Another remunerative iron mine, opened on the western side of the forest, is the Easter iron mine.
It has three shafts sunk upon it, 100, 113, and 118 yards deep respectively. The first of these, and the only one in work, at which a light steam-engine of 14 horse power is used, communicates with “the old men’s workings,” though none of their tools have been found in them. About fifty men and boys are employed in this mine, from which upwards of 1,000 tons of ore are procured each month.
The table here appended, by the kind permission of the deputy gaveller, Mr. T. F. Brown, exhibits the proceeds of each of the Dean Forest Iron Mines during the years 1864-5:—
AN ACCOUNT OF IRON ORE RAISED IN DEAN FOREST AND HUNDRED OF
ST. BRIAVEL’S FROM CHRISTMAS, 1863, TO CHRISTMAS, 1865.
| name of iron mine. | Half-year ended Mid Summer 1864. | Half-year ended Christmas 1864. | Total. | Half-year ended Mid Summer 1865. | Half-year ended Christmas 1865. | Total. |
| Perseverance and Findall | 5,199 | 4,217 | 9,416 | 5,742 | 7,126 | 12,868 |
| New China Level | 123 | 66 | 189 | 240 | 170 | 410 |
| New Dun Pit | 1,255 | 985 | 2,190 | ... | ... | ... |
| Buckshraft | 21,400 | 18,370 | 39,770 | 22,245 | 23,882 | 46,127 |
| Tingle’s Mine Level | 548 | ... | 548 | ... | 405 | 405 |
| Crow’s Nest | 1,893 | 2,975 | 4,868 | ... | ... | ... |
| Old Ham | 514 | ... | 514 | 89 | 456 | 545 |
| Oakwood Mill | 2,923 | 2,222 | 5,145 | 1,723 | 4,761 | 6,484 |
| Westbury Brook | 10,180 | 9,773 | 19,953 | 7,756 | 11,293 | 19,049 |
| Old Sling | 8,889 | 7,051 | 15,940 | 6,267 | 6,113 | 12,380 |
| Easter | 5,584 | 3,911 | 9,495 | 1,788 | 2,760 | 4,548 |
| Yewtree | 173 | 67 | 240 | ... | ... | ... |
| Dean’s Meend | 7,540 | 7,228 | 14,768 | 8,192 | 6,176 | 14,368 |
| Clearwell | 1,277 | 3,416 | 4,693 | ... | ... | ... |
| Shraves | 731 | 364 | 1,095 | 367 | 186 | 558 |
| Scar Pit | 524 | ... | 524 | ... | ... | ... |
| Staunton | ... | ... | ... | 543 | 941 | 1,484 |
| Wigpool | ... | ... | ... | ... | 402 | 402 |
| Scar Pit | ... | 488 | 488 | ... | ... | ... |
Forty other gales of iron ore have been awarded to various parties, and will no doubt be shortly opened.
No account of the production of iron in the Forest of Dean can be called complete which does not include some description of the
“laws and privileges,” the “customs and franchises” of the original operatives by whom the mine ore was obtained. As the miners themselves invariably refer to the “Book of Dennis” and the seventeen orders of their court of mine law for all authoritative information respecting their guild, or fraternity of free minership, the reader is furnished with the following summary of their contents.
Thus the first-named document begins by specifying the franchises of the mine locally and personally, meaning its liberties or privileges, as not to be trespassed against, and consisting apparently in this, that every man who possessed it, though it is not stated how, might, with the approval of the king’s gaveller, dig for iron ore or coal where he pleased, not limiting him, as in later times, to the Hundred of St. Briavel’s, but giving as his range the whole county south-west of Gloucester and as far south as the Severn. There was, too, a right of way awarded to every mine, although in certain cases “forbids” to sell might be declared.
One-third part of the profits of the undertaking belonged to the king, whose gaveller called at the works every Tuesday “between Mattens and Masse,” and received one penny from each miner, the fellowship supplying the Crown with twelve charges of ore per week at twelve pence, or three charges of “sea coal” at one penny.