[Continuing with Bruce's " Economic History of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century ".]
“The author of the ' New Description of Virginia ', published in 1649, recognized the possibilities of iron manufacture in the Colony. He dwelt at length on the number of the streams there to furnish water for the works, the amount of the wood to supply fuel, the quantity of stone suitable for the construction of furnaces, and the abundance of ore. He declared that works of this kind would be as valuable as silver mines, since their product could be used not only for plantation purposes but also in building ships, casting ordnance, and making armor and muskets. There were many laborers in Virginia whose services could be easily secured, and it would entail but a small cost to provide for them, since food was plentiful. He stated that it would require only six months to erect the works, and that the charge for importing skilled men and the necessary tools ought not to exceed four hundred pounds sterling [one tenth of the cost of the Falling Creek furnace!]”.
“In 1657-58, a law was passed by the General Assembly, prohibiting the exportation of iron, in addition to hides and wool. This was expressly intended to apply to old iron only. The object of the law, so far as that commodity was concerned, was to promote the blacksmith's trade, but as it did not accomplish this and it was repealed in 1658-59. In 1661-62, it was again enacted, only to be repealed a second time in 1671. There is no indication of the manufacture of iron in Virginia in the periods between the first enactment and the last repeal of this statute; in the interval, Berkeley had been instructed to report on the feasibility of establishing iron works in the Colony, the King having expressed a determination to erect these works at his own expense if the ore justified the great outlay necessary. Berkeley in his reply discouraged the project on the ground that the quantity of iron ore in Virginia was not sufficient to keep one mill going for seven years[!]. Clayton, during his visit to the Colony, inquired into the practicability of carrying on iron manufacture there, and his conclusions were adverse to the undertaking. No one there, he wrote, had money enough to bear the expense of starting and sustaining iron works, and in view of the great distance rendering personal supervision impossible, it would be equally impracticable for a resident of the mother country to assume the risks of the enterprise.”
"Much interest was sown by planters in the closing years of the century in finding out whether the ores in Virginia were adapted to iron making. Both Fitzhugh and Byrd [William I] shipped specimens to England to be examined there. In 1689, Fitzhugh sent a considerable quantity to Mr. Boyle for this purpose. Byrd tested some of the lead ores by the use of a charcoal fire and a pair of hand bellows.”
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.