Mr。ParkshousewasoneoftheesquirestoSirFerdinandoDudleythelegitimatesonoftheEarlofDudleyWhenhewasmadeKnightoftheBath。SirFerdinando’sonlydaughterFrancesmarriedHumbleWard,sonandheirofWilliamWard,goldsmithandjewellertoCharlestheFirst’squeen。HerhusbandhavingbeencreatedabaronbythetitleofBaronWardofBirmingham,andFrancesbecomingBaronessofDudleyinherownrightonthedemiseofherfather,thebaroniesofDudleyandWardthusbecameunitedintheireldestsonEdwardintheyear1697。”hadafowling-guntheremadeofthePit-coleiron,”whichwas”wellapproved。”Therewasthereforeeveryprospectofthenewmethodofmanufacturebecomingfairlyestablished,andwithgreaterexperiencefurtherimprovementsmightwithconfidencebeanticipated,whenasuccessionofcalamitiesoccurredtotheinventorwhichinvolvedhimindifficultiesandputaneffectualstoptotheprogressofhisenterprise。
Thenewworkshadbeeninsuccessfuloperationlittlemorethanayear,whenaflood,longafterknownasthe”GreatMay-dayFlood,”
sweptawayDudley’sprincipalworksatCradley,andotherwiseinflictedmuchdamagethroughoutthedistrict。”AtthemarkettowncalledStourbridge,”saysDud,inthecourseofhiscuriousnarrative,”althoughtheauthorsentwithspeedtopreservethepeoplefromdrowning,andoneresolutemanwascarriedfromthebridgethereintheday-time,thenetherpartofthetownwassodeepinwaterthatthepeoplehadmuchadotopreservetheirlivesintheuppermostroomsoftheirhouses。”Dudleyhimselfreceivedverylittlesympathyforhislosses。Onthecontrary,theiron-smeltersofthedistrictrejoicedexceedinglyatthedestructionofhisworksbytheflood。Theyhadseenhimmakinggoodironbyhisnewpatentprocess,andsellingitcheaperthantheycouldaffordtodo。Theyaccordinglyputincirculationallmannerofdisparagingreportsabouthisiron。
Itwasbadiron,notfittobeused;indeednoiron,exceptwhatwassmeltedwithcharcoalofwood,couldbegood。Tosmeltitwithcoalwasadangerousinnovation,andcouldonlyresultinsomegreatpubliccalamity。TheironmastersevenappealedtoKingJamestoputastoptoDud’smanufacture,allegingthathisironwasnotmerchantable。Andthencamethegreatflood,whichsweptawayhisworks;thehostileironmastersnowhopingthattherewasanendforeverofDudley’spit-coaliron。
ButDud,withhiswontedenergy,forthwithsettoworkandrepairedhisfurnacesandforges,thoughatgreatcost;andinthecourseofashorttimethenewmanufacturewasagaininfullprogress。Theironmastersraisedafreshoutcryagainsthim,andaddressedanotherstrongmemorialagainstDudandhisirontoKingJames。Thisseemstohavetakeneffect;andinordertoascertainthequalityofthearticlebytestingituponalargescale,theKingcommandedDudleytosenduptotheTowerofLondon,witheverypossiblespeed,quantitiesofallthesortsofbar-ironmadebyhim,fitforthe”makingofmuskets,carbines,andironforgreatboltsforshipping;
whichiron,”continuesDud,”beingsotriedbyartistsandsmiths,theironmastersandiron-mongerswereallsilenceduntilthe21styearofKingJames’sreign。”TheironmastersthenendeavouredtogettheDudleypatentincludedinthemonopoliestobeabolishedbythestatuteofthatyear;butalltheycouldaccomplishwasthelimitationofthepatenttofourteenyearsinsteadofthirty-one;thespecialexemptionofthepatentfromtheoperationofthestatuteaffordingasufficientindicationoftheimportancealreadyattachedtotheinvention。AfterthattimeDudley”wentonwithhisinventioncheerfully,andmadeannuallygreatstoreofiron,goodandmerchantable,andsoldituntodiversemenattwelvepoundsperton。””Ialso,”saidhe,”madeallsortsofcast-ironwares,asbrewingcisterns,pots,mortars,&c。,betterandcheaperthananyyetmadeinthesenationswithcharcoal,someofwhichareyettobeseenbyanymanattheauthor’shouseinthecityofWorcesterthatdesirestobesatisfiedofthetruthoftheinvention。”
