Yarrantonwasnosooneratlibertythanwefindhimagainoccupiedwithhisplansofimprovedinlandnavigation。HisfirstschemewastodeepenthesmallriverSalwarp,soastoconnectDroitwichwiththeSevernbyawatercommunication,andthusfacilitatethetransportofthesaltsoabundantlyyieldedbythebrinespringsnearthattown。
In1665,theburgessesofDroitwichagreedtogivehim750L。andeightsaltvatsinUpwich,valuedat80L。perannum,withthree-quartersofavatinNorthwich,fortwenty-oneyears,inpaymentforthework。Butthetimeswerestillunsettled,andYarrantonandhispartnerWallnotbeingrich,theschemewasnotthencarriedintoeffect。*
[footnote……
NASH’SWorcestershire,i。306。
InthefollowingyearwefindhimoccupiedwithasimilarschemetoopenupthenavigationoftheriverStour,passingbyStourportandKidderminster,andconnectitbyanartificialcutwiththeriverTrent。Someprogresswasmadewiththisundertaking,sofarinadvanceoftheage,but,liketheother,itcametoastandstillforwantofmoney,andmorethanahundredyearspassedbeforeitwascarriedoutbyakindredgenius——JamesBrindley,thegreatcanalmaker。Mr。ChamberssaysthatwhenYarranton’sschemewasfirstbroughtforward,itmetwithviolentoppositionandridicule。Theundertakingwasthoughtwonderfullybold,and,joinedtoitsgreatextent,thesandy,spongynatureoftheground,thehighbanksnecessarytopreventtheinundationoftheStouronthecanal,furnisheditsopponents,ifnotwithsoundargument,atleastwithveryspecioustopicsforoppositionandlaughter。*
[footnote……
JOHNCHAMBERS,BiographicalIllustrationsofWorcestershire。London,1820。
Yarranton’splanwastomaketheriveritselfnavigable,andbyunitingitwithotherrivers,openupacommunicationwiththeTrent;
whileBrindley’swastocutacanalparallelwiththeriver,andsupplyitwithwaterfromthence。Yarrantonhimselfthusaccountsforthefailureofhisschemein’England’sImprovementbySeaandLand’:——”Itwasmyprojection,”hesays,”andIwilltellyouthereasonwhyitwasnotfinished。TheriverStourandsomeotherriversweregrantedbyanActofParliamenttocertainpersonsofhonor,andsomeprogresswasmadeinthework,butwithinasmallwhileaftertheActpassed*
[footnote……
TheActformakingtheStourandSalwarpnavigableoriginatedintheLordsandwaspassedintheyear1661。
itwasletfallagain;butitbeingabratofmyown,Iwasnotwillingitshouldbeabortive,whereforeImadeofferstoperfectit,havingathirdpartoftheinheritancetomeandmyheirsforever,andwecametoanagreement,uponwhichIfellon,andmadeitcompletelynavigablefromStourbridgetoKidderminster,andcarrieddownmanyhundredtonsofcoal,andlaidoutnear1000L。,andthereitwasobstructedforwantofmoney。”*
[footnote……
Nash,inhisHist。ofWorc。,intimatesthatLordWindsorsubsequentlyrenewedtheattempttomaketheSalwarpnavigable。Heconstructedfiveoutofthesixlocks,andthenabandonedthescheme。Gough,inhiseditionofCamden’sBrit。ii。357,Lond。1789,says,”ItisnotlongsincesomeoftheboatsmadeuseofinYarranton’snavigationwerefound。Neithertraditionnorourprojector’saccountofthematterperfectlysatisfyuswhythisnavigationwasneglected……Wemustthereforeconcludethatthenumerousworksandglass-housesupontheStour,andintheneighbourhoodofStourbridge,didnotthenexist,A。D。1666……ThenavigablecommunicationwhichnowconnectsTrentandSevern,andwhichrunsinthecourseofYarranton’sproject,isalreadyofgeneraluse……ThecanalsinceexecutedundertheinspectionofMr。Brindley,runningparallelwiththeriver……
costtheproprietors105,000L。”
