Page:Walks in the Black Country and its green border-land.pdf/165

Rh Iron-works; and at a Market Town called Sturbridge in Commitate Wigorniæ, alihough the Authour sent with speed to preserve the people from drowning, one resolute man was carried from the Bridge there in the day time, and the nether part of the Town was so deep in water that the people had much ado to preserve their lives in the uppermost rooms of their Houses."

Our author complains that the demolition of his works caused great joy among his rivals, who were very jealous of him because he sold good iron cheaper than they could afford it. They even went so far as to complain to King James that it was not a merchantable article; and when he had rebuilt his works, they prevailed on his majesty to command him with all speed to send all sorts of bar iron up to the Tower of London fit for making carbines, muskets, and great bolts fit for shipping, "which iron being tryed by Artists and Smiths, the iron-masters and iron-mongers were all silenced until the 21st of King James." At that time all monopolies were made null and void by an Act of Parliament; but the indomitable Dud and his father Lord Dudley obtained an exemption for the patent; or rather a renewal of it for fourteen years. Our author says he then "went on cheerfully and made annually great store of iron, good and merchantable, and sold it unto diverse men yet living at twelve pounds per tun; also all sorts of cast-iron wares, as Brewing-Cysterns, Pots, Morters, and better and cheaper than any yet were made in these Nations with charcoles."