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Foreign Observers of the British Iron Industry During the Eighteenth Century

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 February 2011

Alan Birch
Affiliation:
University of Sydney

Extract

The following nore on source material relates to an important aspect of British industrial development in the eighteenth century. Some use of this material has been made by M. W. Flinn of Aberdeen University and myself in our studies of the industry in the Seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but the field of the sources is so wide and relevant to so much of the economic history of Britain in that period that a summary may be of use to future researches in these rich and neglected sources.

Type
Notes
Copyright
Copyright © The Economic History Association 1955

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References

1 Flinn, M. W., “Sir Ambrose Crowley, Ironmonger, 1658-1713,” 'Explorations in Entrepreneurial History, V, No. 3 (03 15, 1953), 162–80.Google Scholar

2 See my unpublished Ph.D. thesis of Manchester University, “The Economic History of the British Iron and Steel Industry 1784-1879.”

3 The Roles of Leading Nations in the Economic Development of Other Areas,” The Tasks of Economic History, JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC HISTORY, XI, No. 4 (1951).Google Scholar

4 Henderson, W. O., Britain and Industrial Europe: Studies in British Influence on the Industrial Revolution in Western Europe, 1750-1870 (Liverpool: University of Liverpool Press, 1954).Google Scholar

5 Heckscher, E., “Un grand chapitre de l'Histoire du Fer: Le Monopole Suedois,” Annales d'Histoire Economique et Sociale, IV (1932), 234.Google Scholar

6 This was partly the result of British skill; for example in 1787 Charles Gascoigne was induced to leave Carron for Russia and took several workmen with him. Roentgen, G. M., “Twee memorien aangaande de ijzerindustrie uit het jaar 1823,” edited by Boer, M. G. de (Two Reports upon the Iron Industry Made in 1823), Economisch Historisch fan Boer, IXGoogle Scholar.

7 Chaloner, W. H., “Further Light on the Invention of the Process for Smelting Iron Ore with Coke,” Economic History Review (second series), II, No. 2 (1949), 185–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

8 Rydberg, Sven, Svenska Studieresor till England under Frihetstiden (Journeys of Study Made o t England by Swedes during the Era of Freedom) (Uppsala, 1951)Google Scholar . Rydberg indicates the location of all the Swedish travel accounts mentioned in this article. This summary of the reports of Swedish travelers in England is very largely based upon Rydberg's book. Some of the original MSS. have been consulted, notably those of Angerstein, Broling, and Svedenstierna, but to explore these valuable sources would be a major study in itself.

9 , Rydberg, Journeys, p. 413Google Scholar . There were several iron merchants of British extraction in Gothenburg, among others Jennings, Finlay, Campbell, Tottie, Chambers, and Hall.

10 , Rydberg, Journeys, p. 141Google Scholar. Odhelius' journal is enormous, and several manuscript copies of it exist. A modern edition is in course of preparation by Nies Zenzlrn, but it seems that publication cannot be expected for some time. Odhelius' travel journal is perhaps the most highly esteemed of all in Sweden. He devotes fifty-six pages to England of which only sixteen are concerned with iron. (I am indebted to M. W. Flinn for this note and many other suggestions upon this subject.)

11 , Rydberg, Journeys, p. 142.Google Scholar

12 , Rydberg, Journeys, p. 142Google Scholar . Heckscher, E., Sveriges ekpnomiska historic (Swedish Economic History), (Stockholm, 1936-1949), II, 416, 418Google Scholar.

13 It was in his Patriotic Testament, written about 1746, but only published in 1761, that Polhem described the power-driven rolls. See Wolf, A., History of Science, Technology and Philosophy in the XVIIIth century (London, 1938), pp. 635–36Google Scholar . Rhodin, J. G. A., “Cristofer Polhammar, ennobled Polhem: the Archimedes of the North, 1661-1751,” Transactions of the Newcomen Society, VII, 1723 and Plate IIIGoogle Scholar.

14 , Rydberg, Journeys, p. 147Google Scholar . See also Bring, S. E., Biting till Christopher Polhems Lefnadsteckning (A Contribution towards the Biography of Christopher Polhem), (Stockholm, 1911)Google Scholar.

15 , Rydberg, Journeys, p. 150.Google Scholar

16 Ibid., p. 108.

17 Ibid., p. 154.

18 Swedenborg, E., De Fetro (Dresdae et Lipsiae, 1734).Google Scholar

19 Schubert, H. R., “Early Refining of Pig Iron in England.” (An unpublished paper read to the Newcomen Society, London, in 1952.)Google Scholar

20 , Rydberg, Journeys, p. £185Google Scholar . However, it seems strange that the furnace (for making malleable iron) was only being built when Angerstein was there. He, incidentally, was sufficiently expert to see that the process was possible only if suitable ores and fluxes were used. See the text below for further Swedish comments upon the Wood family's experiments.

21 Ibid., p. 109.

22 He also made a very short visit to Whitby to study the alum industry in 1723. There are two distinct accounts of his travels: (1) a travel diary, Henrik. Kalmeters dagbok. ojver en … 1718-26 företagen resa (The Diary of Henrik Kalmeter of Journeys Made in 1718-26), and (2) a series of reports entitled Relations om engelskfl bergverken (Accounts of English Ironworks), dated London, 5 July 1725.

