A PICTURE OF THE IRON TRADE. 37 



Lord Scarsdale. Of the latter he had 397? cords on the third 

 August, 1660, and 502^ cords in July, 1662. Cordwood was 

 worth from 4s. to 4s. 6d. per cord, which I suppose included the 

 cutting at i5d. per cord, and good trees were valued at ten 

 shillings, or above. 



In 1648 wood was dearer, and I find five or six shillings per 

 cord paid, out of which eighteenpence represented the cost of 

 cutting, and sixpence the payment for cording it. 



From the forges and fuel, I pass to the articles manufactured. 

 When anything of a strange or new pattern was ordered, pack 

 threads of the height and compass were sent by post, and 

 "models" or "characters" upon paper. Specimens were sent 

 from London by sea, via Hull, or a workman was sent up to 

 London to view them. For the satisfaction of having a servant 

 sent down to view the first that were made, the manufacturer was 

 willing to let him lie at his house, and to pay half the costs of 

 the journey, which indeed only amounted to thirty shillings for 

 travelling down and up again. In one case moulds for chimney 

 plates came down from town by Nottingham wagon. 



Sow Iron was made in very large quantities, and ought to be 

 of a good grey colour, and malleable to cut or drill. If it was 

 necessary to make it tougher, the amount of " myne " was abated. 

 By a bargain of the 28th October, 1654, our merchant contracted 

 to sell to Lionel Copley, Esquire, 850 tons of sow iron for 

 ^"5 6s. 8d. per ton, to be delivered and paid for over a period of 

 six years, namely, from the 1st May, 1660, to the 1st May, 1666. 

 It was made chiefly at Foxbrooke. In May, 1666, he sells to 

 Mr. Ralph Smith 120 tons at ^5 3s. 4d. A sow weighed from 

 one ton two stone to one tou one cwt. one stone. 



Chimney Plates, or chimney backs, were an important item of 

 manufacture at the furnaces. Mr. Trubshaw, of Birmingham, 

 and his brother, an ironmonger, of London, contracted to buy 

 30 ton weight in October, 1664, at ^7 5s. od. per cwt. Three 

 moulds, the king's arms, the flower pot, and the Phcenix, were 

 sent down from London, and the work was turned out as light as 

 could be, considering the deep cutting of the moulds. The 



