industrial biography-第15章

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king's　authority；　the　only　evidence　against　him　consisting　of　some

anonymous　letter's。　　At　the　end　of　May；　1662；　he　succeeded　in　making

his　escape　from　the　custody　of　the　Provost　Marshal。　　The　High　Sheriff

scoured　the　country　after　him　at　the　head　of　a　party　of　horse；　and

then　he　communicated　to　the　Secretary　of　State；　Sir　Edward　Nicholas；

that　the　suspected　conspirator　could　not　be　found；　and　was　supposed

to　have　made　his　way　to　London。　　Before　the　end　of　a　month　Yarranton

was　again　in　custody；　as　appears　from　the　communication　of　certain

justices　of　Surrey　to　Sir　Edward　Nicholas。*

　＇footnote。。。

The　following　is　a　copy　of　the　document　from　the　State　Papers：　　

〃John　Bramfield；　Geo。　Moore；　and　Thos。　Lee；　Esqrs。　and　Justices　of

Surrey；　to　Sir　Edw。　Nicholas。There　being　this　day　brought　before　us

one　Andrew　Yarranton；　and　he　accused　to　have　broken　prison；　or　at

least　made　his　escape　out　of　the　Marshalsea　at　Worcester；　being　there

committed　by　the　Deputy…Lieuts。　　upon　suspicion　of　a　plot　in　November

last；　we　having　thereupon　examined　him；　he　allegeth　that　his　Majesty

hath　been　sought　unto　on　his　behalf；　and　hath　given　order　to　yourself

for　his　discharge；　and　a　supersedeas　against　all　persons　and

warrants；　and　thereupon　hath　desired　to　appeal　unto　you。　　The　which　we

conceiving　to　be　convenient　and　reasonable　（there　being　no　positive

charge　against　　him　before　us）；　have　accordingly　herewith　conveyed

him　unto　you　by　a　safe　hand；　to　be　further　examined　or　disposed　of　as

you　shall　find　meet。S。　P。　O。　Dom。　Chas。　II。　23rd　June；　1662。

　。。。＇

As　no　further　notice　of　Yarranton　occurs　in　the　State　Papers；　and　as

we　shortly　after　find　him　publicly　occupied　in　carrying　out　his　plans

for　improving　the　navigation　of　the　western　rivers；　it　is　probable

that　his　innoceney　of　any　plot　was　established　after　a　legal

investigation。　　A　few　years　later　he　published　in　London　a　4to。　tract

entitled　'A　Full　Discovery　of　the　First　Presbyterian　Sham　Plot；'

