Atthatperiodcast-ironpotswereinverygeneraluse，formingtheprincipalcookingutensilsoftheworkingclass。Theartofcastinghad，however，madesuchsmallprogressinEnglandthatthepotswereforthemostpartimportedfromabroad。Darbyresolved，ifpossible，toenteruponthislucrativebranchofmanufacture；andheproceededtomakeanumberofexperimentsinpot-making。Likeotherswhohadprecededhim，hemadehisfirstmouldsofclay；buttheycrackedandburst，andonetrialfailedafteranother。Hethendeterminedtofindoutthetruemethodofmanufacturingthepots，bytravellingintothecountryfromwhencethebestwereimported，inordertomasterthegrandsecretofthetrade。WiththisobjecthewentovertoHollandintheyear1706，andafterdiligentinquiryheascertainedthattheonlysuremethodofcasting”Hiltonware，”assuchcastingswerethencalled，wasinmouldsoffinedrysand。Thiswasthewholesecret。
ReturningtoBristol，accompaniedbysomeskilledDutchworkmen，Darbybeganthenewmanufacture，andsucceededtohissatisfaction。
Theworkwasatfirstcarriedonwithgreatsecrecy，lestothermakersshouldcopytheart；andtheprecautionwastakenofstoppingthekeyholeoftheworkshop-doorwhilethecastingwasinprogress。
Tosecurehimselfagainstpiracy，heproceededtotakeoutapatentfortheprocessintheyear1708，anditwasgrantedforthetermoffourteenyears。Therecitalofthepatentiscurious，asshowingthebackwardstateofEnglishiron-foundingatthattime。Itsetsforththat”whereasourtrustyandwell-belovedAbrahamDarby，ofourcityofBristol，smith，hathbyhispetitionhumblyrepresentedtous，thatbyhisstudy，industry，andexpense，hehathfoundoutandbroughttoperfectionanewwayofcastingironbelliedpotsandotherironbelliedwareinsandonly，withoutloamorclay，bywhichsuchironpotsandotherwaremaybecastfineandwithmoreeaseandexpedition，andmaybeaffordedcheaperthantheycanbebythewaycommonlyused；andinregardtotheircheapnessmaybeofgreatadvantagetothepoorofthisourkingdom，whoforthemostpartusesuchware，andinallprobabilitywillpreventthemerchantsofEnglandgoingtoforeignmarketsforsuchware，fromwhencegreatquantitiesareimported，andlikewisemayintimesupplyothermarketswiththatmanufactureofourdominions，”&c……grantsthesaidAbrahamDarbythefullpowerandsoleprivilegetomakeandsellsuchpotsandwareforandduringthetermoffourteenyearsthenceensuing。”
DarbyproceededtomakearrangementsforcarryingonthemanufactureuponalargescaleattheBaptistMills；buttheotherpartnershesitatedtoembarkmorecapitalintheconcern，andatlengthrefusedtheirconcurrence。Determinednottobebaulkedinhisenterprise，DarbyabandonedtheBristolfirm；andintheyear1709heremovedtoCoalbrookdaleinShropshire，withtheintentionofprosecutingtheenterpriseonhisownaccount。Hetooktheleaseofalittlefurnacewhichhadexistedattheplaceformorethanacentury，astherecordsexistofa”smethe”or”smeth-house”atCoalbrookdaleinthetimeoftheTudors。Thewoodsofoakandhazelwhichatthattimefilledthebeautifuldinglesofthedale，andspreadinalmostacontinuousforesttothebaseoftheWrekin，furnishedabundantfuelforthesmithery。AsthetradeoftheCoalbrookdalefirmextended，thesewoodsbecamecleared，untilthesamescarcityoffuelbegantobeexperiencedthathadalreadydesolatedtheforestsofSussex，andbroughtthemanufactureofironinthatquartertoastand-still。
