were　many　persons；　indeed；　who　held　that　it　was　better　we　should　be
  supplied　with　iron　from　Spain　than　make　it　at　home；　in　consequence　of
  the　great　waste　of　wood　involved　by　the　manufacture；　but　against　this
  view　Yarranton　strongly　contended；　and　held；　what　is　as　true　now　as
  it　was　then；　that　the　manufacture　of　iron　was　the　keystone　of
  England's　industrial　prosperity。　　He　also　apprehended　great　danger　to
  the　country　from　want　of　iron　in　event　of　the　contingency　of　a
  foreign　war。　　〃When　the　greatest　part　of　the　iron…works　are　asleep；〃
  said　he；　〃if　there　should　be　occasion　for　great　quantities　of　guns
  and　bullets；　and　other　sorts　of　iron　commodities；　for　a　present
  unexpected　war；　and　the　Sound　happen　to　be　locked　up；　and　so　prevent
  iron　coming　to　us；　truly　we　should　then　be　in　a　fine　case！〃
  Notwithstanding　these　apprehended　national　perils　arising　from　the
  want　of　iron；　no　steps　seem　to　have　been　taken　to　supply　the
  deficiency；　either　by　planting　woods　on　a　large　scale；　as　recommended
  by　Yarranton；　or　by　other　methods；　and　the　produce　of　English　iron
  continued　steadily　to　decline。　　In　1720…30　there　were　found　only　ten
  furnaces　remaining　in　blast　in　the　whole　Forest　of　Dean；　where　the
  iron…smelters　were　satisfied　with　working　up　merely　the　cinders　left
  by　the　Romans。　　A　writer　of　the　time　states　that　we　then　bought
  between　two　and　three　hundred　thousand　pounds'　worth　of　foreign　iron
  yearly；　and　that　England　was　the　best　customer　in　Europe　for　Swedish
  and　Russian　iron。*
  ＇footnote。。。
  JOSHUA　GEE；　The　Trade　and　Navigation　of　Great　Britain　considered；
  1731。
  。。。＇
  By　the　middle　of　the　eighteenth　century　the　home　manufacture　had　so
  much　fallen　off；　that　the　total　production　of　Great　Britain　is
  supposed　to　have　amounted　to　not　more　than　18；000　tons　a　year；
  four…fifths　of　the　iron　used　in　the　country　being　imported　from
  Sweden。*
  ＇footnote。。。
  When　a　bill　was　introduced　into　Parliament　in　1750　with　the　object　of
  encouraging　the　importation　of　iron　from　our　American　colonies；　the
  Sheffield　tanners　petitioned　against　it；　on　the　ground　that；　if　it
  passed；　English　iron　would　be　undersold；　many　forges　would
  consequently　be　discontinued；　in　which　case　the　timber　used　for　fuel
  would　remain　uncut；　and　the　tanners　would　thereby　be　deprived　of　bark
  for　the　purposes　of　their　trade！
  。。。＇
  The　more　that　the　remaining　ironmasters　became　straitened　for　want　of
  wood；　the　more　they　were　compelled　to　resort　to　cinders　and　coke　made
  from　coal　as　a　substitute。　　And　it　was　found　that　under　certain
  circumstances　this　fuel　answered　the　purpose　almost　as　well　as
  charcoal　of　wood。　　The　coke　was　made　by　burning　the　coal　in　heaps　in
  the　open　air；　and　it　was　usually　mixed　with　coal　and　peat　in　the
  process　of　smelting　the　ore。　　Coal　by　itself　was　used　by　the　country
  smiths　for　forging　whenever　they　could　procure　it　for　their　smithy
  fires；　and　in　the　midland　counties　they　had　it　brought　to　them；
  sometimes　from　great　distances；　slung　in　bags　across　horses'
  backs；for　the　state　of　the　roads　was　then　so　execrable　as　not　to
  admit　of　its　being　led　for　any　considerable　distance　in　carts。　　At
  length　we　arrive　at　a　period　when　coal　seems　to　have　come　into
  general　use；　and　when　necessity　led　to　its　regular　employment　both　in
  smelting　the　ore　and　in　manufacturing　the　metal。　　And　this　brings　us
  to　the　establishment　of　the　Coalbrookdale　works；　where　the　smelting
  of　iron　by　means　of　coke　and　coal　was　first　adopted　on　a　large　scale
  as　the　regular　method　of　manufacture。
  Abraham　Darby；　the　first　of　a　succession　of　iron　manufacturers　who
  bore　the　same　name；　was　the　son　of　a　farmer　residing　at　Wrensnest；
  near　Dudley。　　He　served　an　apprenticeship　to　a　maker　of　malt…kilns
  near　Birmingham；　after　which　he　married　and　removed　to　Bristol　in
  1700；　to　begin　business　on　his　own　account。　　Industry　is　of　all
  politics　and　religions：　　thus　Dudley　was　a　Royalist　and　a　Churchman；
  Yarranton　was　a　Parliamentarian　and　a　Presbyterian；　and　Abraham　Darby
  was　a　Quaker。　　At　Bristol　he　was　joined　by　three　partners　of　the　same
  persuasion；　who　provided　the　necessary　capital　to　enable　him　to　set
  up　works　at　Baptist　Mills；　near　that　city；　where　he　carried　on　the
  business　of　malt…mill　making；　to　which　he　afterwards　added　brass　and
  iron　founding。
  At　that　period　cast…iron　pots　were　in　very　general　use；　forming　the
  principal　cooking　utensils　of　the　working　class。　　The　art　of　casting
  had；　however；　made　such　small　progress　in　England　that　the　pots　were
