THE ANCIENT INDUSTRIES OF CANNOCK CHASE. 142 
Travelling 250 years ago was slow and not unattended with 
danger. The coaches from London to Chester passed through Cank, 
and occupied five days in making the journey (1659), The roads 
about Cannock Wood and the Old Park were especially dangerous, 
the numerous old pit shafts being traps for the unwary. A news- 
paper of 1788 records how 
‘©A man called John Smith, of Drayton, and his nephew were 
‘“crossing the Heath after a heavy fall of snow when they unhappily fell 
‘‘with their horses into a deep pit, where they remained two days and 
‘‘ were taken out, but without any signs of life.” 
The memoirs of Thomas Holcroft throw an interesting sidelight 
on these times. In 1754 Thomas Holcroft was a boy of nine, the 
son of very poor people, living in an old house, half in ruins, about 
two miles on the north-east of Rugeley, He says ;— 
‘* Desirous of employing his asses, my father frequently sent me to 
‘the coal pits near Cannock to get a single ass loaded and to drive him 
‘© over the heath to Rugeley, there to find acustomerfor my coal. At 
‘‘the time I was sent I have a perfect recollection of deep ruts, of cattle, 
“both asses and horses, unable to drag their loads through the clay, 
‘and carts and waggons set fast init. I was obliged to run from coal 
‘pit to coal pit to request the man who turned the wheel to come and 
“help me. I often got nothing but a surly curse and a denial; s0 till 
“some unlooked-for accident brought me relief there my loaded ass, 
“sometimes heaving a groan at what he suffered, was obliged to stay.” 
But the terrors of the road were often increased by the wild- 
ness of the elements. One day Thomas Holcroft’s ass had safely 
passed through the clay ruts of the Park, and was approaching the 
summit of Stile Cop on the way to Rugeley : 
‘“The wind,” he says, ‘‘was very high, and nearly opposite two 
‘“clumps of trees it blew gust after gust too powerful for the loaded 
“animal to resist and down it came! The coals were brought from the 
‘“pit in such masses that three of them were generally an ass load, any 
“one of which was usually beyoud mystrength. I have no recollection 
““whatever of the means by which I found relief, but rather of the 
‘naked and desolate place in which I was, and of my inability to help 
“myself, and through life I have always had a strong sense of the grief 
‘“and utter despair I then felt.” 
Is it any wonder, after reading the above, that coal which sold at 4/- 
at the pit was worth 40/- in London! These records form a striking 
