[WED]Re: Wedmore to Iowa

[Stanley Castle]

Mary

Lead mining in Somerset declined after about 1700 but there was a brief
revival in the nineteenth century when the slag left by early smelters was
reworked using new and improved techniques. This declined by the end of the
century when supplies of slag became used up. This activity went on at
Charterhouse and Velvet Bottom
on the Mendips just above Cheddar. I recall hearing that the 'miners' lived
in shacks at the Cheddar end of Velvet Bottom and would walk the couple of
miles down to Cheddar to spend their money in the Cheddar pubs. Some of thee
more skilled supervisory staff would have probably lived in Cheddar.

These workers were losing their jobs in the mid-century so it is highly
likely that some of them emigrated to put their lead refining skills to use
else ware.

All the local houses would have been built from local stone. This had to be
quarried. There is a disused quarry on the Cocklake side of Nyland Hill his
which was probably the source of the red stone used for most of the Cocklake
houses and stone was extracted at Stoughton Cross. (See Chapter 4, The
History of Cocklake.) The stone quarry workers could surely pass themselves
off as miners.

Stanley Castle

-----Original Message-----
From: wedmore-admin@lists.tutton.org
[mailto:wedmore-admin@lists.tutton.org]On Behalf Of Mary Jackes
Sent: 14 February 2003 23:55
To: wedmore@lists.tutton.org
Subject: Re: [WED]Re: Wedmore to Iowa

In looking at the 1850 census, I could see the importance of mining around
Dyersville, and I could see that there were English born miners.  I did not
suppose that anyone from Wedmore had a connection with mining when I looked
at the 1850 census - but perhaps I was wrong.  There must have been mining
for all sorts of rocks and minerals in many parts of Somerset, and
certainly near Wedmore - limestone and so on.

Lead and limestone in Dubuque County fairly near Dyersville/lead and
limestone fairly near Wedmore? (I've never been in Iowa, and I've not been
in Somerset for donkeys years, so I'm talking from ignorance here.)  Could
mining have provided the initial connection?
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Mary Jackes
Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 0N8, Canada.
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