new invention at a place called Hasco Bridge in the Parish of Sedgley and County of Stafford the Bellows of which Furnace were larger then ordinary Bellows are in which work he made 7 Tuns of Iron per week the greatest quantity of Pit-cole-Iron that ever yet was made in Great Brittain near which Furnace the Author discovered many new Cole-mines 10 yards thick and Iron-Mine under it according to other Cole-works which Cole-works being brought unto perfection the Author was by force thrown out of them and the Fellows of his new Furnace and Invention by riotous persons cut in pieces to his no small prejudice and loss of his Invention of making of Iron with Pit-cole Sea-cole c. So that being with Law-Suites and Riots wearied and disabled to prosecute his Art and Invention at present even untill the first Pattent was extinct Notwithstanding the Author his sad Sufferings Imprisonments wrongfully for several thousand pound in the Counter in London yet did obtaine a new Pattent dated the 2d of May Anno 14. Caroli Primi of ever Blessed Memory not only for the making of Iron into cast-works and bars but also for the Melting Extracting Refining and Reducing of all Mines Minerals and Mettals with Pit-cole Sea-cole Peat and Turf for the preservation of Wood and Timber of this Island into which Pattent the Author for the better support and management of his Invention so much opposed formerly at the Court at the Parliament and at the Law took in David Ramsey Esquire Resident at the Court Sir George Horsey at the Parliament Roger Foulke Esquire a Counsellour of the Temple and an Ingenious Man and also an Iron Master my Neighbour and one who did well know my former Sufferings and what I had done in the Invention of making of Iron with Pit-cole c. All which said Patentees Articled the 11th of Iune following they Grant not only to pay the Authour all the charges of passing the Pattent laid down by him but also to lay in for a common and joynt-stock each man of the four one hundred pounds and so from time to time what more stock any three of the Pattentees should think fit to be laid in for the making of Iron into cast works and bars and likewise for the Melting Extracting Refining and Reducing of all Mines Minerals and Metals with Pit-cole Sea-cole Peat and Turf which Articles are yet extant Now let me without offence insert the opposition we all had by means of powerfull Iron-Masters with Sir Philibeard Vernat a Dutch Man and Captain Whitmore who pretended much unto his late Sacred Majesty but performed not their undertaking which caused the Author and his Partners thus to Petition To the Kings Most Excellent Majesty The Humble Petition of Sir George Horsey Knight David Ramsey Roger Foulke and Dud Dudley Esquires Humbly Sheweth That whereas Your Petitioners being called before the Right Honourable the Lord Keeper by Your Majesties Appointment touching the making of Iron with Pit-cole Sea-cole Peat and Turf for which they have Your Majesties Pattent and seeing that Sir Philibeard Vernat and Captain Whitmore who are not Inventors have obtained a Pattent also for the same yet before their Pattent Granted Sir Philibeard was ordered at Council-board according to his Great Undertaking to perfect his Great Undertaking and Invention within Two Years and there hath been near Three Years passed and yet have made little or no Iron still he Opposeth Your Petitioners and doth neither benefit himself but hinders Your Majesty and the Kingdom The reference unto the Petition followeth At the Court at Greenwith May 20. 1638. His Majesty is pleased to refer this Petition to Master Atturney and Master Solicitor General to call the Petioners before them and to compose the differences between them if they can or otherwise to certifie his Majesty their opinions therein Sir Sidney Mountegue was then Master of the Requests But Sir Philibeard Vernat and Captain Whitmore never appeared any more for their Invention Not long after the Wars came on and caused my partners to desist since which they are all dead but the Author and his Estate for his Loyalty unto his late Sacred Majesty and Master as by the Additional Act of Parliament may appear was totally sold Yet nevertheless I still endeavoured not to bury my Tallent took in two Partners into my Inventions Walter Stevens of Bristow Linnen Draper and John Ston of the same City Merchant after the Authour had begun to Erect a new work for the Inventions aforesaid near Bristow Anno 51. and there we three Partners had in stock near 700l but they not only cunningly drew me into Bond entered upon my Stock and Work unto this day detained it but also did unjusty enter Staple Actions in Bristow of great value against me because I was of the Kings Party unto the great prejudice of my Inventions and Proceedings my Pattent being then almost extinct for which and my Stock am I forced to Sue them in Chancery In the interim of my proceedings Cromwell and the then Parliament granted a Pattent and an Act of Parliament unto Captain Buck of Hampton Road for the making of Iron with Pit-cole and Sea-cole Cromwell and many of his