Itappearsfromthe’BlastFurnaceMemorandumBook’ofAbrahamDarby，whichwehaveexamined，thatthemakeofironattheCoalbrookdalefoundry，in1713，variedfromfivetotentonsaweek。Theprincipalarticlescastwerepots，kettles，andother”hollowware，”directfromthesmelting-furnace；therestofthemetalwasrunintopigs。
Incourseoftimewefindthatothercastingswereturnedout：afewgrates，smoothing-irons，door-frames，weights，baking-plates，cart-bushes，ironpestlesandmortars，andoccasionallyatailor’sgoose。Thetradegraduallyincreased，untilwefindasmanyas150
potsandkettlescastinaweek。
Thefuelusedinthefurnacesappears，fromtheDarbyMemorandum-Book，tohavebeenatfirstentirelycharcoal；butthegrowingscarcityofwoodseemstohavegraduallyledtotheuseofcoke，braysorsmallcoke，andpeat。Anabundanceofcoalsexistedintheneighbourhood：byrejectingthoseofinferiorquality，andcokingtheotherswithgreatcare，acombustiblewasobtainedbetterfittedeventhancharcoalitselfforthefusionofthatparticularkindoforewhichisfoundinthecoal-measures。ThuswefindDarby’smostfavouritechargeforhisfurnacestohavebeenfivebasketsofcoke，twoofbrays，andoneofpeat；nextfollowedtheore，andthenthelimestone。Theuseofcharcoalwasgraduallygivenupastheartofsmeltingwithcokeandbraysimproved，mostprobablyaidedbytheincreasedpowerofthefurnace-blast，untilatlengthwefinditentirelydiscontinued。
ThecastingsofCoalbrookdalegraduallyacquiredareputation，andthetradeofAbrahamDarbycontinuedtoincreaseuntilthedateofhisdeath，whichoccurredatMadeleyCourtin1717。Hissonsweretooyoungatthetimetocarryonthebusinesswhichhehadsosuccessfullystarted，andseveralportionsoftheworksweresoldataserioussacrifice。Butwhenthesonshadgrownuptomanhood，theytooentereduponthebusinessofiron-founding；andAbrahamDarby’ssonandgrandson，bothofthesamename，largelyextendedtheoperationsofthefirm，untilCoalbrookdale，or，asitwaspopularlycalled，”Bedlam，”becametheprincipalseatofoneofthemostimportantbranchesoftheirontrade。
Thereseemstobesomedoubtastotheprecisetimewhenpit-coalwasfirstregularlyemployedatCoalbrookdaleinsmeltingtheore。Mr。
Scrivenorsays，”pit-coalwasfirstusedbyMr。AbrahamDarby，inhisfurnaceatCoalbrookdale，in1713；”*
[footnote……
HistoryoftheIronTrade，p。56。
butwecanfindnoconfirmationofthisstatementintherecordsoftheCompany。ItisprobablethatMr。Darbyusedrawcoal，aswasdoneintheForestofDeanatthesametime，*
[footnote……
SeeMr。Powle’saccountoftheIronWorksintheForestofDean1677-8，inthePhilosophicalTransactions，vol。ii。p。418，wherehesays，”Aftertheyhavepoundedtheirore，theirfirstworkistocalcineit，whichisdoneinkilns，muchafterthefashionofordinarylime-kilns，Thesetheyfilluptothetopwithcoalandore，stratumsuperstratum，untilitbefull；andsosettingfiretothebottom，theyletitburntillthecoalbewasted，andthenrenewthekilnswithfreshoreandcoal，inthesamemannerasbefore。Thisisdonewithoutfusionofthemetal，andservestoconsumethemoredrossypartsoftheoreandtomakeitfriable。”Thewriterthendescribestheprocessofsmeltingtheoremixedwithcinderinthefurnaces，where，hesays，thefuelis”alwaysofcharcoal。””Severalattempts，”headds，”havebeenmadetointroducetheuseofsea-coalintheseworksinsteadofcharcoal，theformerbeingtobehadataneasierratethanthelatter；buthithertotheyhaveprovedineffectual，theworkmenfindingbyexperiencethatasea-coalfire，howvehementsoever，willnotpenetratethemostfixedpartsoftheore，andsoleavesmuchofthemetalunmelted”