  for　the　most　part　imported　from　abroad。　　Darby　resolved；　if　possible；
  to　enter　upon　this　lucrative　branch　of　manufacture；　and　he　proceeded
  to　make　a　number　of　experiments　in　pot…making。　　Like　others　who　had
  preceded　him；　he　made　his　first　moulds　of　clay；　but　they　cracked　and
  burst；　and　one　trial　failed　after　another。　　He　then　determined　to　find
  out　the　true　method　of　manufacturing　the　pots；　by　travelling　into　the
  country　from　whence　the　best　were　imported；　in　order　to　master　the
  grand　secret　of　the　trade。　　With　this　object　he　went　over　to　Holland
  in　the　year　1706；　and　after　diligent　inquiry　he　ascertained　that　the
  only　sure　method　of　casting　〃Hilton　ware；〃　as　such　castings　were　then
  called；　was　in　moulds　of　fine　dry　sand。　　This　was　the　whole　secret。
  Returning　to　Bristol；　accompanied　by　some　skilled　Dutch　workmen；
  Darby　began　the　new　manufacture；　and　succeeded　to　his　satisfaction。
  The　work　was　at　first　carried　on　with　great　secrecy；　lest　other
  makers　should　copy　the　art；　and　the　precaution　was　taken　of　stopping
  the　keyhole　of　the　workshop…door　while　the　casting　was　in　progress。
  To　secure　himself　against　piracy；　he　proceeded　to　take　out　a　patent
  for　the　process　in　the　year　1708；　and　it　was　granted　for　the　term　of
  fourteen　years。　　The　recital　of　the　patent　is　curious；　as　showing　the
  backward　state　of　English　iron…founding　at　that　time。　　It　sets　forth
  that　〃whereas　our　trusty　and　well…beloved　Abraham　Darby；　of　our　city
  of　Bristol；　smith；　hath　by　his　petition　humbly　represented　to　us；
  that　by　his　study；　industry；　and　expense；　he　hath　found　out　and
  brought　to　perfection　a　new　way　of　casting　iron　bellied　pots　and
  other　iron　bellied　ware　in　sand　only；　without　loam　or　clay；　by　which
  such　iron　pots　and　other　ware　may　be　cast　fine　and　with　more　ease　and
  expedition；　and　may　be　afforded　cheaper　than　they　can　be　by　the　way
  commonly　used；　and　in　regard　to　their　cheapness　may　be　of　great
  advantage　to　the　poor　of　this　our　kingdom；　who　for　the　most　part　use
  such　ware；　and　in　all　probability　will　prevent　the　merchants　of
  England　going　to　foreign　markets　for　such　ware；　from　whence　great
  quantities　are　imported；　and　likewise　may　in　time　supply　other
  markets　with　that　manufacture　of　our　dominions；〃　&c。。。。。　　grants　the
  said　Abraham　Darby　the　full　power　and　sole　privilege　to　make　and　sell
  such　pots　and　ware　for　and　during　the　term　of　fourteen　years　thence
  ensuing。〃
  Darby　proceeded　to　make　arrangements　for　carrying　on　the　manufacture
  upon　a　large　scale　at　the　Baptist　Mills；　but　the　other　partners
  hesitated　to　embark　more　capital　in　the　concern；　and　at　length
  refused　their　concurrence。　　Determined　not　to　be　baulked　in　his
  enterprise；　Darby　abandoned　the　Bristol　firm；　and　in　the　year　1709　he
  removed　to　Coalbrookdale　in　Shropshire；　with　the　intention　of
  prosecuting　the　enterprise　on　his　own　account。　　He　took　the　lease　of　a
  little　furnace　which　had　existed　at　the　place　for　more　than　a
  century；　as　the　records　exist　of　a　〃smethe〃　or　〃smeth…house〃　at
  Coalbrookdale　in　the　time　of　the　Tudors。　　The　woods　of　oak　and　hazel
  which　at　that　time　filled　the　beautiful　dingles　of　the　dale；　and
  spread　in　almost　a　continuous　forest　to　the　base　of　the　Wrekin；
  furnished　abundant　fuel　for　the　smithery。　　As　the　trade　of　the
  Coalbrookdale　firm　extended；　these　woods　became　cleared；　until　the
  same　scarcity　of　fuel　began　to　be　experienced　that　had　already
  desolated　the　forests　of　Sussex；　and　brought　the　manufacture　of　iron
  in　that　quarter　to　a　stand…still。
  It　appears　from　the　'Blast　Furnace　Memorandum　Book'　of　Abraham　Darby；
  which　we　have　examined；　that　the　make　of　iron　at　the　Coalbrookdale
  foundry；　in　1713；　varied　from　five　to　ten　tons　a　week。　　The　principal
  articles　cast　were　pots；　kettles；　and　other　〃hollow　ware；〃　direct
  from　the　smelting…furnace；　the　rest　of　the　metal　was　run　into　pigs。
  In　course　of　time　we　find　that　other　castings　were　turned　out：　　a　few
  grates；　smoothing…irons；　door…frames；　weights；　baking…plates；
  cart…bushes；　iron　pestles　and　mortars；　and　occasionally　a　tailor's
  goose。　　The　trade　gradually　increased；　until　we　find　as　many　as　150
  pots　and　kettles　cast　in　a　week。
  The　fuel　used　in　the　furnaces　appears；　from　the　Darby
  Memorandum…Book；　to　have　been　at　first　entirely　charcoal；　but　the
  growing　scarcity　of　wood　seems　to　have　gradually　led　to　the　use　of
  coke；　brays　or　small　coke；　and　peat。　　An　abundance　of　coals　existed　in
  the　neighbourhood：　　by　rejecting　those　of　inferior