23 Quoted by , Rydberg, Journeys, p. 164.Google Scholar

24 Ibid., p. 168.

Hughes, E., North Country Life in the Eighteenth Century (Oxford, 1952), 63, n. 4Google Scholar , quotes a letter from George Bowes to Sir William Bowes, dated August 1728, mentioning the £22,000 fund to exploit the process and remarking that “The Queen wore a rose in her Breast made of this iron.”

25 , Rydberg, Journeys, p. 170Google Scholar . Mr. Flinn has also recently published the translation of another valuable report not mentioned here: Schrdderstierna's Dagbok. vb'rande Handel, Naringar och Manufacturer … under verkstalde Resor, Aren 1748-1731 (A Diary Concerning Trade, Industry and Manufactures Compiled from Journeys Made in the Years 1748-1751). This, containing a lengthy report on the English iron trade and some pages of technical drawings, he places next in importance to Angerstein's journal mentioned below. This report is not analyzed by , Rydberg. “Notes on the English Iron Industry (1949),” The Edgar Allen News, 08 1954Google Scholar.

26 MS. in the library of the Jernkontor, Stockholm.

27 , Rydberg, Journeys, p. 422.Google Scholar

28 Ibid., p. 178.

29 Finn, M. W. and Birch, A., “The English Steel Industry Before 1856 with Special Reference o t the Development of the Yorkshire Steel Industry,” Yorkshire Bulletin of Economic and Social Science, VI, No. 2 (07 1954), 163–77.Google Scholar

30 , Rydberg, Journeys, p. 191.Google Scholar

31 Ashton, T. S., Iron and Steel in the Industrial Revolution (2d ed.; Manchester, 1951), 202–3.Google Scholar

32 , Rydberg, Journeys, p. 193Google Scholar ; and , Ashton, Iron and Steel, pp. 202–3Google Scholar.

33 , Ashton, Iron and Steel, p. 202.Google Scholar

34 Anm'drkningar uii hwarjehanda fore fallande Atnncn Samlade pi Resan i England Aren 1766 och 1767 (Observations upon Various Experiences during a Journey to England, 1766-1767) MSS. in the library of the Jernkontor, Stockholm.

35 , Rydberg, Journeys, pp. 195–97.Google Scholar

36 Ibid., p. 197.

37 Broling, G., Anteckningar under en Resa i England åren 1797, 1798 och 1799 (Notes upon a Journey Made in England in the Years 1797, 1798, and 1799), (Stockholm, 1812), II, 160-62, 172.Google Scholar

38 , Broling, Notes, pp. [211-14.Google Scholar

39 Mantoux, P., La Révolution Industrielle au 18 me Siécle (Paris, 1906), 309Google Scholar ; , Heckscher, Swedish Economic History, II, 419 ffGoogle Scholar.

40 Svedenstierna, E. T., Resa igenom en del of England och Scotland Åren 1802 och 1803 (A Journey through a Part of England and Scotland, 1802-1803), (Stockholm, 1804).Google Scholar

41 Svedenstierna, E. T., Nů Underrättelser om Engelska Jernhandteringen (Observations upon the English Iron Trade), (Stockholm, 1813).Google Scholar

42 , Rydberg, Journeys, p. 201.Google Scholar

Another Swede who visited England upon metallurgical matters at this time was Carl Abraham Arfwedson. He was the son of the chief of the Gothenburg merchant house, Tottie and Arfwedson. In 1796 he visited Soho and negotiated the purchase of a steam engine but this did not mature. See Daedalus (Tekniska Museets Årsbok.), (Stockholm, 1949).Google Scholar

43 Chevalier, J., “La Mission de Gabriel Jars dans les Mines et les Usines Britanniques en 1764,” Transactions of the Newcomen Society, XXVI, 5768.Google Scholar

44 Geikie, A., ed., Faujas de St. Fond's Travels in England and Scotland, 2 vols. (Glasgow, 1907)Google Scholar . See also N. and Clow, M. C., The Chemical Revolution (London, 1952), 330, 332, and 337Google Scholar.

45 See their reports upon the methods of smelting iron with coal in Annales des Arts et 'Manufactures, XXIII, 113-51, 225–54Google Scholar ; XIV, 44-62; and Journal des Mines, XVII (1804-1805), 245–96Google Scholar.

46 Smith, T. P., “Note sur la fabrication du fer et de l'acier avec la houille …,” Journal des Mines, XIII (1802), 5260.Google Scholar

47 Ford, G. S., On and Off the Campus (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 1938), pp. 162203.Google Scholar

48 Carron MSS. (Register House, Edinburgh), Letter Book, 1789-91. The Redens' trips were quite distinct, but have been confused by historians. It seems, according to Ford, that the Silesian was in Britain in 1776 and 1789-90 and Reden von Clausthal in 1782 and 1787.

49 Matschoss, G., Great Engineers (London, 1939), p. 129.Google Scholar

50 See my article, The Haigh Ironworks 1789-1856; a Nobleman's Enterprise during the Industrial Revolution,” Bulletin of the John Rylands Library, Manchester, XXXV, No. 2, 316–33.Google Scholar

51 Fischer, J. C., Tagebucher (Zurich, 1951).Google Scholar

52 Berdrow, A., ed., The Letters of Alfred Krupp (London, 1930), p. 53.Google Scholar

53 Houlton and Watt MSS. (Birmingham Assay Office), 23 April 1784.