamorganshire。”
remainsofwhichstillexistatLlwydcoed，Pontyryns，andotherplacesintheAberdarevalley。AmongtheSussexmasterswhosettledinGlamorganshireforthepurposeofcarryingontheironmanufacture，wereWalterBurrell，thefriendofJohnRay，thenaturalist，oneoftheMorleysofGlyndeinSussex，theRelfesfromMayfield，andtheCheneysfromCrawley。
Notwithstandingthesemigrationsofenterprisingmanufacturers，theirontradeofSussexcontinuedtoexistuntilthemiddleoftheseventeenthcentury，whenthewasteoftimberwasagainurgedupontheattentionofParliament，andthepenaltiesforinfringingthestatutesseemtohavebeenmorerigorouslyenforced。Thetradethensufferedamoreseriouscheck；andduringthecivilwars，aheavyblowwasgiventoitbythedestructionoftheworksbelongingtoallroyalists，whichwasaccomplishedbyadivisionofthearmyunderSirWilliamWaller。MostoftheWelshironworkswererazedtothegroundaboutthesametime，andwerenotagainrebuilt。AndaftertheRestoration，in1674，alltheroyalironworksintheForestofDeanweredemolished，leavingonlysuchtobesuppliedwithoreaswerebeyondtheforestlimits；thereasonallegedforthismeasurebeinglesttheironmanufactureshouldendangerthesupplyoftimberrequiredforshipbuildingandothernecessarypurposes。
FromthistimetheironmanufactureofSussex，asofEnglandgenerally，rapidlydeclined。In1740therewereonlyfifty-ninefurnacesinallEngland，ofwhichtenwereinSussex；andin1788
therewereonlytwo。Afewyearslater，andtheSussexironfurnaceswereblownoutaltogether。Farnhurst，inwestern，andAshburnham，ineasternSussex，witnessedthetotalextinctionofthemanufacture。
Thedinoftheironhammerwashushed，theglareofthefurnacefaded，thelastblastofthebellowswasblown，andthedistrictreturnedtoitsoriginalruralsolitude。Someofthefurnace-pondsweredrainedandplantedwithhopsorwillows；othersformedbeautifullakesinretiredpleasure-grounds；whiletheremainderwereusedtodriveflour-mills，asthestreamsinNorthKent，insteadofdrivingfulling-mills，wereemployedtoworkpaper-mills。Allthatnowremainsoftheoldiron-worksaretheextensivebedsofcindersfromwhichmaterialisoccasionallytakentomendtheSussexroads，andthenumerousfurnace-ponds，hammer-posts，forges，andcinderplaces，whichmarktheseatsoftheancientmanufacture。
CHAPTERIII。
IRON-SMELTINGBYPIT-COAL——DUDDUDLEY。”GodofhisInfinitegoodnessifwewillbuttakenoticeofhisgoodnessuntothisNationhathmadethisCountryaveryGranaryforthesupplyingofSmithswithIron，Cole，andLimemadewithcole，whichhathmuchsuppliedthesemenwithCornalsooflate；andfromthesemenagreatpart，notonlyofthisIsland，butalsoofhisMajestie’sotherKingdomsandTerritories，withIronwareshavetheirsupply，andWoodinthesepartsalmostexhausted，althoughitwereoflateamightywoodlandcountry。”——DUDLEY’sMetallumMartis，1665。
Thesevererestrictionsenforcedbythelegislatureagainsttheuseofwoodiniron-smeltinghadtheeffectofalmostextinguishingthemanufacture。Newfurnacesceasedtobeerected，andmanyoftheoldoneswereallowedtofallintodecay，untilitbegantobefearedthatthisimportantbranchofindustrywouldbecomecompletelylost。