a 



The kimriieriidge shales even in Neolithic and early historic 

 tirnes appear to have had sortie valiie Or interest to many. Doubt- 

 less the property of ready ignition was early noted and made use 

 of, if not actually regarded with some awe and superstition. The 

 ease with which the shale could be worked by rough tools, includ- 

 ing a primitive lathe used by early man, made it a suitable material 

 for making beads, vases, loom Weights, arid the peculiar bored 

 discs, known as Kirhmeridge coal money, which can be turned 

 Out not uncommonly from the barrows and earthworks in Pur- 

 beck and elsewhere. Wave-worn pebbles of the bituminous shale 

 are still gathered on this Purbeck coast, and to some slight extent 

 eke out the supply locally of ordinary coal ; but their strong fumes 

 absolutely prevent any very extensive use as fuel. 



The first industrial use of Kimmeridge shale appears to have 

 been made towards the end of the 16th century, when some works 

 were erected for the extraction of alum, and later by Sir William 

 Clavell for making glass and getting salt from sea water. In both 

 cases a highly bituminous variety of the shale, blackstone, was 

 used as fuel. The sulphuric acid necessary for the conversion of 

 the Clay into alum was derived by burning from the abundant 

 quantity of sulphur contained ih the shale. . The use of the shale 

 arid blackstone was, however, attended with considerable incon- 

 venience and indeed nuisance. In some legal dispute involving Sir 

 Wm. Clavell it was stated " A kind of black stone that serves to 

 burn for maintaining fire in the glass house, but in burning yields 

 such an offensive savour of extraordinary blacknesse, that the 

 people labouring about these fires are more, like furies than men."" 

 The enterprise had to be abandoned and all that remained in 1748 

 was stated to be the ruins of buildings and heaps of ashes. The 

 exploitation of these valuable deposits remained suspended until 

 about 1850, when the first real attempt was made to utilise the 

 shales to their full extent, as sources of oil and other valuable 

 d&rivatives. Retorts and other necessary appliances were erected 

 at Weymouth for the manufacture of naphtha, lubricating oil, 

 grease and varnish, and the utilisation of the ammoniacal liquor 

 tor making fertilisers. Disaster awaited this undertaking also, 

 as in addition to the company being involved in a lawsu't, arising 

 out of a dispute concerning the process adopted, thev were indicted 

 for causing a nuisance, and finding themselves short of capital 

 closed down in 1854. In the course of the, case the judge remarked 

 uoon the oils as being '' offensively smelling and unmarketable." 

 The works then passed into the hands of ariother companv and 

 were removed .to Wareharn. M This company specialised in the 

 manufacture of various fertilisers and obtained quite a locaf 



A useful monograph, " Kimmeridge Shale, its origin, history, and use" (22 pages) 

 by Burton Green, published about 30 years ago, though now out of date, may be 

 thoroughly recommended to any one interested in the subject. A paper by J. 

 Mansell-Pleydell in the Proceedings of the Corset fiM Club, Vol. 15, also Contains: 

 much interesting information. 