Notwithstandingthisdecidedsuccess,Dudleyencounterednothingbuttroubleandmisfortune。Theironmasterscombinedtoresisthisinvention;theyfastenedlawsuit’suponhim,andsucceededingettinghimoustedfromhisworksatCradley。FromthenceheremovedtoHimleyinthecountyofStafford,wherehesetupapit-coalfurnace;
butbeingwithoutthemeansofforgingtheironintobars,hewasconstrainedtosellthepig-irontothecharcoal-ironmasters,”whodidhimmuchprejudice,notonlybydetaininghisstock,butalsobydisparaginghisiron。”HenextproceededtoerectalargenewfurnaceatHascoBridge,nearSedgeley,inthesamecounty,forthepurposeofcarryingoutthemanufactureonthemostimprovedprinciples。Thisfurnacewasofstone,twenty-sevenfeetsquare,providedwithunusuallylargebellows;andwheninfullworkhesayshewasenabledtoturnoutseventonsofironperweek,”thegreatestquantityofpit-coalironeveryetmadeinGreatBritain。”Atthesameplacehediscoveredandopenedoutnewworkingsofcoaltenfeetthick,lyingimmediatelyovertheironstone,andhepreparedtocarryonhisoperationsonalargescale;butthenewworkswerescarcelyfinishedwhenamobofrioters,instigatedbythecharcoal-ironmasters,brokeinuponthem,cutinpiecesthenewbellows,destroyedthemachinery,andlaidtheresultsofallhisdeep-laidingenuityandperseveringindustryinruins。FromthattimeforwardDudleywasallowednorestnorpeace:hewasattackedbymobs,worriedbylawsuits,andeventuallyoverwhelmedbydebts。HewasthenseizedbyhiscreditorsandsentuptoLondon,wherehewasheldaprisonerintheComptoirforseveralthousandpounds。Thecharcoal-ironmenthusforatimeremainedmastersofthefield。
CharlesI。seemstohavetakenpityonthesufferinginventor;andonhisearnestpetition,settingforththegreatadvantagestothenationofhisinvention,fromwhichhehadasyetderivednoadvantage,butonlylosses,sufferings,andpersecution,theKinggrantedhimarenewalofhispatent*
[footnote……
PatentNo。117,OldSeries,grantedin1638,toSirGeorgeHorsey,DavidRamsey,RogerFoulke,andDuddDudley。
intheyear1638;threeothergentlemenjoininghimaspartners,anddoubtlessprovidingtherequisitecapitalforcarryingonthemanufactureaftertheplansoftheinventor。ButDud’sevilfortunecontinuedtopursuehim。ThepatenthadscarcelybeensecurederetheCivilWarbrokeout,andtheartsofpeacemustatonceperforcegiveplacetotheartsofwar。Dud’snaturewouldnotsufferhimtobeneutralatsuchatime;andwhenthenationdivideditselfintotwohostilecamps,hispredilectionsbeingstronglyloyalist,hetookthesideoftheKingwithhisfather。ItwouldappearfromapetitionpresentedbyhimtoCharlesII。in1660,settingforthhissufferingsintheroyalcause,andprayingforrestoraltocertainofficeswhichhehadenjoyedunderCharlesI。,thatasearlyastheyear1637hehadbeenemployedbytheKingonamissionintoScotland,*
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Byhisownaccount,giveninMetallumMartis,whileinScotlandin1637,hevisitedtheHighlandsaswellastheLowlands,spendingthewholesummerofthatyear”inopeningofminesandmakingofdiscoveries;”spendingpartofthetimewithSirJamesHopeofLeadHills,nearwhere,hesays,”hegotgold。”Itdoesnotappear,however,thatanyironforgesexistedinScotlandatthetime:indeedDudleyexpresslysaysthat”Scotlandmakethnoiron;”andinhistreatiseof1665heurgesthattheCorporationoftheMinesRoyalshouldsethimandhisinventionsatworktoenableScotlandtoenjoythebenefitofacheapandabundantsupplyofthemanufacturedarticle。