intheprocessofcalciningtheore；butitwouldappearfromhisownMemorandathatcokeonlywasusedintheprocessofsmelting。Weinferfromothercircumstancesthatpit-coalwasnotemployedforthelatterpurposeuntilaconsiderablylaterperiod。Themeritofitsintroduction，anditssuccessfuluseiniron-smelting，isduetoMr。
RichardFord，whohadmarriedadaughterofAbrahamDarby，andmanagedtheCoalbrookdaleworksin1747。InapaperbytheRev。Mr。
Mason，WoodwardianProfessoratCambridge，giveninthe’PhilosophicalTransactions’forthatyear，*
[footnote……
Phil。Trans。vol。xliv。305。
thefirstaccountofitssuccessfulemploymentisstatedasfollows：——”Severalattemptshavebeenmadetoruniron-orewithpit-coal：heMr。Masonthinksithasnotsucceededanywhere，aswehavehadnoaccountofitsbeingpractised；
butMr。Ford，ofCoalbrookdaleinShropshire，fromiron-oreandcoal，bothgotinthesamedale，makesironbrittleortoughashepleases，therebeingcannonthuscastsosoftastobearturninglikewrought-iron。”Mostprobably，however，itwasnotuntilthetimeofRichardReynolds，whosucceededAbrahamDarbythesecondinthemanagementoftheworksin1757，thatpit-coalcameintolargeandregularuseintheblasting-furnacesaswellasthefineriesofCoalbrookdale。
RichardReynoldswasbornatBristolin1735。Hisparents，liketheDarbys，belongedtotheSocietyofFriends，andhewaseducatedinthatpersuasion。Beingaspirited，livelyyouth，the”oldAdam”
occasionallycroppedoutinhim；andheisevensaid，whenayoungman，tohavebeensomuchfiredbytheheroismofthesoldier’scharacterthathefeltastrongdesiretoembraceamilitarycareer；
butthisfeelingsoondiedout，andhedroppedintothesoberandsteadyrutoftheSociety。Afterservinganapprenticeshipinhisnativetown，hewassenttoCoalbrookdaleonamissionofbusiness，wherehebecameacquaintedwiththeDarbyfamily，andshortlyaftermarriedHannah，thedaughterofAbrahamthesecond。HethenenteredupontheconductoftheironandcoalworksatKetleyandHorsehay，whereheresidedforsixyears，removingtoCoalbrookdalein1763，totakechargeoftheworksthere，onthedeathofhisfather-in-law。
BytheexertionsandenterpriseoftheDarbys，theCoalbrookdaleWorkshadbecomegreatlyenlarged，givingremunerativeemploymenttoalargeandincreasingpopulation。ThefirmhadextendedtheiroperationsfarbeyondtheboundariesoftheDale：theyhadestablishedfoundriesatLondon，Bristol，andLiverpool，andagenciesatNewcastleandTruroforthedisposalofsteam-enginesandotherironmachineryusedinthedeepminesofthosedistricts。Watthadnotyetperfectedhissteam-engine；buttherewasaconsiderabledemandforpumping-enginesofNewcomen’sconstruction，manyofwhichweremadeattheCoalbrookdaleWorks。Theincreasingdemandforirongaveanimpetustocoal-mining，whichinitsturnstimulatedinventorsintheirimprovementofthepowerofthesteam-engine；forthecoalcouldnotbeworkedquicklyandadvantageouslyunlessthepitscouldbekeptclearofwater。Thusoneinventionstimulatesanother；andwhenthesteam-enginehadbeenperfectedbyWatt，andenabledpowerful-blowingapparatustobeworkedbyitsagency，weshallfindthattheproductionofironbymeansofpit-coalbeingrenderedcheapandexpeditious，soonbecameenormouslyincreased。