“About fourteen years ago I first saw the ruins of one of these furnaces, situated below York Lodge, and surrounded by a large heap of slag or scoria that is produced in making pig iron. As the situation of this furnace was remote from roads, and must at one time have been deemed nearly inaccessible, it had all the appearance at the time of my survey of having remained in the same state for nearly two centuries. The quantity of slags I computed at from 8000 to 10,000 tons. If it is assumed that this furnace made upon an average annually 200 tons of pig iron, and that the quantity of slag run from the furnace was equal to one-half the quantity of iron made, we shall have 100 tons of cinders annually, for a period of from 80 to 100 years. If the abandonment of this furnace took place about the year 1640, the commencement of its smeltings must be assigned to a period between the years 1540 and 1560.”
The oldest piece of cast iron which Mr. Mushet states he ever saw, exhibited the arms of England, with the initials E. R., and bore date 1555 (?), but he found no specimen in the Forest earlier than 1620. A few cast-iron fire-backs have been noticed in some of the old houses in the vicinity of the Forest, but none have an earlier date on them. The cast-iron grave-slabs found in the ancient iron-making districts of Surrey and Sussex do not occur here. He also observes that “although he had carefully examined every spot and relic in Dean Forest likely to denote the site of Dud Dudley’s enterprising but unfortunate experiment of making pig-iron with pit-coal,” no remains had been found. It was the same with the like operations of Cromwell, Major Wildman, Captain Birch, and other of his officers, doctors of physic and merchants, by whom works and furnaces had been set up in the Forest at a vast charge.
The troubles of the civil wars, in which the country surrounding the Forest was so much involved, materially disturbed its iron manufactures. Sir John Winter’s large works at Lydney were wholly destroyed, and probably such others as continued in operation were limited to the casting of cannon and shot, similar to what was used in the siege of Goodrich Castle by Colonel Birch in 1646. Otherwise iron making was for the time suppressed.
When matters had become somewhat settled, the attention of the Commonwealth was directed to them. They were placed under the general supervision of Major John Wade, who was assisted in their management by John a Deane.
A document exists giving a debtor and creditor account from 13th September, 1653, to 20th August, 1655. [42a] During these two years, upwards of £12,607 16s. 9¾d. was laid out by the Council of State and the Commissariat of the Admiralty, whilst only £10,705 14s. 3d. was received, leaving a deficit of £1902 2s. 6¾d.
Another paper states “what iron in pigs, barr, and shott have beene cast and made, sold, or otherwise disposed of, or remaining in stock,” between 28th February, 1653, and 2nd August, 1656.
There remains also “a true inventory of all the tooles and utensils belonging to the forge at Whitecroft, this 13th August, 1656,” divided into “all the chaffery, for the upper finery, for the lower finery.”
John a Deane died in 1655, and was succeeded by Mr. John Roades. [42b] From 2nd August, 1656, to 15th September, 1657, the Government account stood thus
| £ | s. | d. | |
| Dr. side | 10,135 | 15 | 10¾ |
| Cr. | 8,023 | 15 | 3¼ |
| Balance | 2,112 | 0 | 7½ |
Hardly had the king’s return been effected when, amidst the innumerable petitions which instantly greeted him, is one from Sir Hugh Middleton, Bart., for “the place of Overseer and Receiver of Profits of His Majestie’s Iron Works in the Forest of Dean.” [42c]