inthetrainoftheMarquisofHamilton,theKing’sCommissioner。
Againin1639,leavinghisironworksandpartners,heaccompaniedCharlesonhisexpeditionacrosstheScotchborder,andwaspresentwiththearmyuntilitsdiscomfitureatNewburnnearNewcastleinthefollowingyear。
Theswordwasnowfairlydrawn,andDudseemsforatimetohaveabandonedhisiron-worksandfollowedentirelythefortunesoftheking。HewasswornsurveyoroftheMewsorArmouryin1640,butbeingunabletopayforthepatent,anotherwasswornininhisplace。Yethisloyaltydidnotfalter,forinthebeginningof1642,whenCharlessetoutfromLondon,shortlyafterthefallofStraffordandLaud,Dudwentwithhim。*
[footnote……
TheJournalsoftheHouseofCommons,ofthe13thJune,1642,containtheresolution”thatCaptainWolseley,EnsignDudley,andJohnLometonbeforthwithsentfor,asdelinquents,bytheSerjeant-at-ArmsattendingontheHouse,forgivinginterruptiontotheexecutionoftheordinanceofthemilitiainthecountyofLeicester。”
HewaspresentbeforeHullwhenSirJohnHothamshutitsgatesintheking’sface;atYorkwhentheroyalcommissionsofarrayweresentoutenjoiningallloyalsubjectstosendmen,arms,money,andhorses,fordefenceofthekingandmaintenanceofthelaw;atNottingham,wheretheroyalstandardwasraised;atCoventry,wherethetownspeoplerefusedthekingentranceandfireduponhistroopsfromthewalls;atEdgehill,wherethefirstgreatbutindecisivebattlewasfoughtbetweenthecontendingparties;inshort,asDudDudleystatesinhispetition,hewas”inmostofthebattailesthatyear,andalsosupplyedhislatesacredMajestie’smagazinesofStafford,Worcester,DudleyCastle,andOxford,witharms,shot,drakes,andcannon;andalso,becamemajoruntoSirFrauncisWorsley’sregiment,whichwasmuchdecaied。”
In1643,accordingtothestatementcontainedinhispetitionabovereferredto,DudDudleyactedasmilitaryengineerinsettingoutthefortificationsofWorcesterandStafford,andfurnishingthemwithordnance。AfterthetakingofLichfield,inwhichhehadashare,hewasmadeColonelofDragoons,andaccompaniedtheQueenwithhisregimenttotheroyalhead-quartersatOxford。TheyearafterwefindhimatthesiegeofGloucester,thenatthefirstbattleofNewburyleadingtheforlornhopewithSirGeorgeLisle,afterwardsmarchingwithSirCharlesLucasintotheassociatecounties,andpresentattheroyalistroutatNewport。Thathewasesteemedavaliantandskilfulofficerisapparentfromthecircumstance,thatin1645hewasappointedgeneralofPrinceMaurice’strainofartillery,andafterwardsheldthesamerankunderLordAshley。Theirondistrictsbeingstillforthemostpartoccupiedbytheroyalarmies,ourmilitaryengineerturnedhispracticalexperiencetoaccountbydirectingtheforgingofdrakes*
[footnote……
Smallpiecesofartillery,specimensofwhicharestilltobeseeninthemuseumatWoolwichArsenalandattheTower。
ofbar-iron,whichwerefoundofgreatuse,givinguphisowndwelling-houseinthecityofWorcesterforthepurposeofcarryingonthemanufactureoftheseandotherarms。ButWorcesterandthewesterntownsfellbeforetheParliamentarianarmiesin1646,andalltheiron-worksbelongingtoroyalists,fromwhichtheprincipalsuppliesofarmshadbeendrawnbytheKing’sarmy,wereforthwithdestroyed。
Dudleyfullysharedinthedangersandvicissitudesofthattryingperiod,andborehispartthroughoutlikeavaliantsoldier。Fortwoyearsnothingwasheardofhim,untilin1648,whentheking’spartydrewtogetheragain,andmadeheadindifferentpartsofthecountry,northandsouth。GoringraisedhisstandardinEssex,butwasdrivenbyFairfaxintoColchester,wherehedefendedhimselffortwomonths。