Officers were Partners as Major Wildman and others many Doctors of Physick and Merchants who set up diverse and sundry Works and Furnaces at a vast charge in the Forrest of Dean and after they had spent much in their Invention and Experiments which was done in spacious Wind-Furnaces and also in Potts of Glass-house Clay and failing afterwards got unto them an Ingenious Glass-Maker Master Edward Dagney an Italian then living in Bristow who after had made many Potts for that purpose went with them into the Forrest of Dean and built for the said Captain Buck and his Partners a new Furnance and made therein many and sundry Experiments and Tryals for the making of Iron with Pit-cole and Sea-cole c. But he failing and his Potts being all broken he did return to Bristow frusrate of his Expectation but further promising to come again and make more Experiments at which time Master John Williams Master Dagneys Master of the Glass-House was then drawn in to be a Partner for 300l deposited and most of it spent the said Williams and Dagney hearing that the Authour had knowledge in the making of Iron with Pit-cole Sea-cole c. they from Cap. Buck and the other Partners importuned the Author who was at that time in great danger by the Parliament being a Colonel of the Kings Party to go along with them into the Forrest of Dean which at that time durst not deny Coming thither I observed their manner of working and found it impossible that the said Edward Dagney by his Invention should make any Iron with Pit-cole or Sea-cole in Pots to profit I continued with them till all their Potts and Inventions failed at every Dinner and Supper Captain Buck Captain Robins Doctor Ivie Doctor Fowler and others would aske the
that Invincible Armado so long a preparing and since other Navies also and whose Armadoes Navies Armes and Men have been a Terrour to other Nations nay her own Grand Magazins are the very Granary from whence all His Sacred Majesties Kingdomes Dominions and Territories both in the East and West-Indies on this side and beyond the Line they have their whole and thorow supply of Shiping Men Armes Food and Rayment and more then can be from any Kingdom of the Christian World Now if Wood and Timber should decay still and fail the greatest Strength of Great Brittain her Ships Mariners Merchants Fishings and His Majesties Navies and Men of War for our Defence and Offence would fail us which before and since 88 made his Sacred Majestyes Prodecessors Queen Elizabeth and her Great Council the then Parliament to make Lawes for the preservation of Wood and Timber especially near any Navigable River 1 Eliz. 15. 27 Eliz. 19. 28 Eliz. 3. 5. 23 Eliz. 5. All which Laws and others for the Preservation of Wood and Timber are still in force but not duly Executed also King Iames His Sacred Majesties Grand-father and Prince Henry for the Preservation of Wood and Timber in this Island did in the 9th Year of His Reign Grant His Letters Pattents of Priviledge unto Simon Sturtevant Esq for 31 years for the making of Iron with Pit-cole and Sea-cole for the preservation of Wood and Timber of Great Brittain so greatly then consumed by Iron works This Invention was by King Iames's command to be at large put in Print which Book did contain near a quire of paper in quarto called Simon Sturtevant His Mettallica Anno 1612. May 22. Printed by George Eld Cum Privilegio After Simon Sturtevant could not perform his making of Iron with Pit-cole or Sea-cole according unto his Engagement King Iames and Prince Henry caused him to render up his Pattent and a new Pattent was Granted unto Iohn Rovenson Esq who also was Enjoyned to write a Book of his Inventions called Rovenson's Mettallica Printed for Thomas Thorp Cum Privilegio May 15. An. 1613. After Iohn Rovenson Esq had often failed with his Inventions and great undertakings Gombleton Esq a Servant of Queen Ann's undertook by Pattent to perform the Invention of making of Iron with Pit-cole and Sea-cole but he being as confident of his Invention as others did Erect his works at Lambeth which the Author view'd and Gumbleton failing the Learned and Ingenious Doctor Iorden of Baths the Authors Acquaintance and sundry others obtained pattents for the making of Iron and melting of Mines with Pit-cole and Sea-cole for the preservation of Wood and Timber all which Inventions and endeavours to Effect and Perfect the said Works have been by many heretofore well known to have worthily attempted the said Invention though with fruitless success Having seen many of their failings I held it my Duty to endeavour if it were possible to Effect and Perfect so laudable and beneficial and also so much desired Inventions as the making of Iron into cast Works and Bars and also the Melting Extracting Refining and Reducing all sorts of Mines Minerals and Metals with Pit-cole Sea-cole Peat and Turf for the preservation of wood and timber so much exhausted by Iron Works of late Having former knowledge and delight in Iron Works of my Fathers when I was but a Youth afterward at 20 years Old was I fetched from Oxford then of Bayliol Colledge Anno 