ON THE MANUFACTURE OF NITRATE OF POTASH (SALTPETRE.)
Previous to the middle of the seventeenth century, the chief part of the saltpetre consumed in this country was obtained from refuse animal matters, as is evident from the following edict, issued by James I., for the regulation of the “mynes of salt peter.”—“The King, taking into his consideration the most necessary and important use of gunpowder, as well for supply of his own royall navie, and the shippinge of his lovinge subjects, as otherwise for the strength, safety, and defence of his people and kingdoms, and how greate a blessinge it is of Almighty God to this realm, that it naturally yieldeth sufficient mynes of salt peter for making of gunpowder for defence of ittself, without anie necessitie to depend uppon the dangerous chargeable and casuall supply thereof from forraigne parts, hath sett downe certen orders and constitutions to be from henceforth inviolably kept and observed, for the better maynteyning of the breed and increase of salt peter, and the true making of gunpowder.
“Noe person doe from henceforth pave with stone or bricke, or floare with boarde, anie dove-house or dove-cote, or laie the same with lyme, sand, gravel, or other thing, whereby the growthe and increase of the myne of salt peter maie be hindered or ympaired, but shall suffer the floure or grounde thereof to lye open with goode and mellowe earth, apt to breede increase of the myne and salt peter, and so contynue and keep the same.
“That no innkeepers, or others that keep stables for travellers and passengers, doe use anie deceiptful meanes or devices whereby to destroy or hinder the growthe of salt peter in those stables. And that no stables at all be pitched, paved, or gravelled where the horse feete used to stand, but planked only, nor be paved, pitched, or gravelled before the plankes next the mangers, but that both places be kept and maynteyned with goode and mellowe earth, fitt and apt to breede and increase the myne of salt peter, and laide with nothinge which may hurte the same. {274}
“That all and every such person and persons as having had heretofore had anie dove-house, dove-cote, or stable (which were then good nurseries for the myne of salt peter) have sithence carried out the goode moulde from thence, and filled the place agayne with lyme, sand, gravel, rubbish, or other like stuff, or paved or floored the same, whereby the growthe of salt peter myne there hath been decayed and destroyed, shall and doe within three months next contryve to take up the pavements and boards agayne, and carrie out the said gravel, lyme, and offensive stuff from thence, and fill the place agayne with goode and mellowe earth fitt for the increase of salt peter, three foote deepe at the least, and so contynue and keepe the same for the breede of salt peter myne. No person, of anie degree whatsoever, was to denie or hinder the salt peter man workinge any earth; nor was anie constable to neglect or to forbeare to furnish him with convenient carriages necessarie for his worke; and every justice to whom the salt peter man should address himself for assistance was at his peril to fail to render it, that his majesties service might not suffer by his default. And no one was to give any gratuity or bribe to the salt peter man for forbearinge or sparinge of anie ground or place which may be digged or wrought for salt peter.”
To lessen the annoyance to the owners of these dove-cotes and stable beds of saltpetre, and to promote the comfort of the pigeons, the saltpetre man was “to dig and carrie away the earth in such convenient time of the daie, and work it in suche manner as maie give least disturbance and hurte to the pigeons, and encrease of their breede, and in the chief tyme of breeding, that it be not done above two howers in anie one daie, and that about the middest of the daie, when the pigeons use to be abroade. And shall in like seasonable tyme carrie in the saide earth after it shall be wrought, and spreade itt there, and make flatt the floure of the dove-house, and leave itt well and orderlie.”
In another proclamation, issued two years after this, it was ordered that whensoever anie ould building or house in London {275} within three miles, is to be pulled down and removed, notice is to be given at the king’s storehouse in Southwark, that the deputy may first take as much of the earth and rubbish as in his judgement and experience is fitted for salt peter for the King’s service.”
Soon after, we find that this enactment which caused much complaint, was repealed. “The manufacture of salt peter,” says the king, “had hitherto produced much trouble and grievance to the lieges, by occasioning the digging up the floors of their dove-cotes, dwelling-houses, and out-houses, and had also occasioned great charge to the salt peter men for removing their liquors, tubbes, and other instruments, and carrying them from place to place, but now, divers compounds of salt peter can be extracted by other methods, for which Sir John Brooke and Thomas Russell, Esq., have received letters patent.
“To encourage so laudable a project, all our loving subjects,” continues his majesty, “inhabiting within every city, town, or village, after notice given to them respectively, shall carefully and constantly keep and preserve in some convenient vessels or receptacles fit for that purpose, all the urine of man during the whole year, and all the stale of beasts which they can save and gather together whilst their beasts are in their stables and stalls, and that they be careful to use the best means of gathering together and preserving the urine and stale, without any mixture of water or other thing put therein. Which our commandment and royal pleasure being so easy to be observed, and so necessary for the public service of us and our people, that if any person be remiss thereof, we shall esteem all such persons contemptuous and ill affected both to our person and state, and are resolved to proceed to the punishment of that offender with that severity we may.”
Sir John agreed to remove the liquid accumulations from the houses once in every twenty-four hours in summer time, and every forty-eight hours in winter time.