AnotherofYarranton’sfar-sightedschemesofasimilarkindwasonetoconnecttheThameswiththeSevernbymeansofanartificialcut,attheveryplacewhere,morethanacenturyafterhisdeath,itwasactuallycarriedoutbymodernengineers。Thiscanal,itappears,wastwicesurveyedunderhisdirectionbyhisson。Hedid,however,succeedinhisowntimeinopeningupthenavigation。oftheAvon,andwasthefirsttocarrybargesuponitswatersfromTewkesburytoStratford。
Theimprovementofagriculture,too,hadashareofYarranton’sattention。Hesawthesoilexhaustedbylongtillageandconstantlyrepeatedcropsofrye,andheurgedthatthelandshouldhaverestoratleastrotationofcrop。Withthisobjectheintroducedclover-seed,andsupplieditlargelytothefarmersofthewesterncounties,whofoundtheirlanddoubledinvaluebythenewmethodofhusbandry,anditshortlybecameadoptedthroughoutthecountry。
Seeinghowcommercewasretardedbythesmallaccommodationprovidedforshippingatthethenprincipalports,YarrantonnextmadesurveysandplanneddocksforthecityofLondon;butthoughhezealouslyadvocatedthesubject,hefoundfewsupporters,andhisplansprovedfruitless。Inthisrespecthewasnearlyahundredandfiftyyearsbeforehisage,andtheLondonimporterscontinuedtoconducttheirshippingbusinessinthecrowdedtidewayoftheThamesdowneventothebeginningofthepresentcentury。
Whilecarryingonhisironworks,itoccurredtoYarrantonthatitwouldbeofgreatnationaladvantageifthemanufactureoftin-platecouldbeintroducedintoEngland。Althoughtherichesttinminesthenknownexistedinthiscountry,themechanicalartswereatsolowanebbthatwewerealmostentirelydependentuponforeignersforthesupplyofthearticlesmanufacturedfromthemetal。TheSaxonsweretheprincipalconsumersofEnglishtin,andweobtainedfromtheminreturnnearlythewholeofourtin-plates。AllattemptsmadetomanufacturetheminEnglandhadhithertofailed;thebeatingoutoftheironbyhammersintolaminaesufficientlythinandsmooth,andthesubsequentdistributionandfixingofthefilmoftinoverthesurfaceoftheiron,provingdifficultieswhichtheEnglishmanufacturerswereunabletoovercome。TomasterthesedifficultiestheindefatigableYarrantonsethimselftowork。”Knowing,”sayshe,”theusefulnessoftin-platesandthegoodnessofourmetalsforthatpurpose,Idid,aboutsixteenyearssincei。e。about1665,endeavourtofindoutthewayformakingthereof;whereuponI
acquaintedapersonofmuchriches,andonethatwasveryunderstandingintheironmanufacture,whowaspleasedtosaythathehadoftendesignedtogetthetradeintoEngland,butnevercouldfindouttheway。Uponwhichitwasagreedthatasumofmoniesshouldbeadvancedbyseveralpersons,*
[footnote……
Inthededicationofhisbook,entitledEnglandsImprovementbySeaandLand,PartI。,Yarrantongivesthenamesofthe”noblepatriots”
whosenthimonhisjourneyofinquiry。TheywereSirWaiterKirthamBlount,Bart。,SirSamuelBaldwinandSirTimothyBaldwin,Knights,ThomasFoleyandPhilipFoley,Esquires,andsixothergentlemen。ThefatheroftheFoleyswashimselfsupposedtohaveintroducedtheartofiron-splittingintoEnglandbyanexpedientsimilartothatadoptedbyYarrantoninobtainingaknowledgeofthetin-platemanufactureSelf-Help,p。145。Thesecretofthesilk-throwingmachineryofPiedmontwasinlikemannerintroducedintoEnglandbyMr。LombeofDerby,whoshortlysucceededinfoundingaflourishingbranchofmanufacture。Thesewereindeedthedaysofromanceandadventureinmanufactures。
forthedefrayingofmychargesoftravellingtotheplacewheretheseplatesaremade,andfromthencetobringawaytheartofmakingthem。Uponwhich,anablefire-man,thatwellunderstoodthenatureofiron,wasmadechoiceoftoaccompanyme;andbeingfittedwithaningeniousinterpreterthatwellunderstoodthelanguage,andthathaddealtmuchinthatcommodity,wemarchedfirstforHamburgh,thentoLeipsic,andfromthencetoDresden,theDukeofSaxony’scourt,wherewehadnoticeoftheplacewheretheplatesweremade;