1619 to look and manage 3 Iron Works of my Fathers 1 Furnace and 2 Forges in the Chase of Pensnet in Worcester-shire but Wood and Charcole growing then scant and Pit-coles in great quantities abounding near the Furnace did induce me to alter my Furnace and to attempt by my new Invention the making of Iron with Pit-cole assuring my self in my Invention the loss to me could not be greater then others nor so great although my success should prove fruitless But I found such success at first tryal animated me for at my tryal or blast I made Iron to profit with Pit-cole and found Facere est addere Inventioni After I had made a second blast and tryal the fesibility of making Iron with Pit-cole and Sea-cole I found by my new Invention the quality to be good and profitable but the quantity did not exceed above 3 Tuns per week After I had brought my Invention unto some perfection and profitable doubted not in the future to have advanced my Invention to make quantity also Immediately after my second tryal I wrote unto my Father what I had done and withall desired him to obtain a Pattent for it from King Iames of Blessed Memory the Answer to which Letter I shall insert only to shew the forwardness of King Iames in this his much animating the Inventor as he did both Simon Sturtevant Iohn Rovenson Doctor Iordaine and others The Letter follows Son Dudley The Kings Majesty being at New-Market I sent Parkes thither on Saturday to some Friends of mine to move the Kings Majesty for my Pattent which he coming on Sunday Morning in the Afternoon His Majesty sent a Warrant to Master Atturney to dispatch my Pattent for the which I am infinitely bound unto His Majesty that it pleased Him of His Great Grace and Favour to dispatch it so soon I have been this night with Master Atturney who will make hast for me God Bless you and Commend me unto all my Friends Your Loving Father Edward Dudley March 10. 1629. This Richard Parkes à Parks-house Esq in the Letter before mentioned was the Authors Brother in Law which did about 1 year after the Pattent was granted carry for the Author much good Merchantable Iron unto the Tower by King Iames's command to be tryed by all Artists and they did very well approve of the Iron and the said Parkshouse had a fowling Gun there made of Pit-cole Iron with his name gilt upon the Gun which Gun was taken from him by Colonel Levison Governour of Dudley Castle and never restored The said Richard Parkshouse's son my Nephew Edward Parkshouse the 5th of January 1645. pressed me much to put Pen unto Paper to shew what I have done in the invention of making of Iron with Pitcoale and Seacoal not unknown unto this Country and to my brother Folliott Esq and my Nephew Parkshouse Esq and to my Kinsman Master Francis Dingley to whom I intend to leave the Secrets of my Inventions notwithstanding all my sad sufferings from time to time this forty Years in the inventions my Sufferings in the War and my Estate sold for my Loyalty and also my sad sufferings and obstructions since his Sacred Majesties happy Restauration many wayes and also upon sundry and many references at the Authors very great charge pains and time spent of Foure years in his aged dayes for the general good by his inventions for the preservation of Great Brittain's Wood and Timber Now let me shew some Reasons that induced me to undertake these Inventions after the many
Author why he was so confident that Iron in quantity could not be made by their new Inventions I found it a difficult thing to disswade the Partners from their way so confident were they to perform the making of Iron with Pit-cole or Sea-cole to profit that they desired me to come again a second time into the Forrest to see it Effected But at that time I saw their failings also Yet nevertheless Captain Buck and his Partners Erected new Works at the City of Bristow in which they did fail as much as in their former Inventions but Major Wildman more barbarous to me then a Wildman although a Minister bought the Authors Estate near 200l per Annum intending to compell from the Author his Inventions of making of Iron with Pit-cole but afterwards passed my Estate unto two Barbarous Brokers of London that pulled down the Authors two Mantion-Houses sold 500 Timber-Trees off his Land and to this day are his Houses unrepaired Anno 1655. Captain Buck and his Partners wearied of their Invention desisting An. 1656. Captain John Copley from Cromwell obtained another Pattent for the making of Iron with Pit-cole and Sea-cole He and his Partners set up their Works at the Cole-Works near Bristow and endeavour'd by Engeneers assistance to get his Bellows to be blown at or near the Pits of Cole with which Engines the Work could not be performed But the Author coming to see the said Works and after many Discourses with Captain Copley his former Acquaintance told him plainly if his Bellows could have been blown by those Engines yet I feared he could not make Iron with Pit-cole or Sea-cole he seemed discontented whereupon and without those Engines I made his Bellows to be blown feisibly as by the Note under his hand appears