BROWNSEA ISLAND 151 



hand his Majesty on shore, from whence he went 

 on foot to the house of the said Collonel." 



It was Richard Haycalt, who first established 

 copperas works at Brownsea. And it was in 

 Charles II.'s reign that the works were opened 

 again by Sir Robert Clayton, at one time Lord 

 Mayor of London, and a very rich, clever, business 

 man, who thought to gain money by working them. 

 They were finally closed in 1704. 



An interesting allusion is made to Brownsea and 

 these works in Celia Fienne's book, " Through 

 England on a Side-saddle in the Time of William 

 and Mary": "Thence to Poole, a little seaport town 

 4 miles off where a very good minister in ye publick 

 Church Mr. Hardy. From thence we went by 

 boat to a little Isle called brownsea 3 or 4 leagues 

 off where there is much Copperice made, the stones 

 being found about ye Isle in ye shore in great 

 quantetyes, there is only one house there w ch is 

 the Governour's ; besides little fisherman's houses 

 they being all taken up about ye Copperice 

 works." 



The next owner, Mr. William Benson (" auditor 

 of the imprest") bought the Island for the ridiculous 

 sum of ^300. He at once started to rebuild the 

 Castle as a house for himself, much to the indigna- 

 tion of the people of Poole, who declared that the 

 Castle was Crown property and a means of defence 

 for the coast, and Poole in particular. Benson 



