McinufaSlure of Pig-Iron zvit'h Pit-CoaJ, 57 



^yery poffible fhape^ to the purpofes of manufliclurc and the 

 Heceffliries of life, wherein tafte, beavity, and durabllitv are 

 frequently united, belongs entirely to the prcfent improved 

 Hate of the fabrication of pig-irou \vi;:h the ch.ar of pit-coa!. 



In the early period above alluded to, by much the greauft 

 proportion of pig-iron was converted into bar-iron by npeans 

 of the refinery fire, and, in many of tl;e fniall works, the 

 pig-iron was wri/z^rf J, or malleabilifed, bclbrc it was drawn 

 from- the furnace. The iron-mafters in general cor.rKkrcd 

 their own period as that of the liighelt pitch of advancctuent 

 in the iron bufmefs. The erection of the great blalt, capa- 

 ble, by powerful exertions, to make 21 Ions weekly; the par- 

 tial iubltitulion of the refinery fire for the purpofe of making 

 malleable iron; and the abandonment of the hand aiul i()ot 

 blait-bloweries where the other erections coLild be procured, 

 were grounds futHcicnt ior the manutae-lLucr lo look v>ith 

 complacence upon the revolutions which liad imperceptibly 

 crept in, and kept pace with his praftice. 



The advantages which individuals derived from the mann- 

 faAure of iron had induced many to engage in it. The bu- 

 finefs in point of extent feemed only limited to the fiipplv of 

 wood. New erections, for want of a proper fuppiv of uiatc- 

 rigils, became impracticable : thofe already engaged were 

 more anxious to preferve their fupply, however much cireum- 

 feribed, than to liden to innovation, which, by fublhtuii'ig 

 pit-coal for the charcoal of wood, would give to the wcsv 

 eftablifiiing manufacturer a great iuncriority in the market. 

 It was alfo highly probable that many of the iron-works then 

 eftablilhed were at a confiderablg diitance from pit-coal, the 

 univerfal introduction of which would have proved fatal to 

 their intercfts. Under fuch unfavourable circumfianccs the 

 difcovery, or rather the praiSticabilitv, of making pig-iron 

 with pit-coal, we find announced by Simon Sturtevant, Efq. 

 in the year 1612, who, upon application, was favoured with 

 a patent from king James for the exclufive n\anufacture of 

 iron with pit-coal in all itsj branches for thirty-one year.>. In 

 return, the faid Simon iSturtevant bound hin)fe!f lo publiih 

 his difcoveries, which afterwards appeared in qiiarto under 

 the title of lii-i iVIr/ii/Zii-tz. 



It 



