THE ANCIENT INDUSTRIES OF CANNOCK CHASE. 134 
from North Shields. In Staffordshire a grant of mines at Walsale, 
as well of sea-coal as of iron, is recorded among the Cotton M.S. in 
British Museum as having taken place in the 13th century, and it is 
an interesting fact that a great bell for York Minster was cast on 
the spot by John de Stafford and his men in 1371, the fuel provided 
on the occasion being peat and charcoal and two chaldrons of sea coal. 
Down to the end of the 14th century most of the work of the mines 
was performed by slaves, and English men, women, and children 
were bought and sold by public auction. Human flesh and blood 
did not command a very high price either, for a certain Abbot of 
Dunston has recorded: ‘‘ We sold our slave by birth, William Pike, 
*‘ with all his family, and received one mark from the buyer.” It is 
uncertain when coal was first worked on Cannock Chase, but in the 
year 1497 (reign of King Henry VII.) three men, named Ralph Salt, 
Ralph Snede, and Thomas Wales held the lease of a coal-mine within 
the Park of Beaudesert for a term of eight years, at a rental of 20s. 
for the first year and 26s. 8d. for the succeeding years, the necessary 
timber for building the mine being provided by the lord. With the 
mine was also leased a small piece of Jand within the Park for 
impounding the colliery horses and animals at a yearly rent of 12 
pence. It is probable, however, that the mining carried on in Beau- 
desert Park was at this early period more for the purpose of getting 
iron ore than coal, Thus we find in 1547 that there was let to 
William Fletcher, at an annual rent of £20, the ‘“‘ Farm (or rent) of 
“all the Blome Smiths with their houses at Rycon Bridge in the 
* Chase of Cannock, with liberty to get Ironstone in the same and 
‘in Beaudesert Park.” The use of coal for cooking and house 
purposes had not yet been adopted, but as the wood supply failed, so 
the despised sea-coal came into use for domestic purposes, having 
been used formerly only by smiths and for the burning of lime. This 
necessitated the building of chimneys and fireplaces. The old fire- 
hearth occupied a prominent position in the middle of the floor, and 
we can well imagine that the burning of coal under such circum- 
stances would be well-nigh unbearable. The great increase of house 