the first Note followeth 1656. December 30. Memorandum The day and year above-written I John Copley of London Gent. Do acknowledge that after the Expence of diverse Hundred Pounds to Engineers for the making of my Bellows to blow for the making of Iron with Pit-cole or Sea-cole near Bristow and near the Forrest of Kings-wood that Dud Dudley Esq did perform the blowing of the said Bellows at the Works or Pits abovesaid a very feisible and plausible way that one man may blow them with pleasure the space of an hour or two And this I do acknowledge to be performed with a very small charge and without any money paid to him for the same Invention John Copley Captain John Copley thus failing in his Inventions An. 1657. he went into Ireland and all men now desisting from the Inventions of making of Iron with Pit-cole and Sea-cole The Author Anno 1660. being 61. years of Age and moved with pitty and seeing no man able to perform the Mastery of making of Iron with Pit-cole or Sea-cole immediately upon his Sacred Majesties happy Restauration the same day he Landed Petitioned that he might be restored to his place and his Pattent obstructed revived for the making of Iron with Pit-cole Sea-cole Peat and Turf into cast Works and Bars and for the Melting Extracting Refining and Reducing of all Mines Mettals and Minerals with Pit-cole Sea-cole Peat and Turf which said Laudable Invention the Author was and is unwilling should fall to the ground and dye with him neither is the Mistery or Mastery of the Invention Effected and Perfected by any man known unto the Authour as yet either in England Scotland or Wales all which three abound with Pit-cole or Sea-cole and do overmuch furnish other Kingdomes many with Pit-cole and Sea-cole when they might make far better use of it themselves especially Scotland and Wales both for the making of Iron into cast Works and Bars and also for the making of Steel and Melting Extracting and Refining of Lead Tin Iron Gold Copper Quicksilver and Silver with Pit-cole and Sea-cole I shall not trouble you with the Petition or my reasons and desires that were annexed unto it for the making of Iron and Melting of Mines c. with Pit-cole c. they are over long to relate only the Reference to them is thus after my first Petition was lost I Petitioned again At the Court at Whiteh 22. of June 1663. His Majesty is graciously pleased to refer the consideration of this Petition to Master Atturney and Solicitor General or to either of them together with the Petitioners Reasons and Desires hereunto annexed and they or either of them are to inform and certifie His Majesty what they or either of them in their Judgements respectively conceive fit for His Majesty to do concerning the Petitioners Humble Request and then His Majesty will declare his further pleasure Robert Mason Master of Requests After Master Atturney and Sollicitor General would do nothing upon the Reference the Author Petitioned His Sacred Majesty sitting at the Council-Board for the Renewing of his Pattent for making of Iron and Melting of Mines with Pit-cole Sea-cole often obstructed the reference to that Petition followeth At the Court at Whitehall July 25. 1660. Upon reading of a Petition this day at the Board being the same in terminis with this above-written which His Majesty was graciously pleased by a Reference under the hand of Doctor Mason one of the Masters of the Requests to refer to the consideration of Master Atturney and Master Solicitor General together with the Petitioners Reasons and Desires thereunto annexed to the Consideration of the Lords and others Commissioners for the Treasury who upon Examination of the particulars are to give such order thereupon as they shall find most proper for His Majesties Service Sir Edward Walker was Clark to the Council and Garter King at Armes The Author during the Lords Commissioners their time could get no Order upon his Reference But his Petition was left with the now Right Honourable the Lord Treasurer to take or grant further order therein but the Author hath gotten hitherto no order Therefore compelling necessity doth constrain having prosecuted his Petition hitherto him to desist from his Inventions in which he hath taken more pains care and charge then any man to perfect his new Invention in these Kingdomes Although the Author hath not as yet so fully perfected or raised his invention to the quantity of Charcole Iron Furnances yet the Authors quantity being but seven Tuns per week at the most together with the quality of his Iron made with Pit-cole and Sea-cole hath the most eminent Triplicity of Iron of all that can be desired in any new Invention 1. More Sufficient 2. More Cheap 3. More Excellent Upon which triplicity the Authour might enlarge himself but shall not be tedious only give me leave to mention that there be three sorts of Cast Iron 1. The first sort is Gray Iron 2. The second sort is called Motley Iron of which one part of the Sowes or Piggs is gray the other part is white intermixt 3. The third sort is called white Iron this is almost as white as Bell-Mettle but in the Furnace