which　most　probably　contained　a　vindication　of　his　conduct。*

　＇footnote。。。

We　have　been　unable　to　refer　to　this　tract；　there　being　no　copy　of　it

in　the　British　Museum。

　。。。＇



Yarranton　was　no　sooner　at　liberty　than　we　find　him　again　occupied

with　his　plans　of　improved　inland　navigation。　　His　first　scheme　was　to

deepen　the　small　river　Salwarp；　so　as　to　connect　Droitwich　with　the

Severn　by　a　water　communication；　and　thus　facilitate　the　transport　of

the　salt　so　abundantly　yielded　by　the　brine　springs　near　that　town。

In　1665；　the　burgesses　of　Droitwich　agreed　to　give　him　750L。　and

eight　salt　vats　in　Upwich；　valued　at　80L。　per　annum；　with

three…quarters　of　a　vat　in　Northwich；　for　twenty…one　years；　in

payment　for　the　work。　　But　the　times　were　still　unsettled；　and

Yarranton　and　his　partner　Wall　not　being　rich；　the　scheme　was　not

then　carried　into　effect。*

　＇footnote。。。

NASH'S　Worcestershire；　i。　306。

　。。。＇

In　the　following　year　we　find　him　occupied　with　a　similar　scheme　to

open　up　the　navigation　of　the　river　Stour；　passing　by　Stourport　and

Kidderminster；　and　connect　it　by　an　artificial　cut　with　the　river

Trent。　　Some　progress　was　made　with　this　undertaking；　so　far　in

advance　of　the　age；　but；　like　the　other；　it　came　to　a　stand　still　for

want　of　money；　and　more　than　a　hundred　years　passed　before　it　was

carried　out　by　a　kindred　geniusJames　Brindley；　the　great　canal

maker。　　Mr。　Chambers　says　that　when　Yarranton's　scheme　was　first

brought　forward；　it　met　with　violent　opposition　and　ridicule。　　The

undertaking　was　thought　wonderfully　bold；　and；　joined　to　its　great

extent；　the　sandy；　spongy　nature　of　the　ground；　the　high　banks

necessary　to　prevent　the　inundation　of　the　Stour　on　the　canal；

furnished　its　opponents；　if　not　with　sound　argument；　at　least　with

very　specious　topics　for　opposition　and　laughter。*

　＇footnote。。。

JOHN　CHAMBERS；　Biographical　Illustrations　of　Worcestershire。　　London；

1820。

　。。。＇

Yarranton's　plan　was　to　make　the　river　itself　navigable；　and　by

uniting　it　with　other　rivers；　open　up　a　communication　with　the　Trent；

while　Brindley's　was　to　cut　a　canal　parallel　with　the　river；　and

supply　it　with　water　from　thence。　　Yarranton　himself　thus　accounts　for

the　failure　of　his　scheme　in　'England's　Improvement　by　Sea　and

Land'：　　　〃It　was　my　projection；〃　he　says；　〃and　I　will　tell　you　the

reason　why　it　was　not　finished。　　The　river　Stour　and　some　other　rivers

were　granted　by　an　Act　of　Parliament　to　certain　persons　of　honor；　and

some　progress　was　made　in　the　work；　but　within　a　small　while　after

the　Act　passed*

　＇footnote。。。

The　Act　for　making　the　Stour　and　Salwarp　navigable　originated　in　the

Lords　and　was　passed　in　the　year　1661。

　。。。＇

it　was　let　fall　again；　but　it　being　a　brat　of　my　own；　I　was　not

willing　it　should　be　abortive；　wherefore　I　made　offers　to　perfect　it；

having　a　third　part　of　the　inheritance　to　me　and　my　heirs　for　ever；

and　we　came　to　an　agreement；　upon　which　I　fell　on；　and　made　it

completely　navigable　from　Stourbridge　to　Kidderminster；　and　carried

down　many　hundred　tons　of　coal；　and　laid　out　near　1000L。；　and　there

it　was　obstructed　for　want　of　money。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

Nash；　in　his　Hist。　　of　Worc。；　intimates　that　Lord　Windsor　subsequently

renewed　the　attempt　to　make　the　Salwarp　navigable。　　He　constructed

five　out　of　the　six　locks；　and　then　abandoned　the　scheme。　　Gough；　in

his　edition　of　Camden's　Brit。　ii。　357；　Lond。　1789；　says；　〃It　is　not

long　since　some　of　the　boats　made　use　of　in　Yarranton's　navigation

were　found。　　Neither　tradition　nor　our　projector's　account　of　the

matter　perfectly　satisfy　us　why　this　navigation　was　neglected。。。。。　　We

must　therefore　conclude　that　the　numerous　works　and　glass…houses　upon

the　Stour；　and　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Stourbridge；　did　not　then