whichwasinalargetractofmountainousland,runningfromaplacecalledSeger-HuttonuntoatowncalledAwe[Au],beinginlengthabouttwentymiles。”*
[footnote……
ThedistrictisknownastheErzgebirgeorOreMountains,andtheRiesengebirgeorGiantMountains,MacCullochsaysthatupwardsof500
minesarewroughtintheformerdistrict,andthatone-thirtiethoftheentirepopulationofSaxonytothisdayderivetheirsubsistencefromminingindustryandthemanufactureofmetallicproducts——
GeographicalDict。ii。643,edit。1854。
ItiscurioustofindhowmuchthenationalindustryofEnglandhasbeeninfluencedbytheexistencefromtimetotimeofreligiouspersecutionsabroad,whichhadtheeffectofdrivingskilledProtestantartisans,moreparticularlyfromFlandersandFrance,intoEngland,wheretheyenjoyedthespecialprotectionofsuccessiveEnglishGovernments,andfoundedvariousimportantbranchesofmanufacture。ButitappearsfromthehistoryofthetinmanufacturesofSaxony,thatthatcountryalsohadprofitedinlikemannerbythereligiouspersecutionsofGermany,andevenofEnglanditself。ThuswearetoldbyYarrantonthatitwasaCornishminer,aProtestant,banishedoutofEnglandforhisreligioninQueenMary’stime,whodiscoveredthetinminesatAwe,andthataRomishpriestofBohemia,whohadbeenconvertedtoLutheranismandfledintoSaxonyforrefuge,”wasthechiefinstrumentinthemanufactureuntilitwasperfected。”ThesetwomenwereheldingreatregardbytheDukeofSaxonyaswellasbythepeopleofthecountry;fortheiringenuityandindustryprovedthesourceofgreatprosperityandwealth,”severalfinecities,”saysYarranton,”havingbeenraisedbytherichesproceedingfromthetin-works”——notlessthan80,000mendependinguponthetradefortheirsubsistence;andwhenYarrantonvisitedAwe,hefoundthatastatuehadbeenerectedtothememoryoftheCornishminerwhofirstdiscoveredthetin。
Yarrantonwasverycivillyreceivedbytheminers,and,contrarytohisexpectation,hewasallowedfreelytoinspectthetin-worksandexaminethemethodsbywhichtheiron-plateswererolledout,aswellastheprocessoftinningthem。Hewasevenpermittedtoengageanumberofskilledworkmen,whomhebroughtoverwithhimtoEnglandforthepurposeofstartingthemanufactureinthiscountry。A
beginningwasmade,andthetin-platesmanufacturedbyYarranton’smenwerepronouncedofbetterqualityeventhanthosemadeinSaxony。”Manythousandplates,”Yarrantonsays,”weremadefromironraisedintheForestofDean,andweretinnedoverwithCornishtin;andtheplatesprovedfarbetterthantheGermanones,byreasonofthetoughnessandflexiblenessofourforestiron。OneMr。Bison,atinmaninWorcester,Mr。LydiatenearFleetBridge,andMr。HarrisonneartheKing’sBench,havewroughtmany,andknowtheirgoodness。”
AsYarranton’saccountwaswrittenandpublishedduringthelifetimeoftheparties,thereisnoreasontodoubttheaccuracyofhisstatement。
Arrangementsweremadetocarryonthemanufactureuponalargescale;butthesecrethavinggotwind,apatentwastakenout,or”trumptup”asYarrantoncallsit,forthemanufacture,”thepatenteebeingcountenancedbysomepersonsofquality,”andYarrantonwasprecludedfromcarryinghisoperationsfurther。ItisnotimprobablethatthepatenteeinquestionwasWilliamChamberlaine,DudDudley’squondampartnerintheironmanufacture。*
[footnote……
ChamberlaineandDudley’sfirstlicencewasgrantedin1661forplatingsteelandtinningthesaidplates;andChamberlaine’ssolepatentfor”platingandtinningiron,copper,&c。,”wasgrantedin1673,probablythepatentinquestion。