exist；　A。D。　　1666。　　。。。。The　navigable　communication　which　now　connects

Trent　and　Severn；　and　which　runs　in　the　course　of　Yarranton's

project；　is　already　of　general　use。。。。　　The　canal　since　executed　under

the　inspection　of　Mr。　Brindley；　running　parallel　with　the　river。。。。

cost　the　proprietors　105；000L。〃

　。。。＇



Another　of　Yarranton's　far…sighted　schemes　of　a　similar　kind　was　one

to　connect　the　Thames　with　the　Severn　by　means　of　an　artificial　cut；

at　the　very　place　where；　more　than　a　century　after　his　death；　it　was

actually　carried　out　by　modern　engineers。　　This　canal；　it　appears；　was

twice　surveyed　under　his　direction　by　his　son。　　He　did；　however；

succeed　in　his　own　time　in　opening　up　the　navigation。　　of　the　Avon；

and　was　the　first　to　carry　barges　upon　its　waters　from　Tewkesbury　to

Stratford。



The　improvement　of　agriculture；　too；　had　a　share　of　Yarranton's

attention。　　He　saw　the　soil　exhausted　by　long　tillage　and　constantly

repeated　crops　of　rye；　and　he　urged　that　the　land　should　have　rest　or

at　least　rotation　of　crop。　　With　this　object　he　introduced

clover…seed；　and　supplied　it　largely　to　the　farmers　of　the　western

counties；　who　found　their　land　doubled　in　value　by　the　new　method　of

husbandry；　and　it　shortly　became　adopted　throughout　the　country。

Seeing　how　commerce　was　retarded　by　the　small　accommodation　provided

for　shipping　at　the　then　principal　ports；　Yarranton　next　made　surveys

and　planned　docks　for　the　city　of　London；　but　though　he　zealously

advocated　the　subject；　he　found　few　supporters；　and　his　plans　proved

fruitless。　　In　this　respect　he　was　nearly　a　hundred　and　fifty　years

before　his　age；　and　the　London　importers　continued　to　conduct　their

shipping　business　in　the　crowded　tideway　of　the　Thames　down　even　to

the　beginning　of　the　present　century。



While　carrying　on　his　iron　works；　it　occurred　to　Yarranton　that　it

would　be　of　great　national　advantage　if　the　manufacture　of　tin…plate

could　be　introduced　into　England。　　Although　the　richest　tin　mines　then

known　existed　in　this　country；　the　mechanical　arts　were　at　so　low　an

ebb　that　we　were　almost　entirely　dependent　upon　foreigners　for　the

supply　of　the　articles　manufactured　from　the　metal。　　The　Saxons　were

the　principal　consumers　of　English　tin；　and　we　obtained　from　them　in

return　nearly　the　whole　of　our　tin…plates。　　All　attempts　made　to

manufacture　them　in　England　had　hitherto　failed；　the　beating　out　of

the　iron　by　hammers　into　laminae　sufficiently　thin　and　smooth；　and

the　subsequent　distribution　and　fixing　of　the　film　of　tin　over　the

surface　of　the　iron；　proving　difficulties　which　the　English

manufacturers　were　unable　to　overcome。　　To　master　these　difficulties

the　indefatigable　Yarranton　set　himself　to　work。　　〃Knowing；〃　says　he；

〃the　usefulness　of　tin…plates　and　the　goodness　of　our　metals　for　that

purpose；　I　did；　about　sixteen　years　since　（i。e。　　about　1665）；

endeavour　to　find　out　the　way　for　making　thereof；　whereupon　I

acquainted　a　person　of　much　riches；　and　one　that　was　very

understanding　in　the　iron　manufacture；　who　was　pleased　to　say　that　he

had　often　designed　to　get　the　trade　into　England；　but　never　could

find　out　the　way。　　Upon　which　it　was　agreed　that　a　sum　of　monies

should　be　advanced　by　several　persons；*

　＇footnote。。。

In　the　dedication　of　his　book；　entitled　Englands　Improvement　by　Sea

and　Land；　Part　I。；　Yarranton　gives　the　names　of　the　〃noble　patriots〃

who　sent　him　on　his　journey　of　inquiry。　　They　were　Sir　Waiter　Kirtham

Blount；　Bart。；　Sir　Samuel　Baldwin　and　Sir　Timothy　Baldwin；　Knights；

Thomas　Foley　and　Philip　Foley；　Esquires；　and　six　other　gentlemen。　　The

father　of　the　Foleys　was　himself　supposed　to　have　introduced　the　art

of　iron…splitting　into　England　by　an　expedient　similar　to　that

adopted　by　Yarranton　in　obtaining　a　knowledge　of　the　tin…plate

manufacture　（Self…Help；　p。145）。　　The　secret　of　the　silk…throwing

machinery　of　Piedmont　was　in　like　manner　introduced　into　England　by

Mr。　Lombe　of　Derby；　who　shortly　succeeded　in　founding　a　flourishing

branch　of　manufacture。　　These　were　indeed　the　days　of　romance　and

adventure　in　manufactures。

　。。。＇

for　the　defraying　of　my　charges　of　travelling　to　the　place　where

these　plates　are　made；　and　from　thence　to　bring　away　the　art　of

making　them。　　Upon　which；　an　able　fire…man；　that　well　understood　the

nature　of　iron；　was　made　choice　of　to　accompany　me；　and　being　fitted

with　an　ingenious　interpreter　that　well　understood　the　language；　and

that　had　dealt　much　in　that　commodity；　we　marched　first　for　Hamburgh；

then　to　Leipsic；　and　from　thence　to　Dresden；　the　Duke　of　Saxony's

court；　where　we　had　notice　of　the　place　where　the　plates　were　made；

which　was　in　a　large　tract　of　mountainous　land；　running　from　a　place

called　Seger…Hutton　unto　a　town　called　Awe　＇Au＇；　being　in　length

about　twenty　miles。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

The　district　is　known　as　the　Erzgebirge　or　Ore　Mountains；　and　the

Riesengebirge　or　Giant　Mountains；　MacCulloch　says　that　upwards　of　500

mines　are　wrought　in　the　former　district；　and　that　one…thirtieth　of

the　entire　population　of　Saxony　to　this　day　derive　their　subsistence

from　mining　industry　and　the　manufacture　of　metallic　pr