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Wednesday 17th August.
This being a wet day and unfit for the prosecution of our Business in the Fields, we made up the opportunity to revisit
Langley Lead Mill & c and accordingly went over that place. This mill with the several conveniences and machinery belonging to it was finished about seven years ago, under the directions of the present receivers upon an excellent plan, as it appears to us, and in a handsome substantial manner. The smelting house contains four hearths, three for ore and one for slags. The refinery which is a building detached at a small distance, contains a refining and reducing furnace. Besides which there is an office for the Mill Agent, a smith's shop, and ample provisions of peat houses, Bing steads for holding the various ores etc.
The principal supply of water for the use of this Mill is from the level of Gregshield colliery, about 1/4 of a mile off - which has as we have been informed this advantage that it has not yet been known to freeze (even in the hardest of frosts) before it gets to the mill or even for, some space afterwards; whereas the contrary happens at other lead mills in this part of the country which are frequently stopped working in the winter for a considerable time on that account.
We saw the different operations of smelting both the ore and the slag, refining and reducing the litharge into lead again, and making what they call the test, which is an oblong shallow vessel, composed of a certain proportion of bone and fern ashes in which the lead is run in order to its being refined. Ashes are used on account of their unvitrificable quality resisting in a wonderful manner the extreme heat of the reverberatory furnace.
A cake of pure silver was taken off whilst we were present, weighing more than 1,300 ounces, being the largest by upwards of one sixth part of any that had been produced at this mill before. It was the produce of 2,667 pigs of lead, whose weight was 2,671 cwt. 2 grs. 15 lbs.
These pigs had by a previous operation of the same kind been so far refined as to be brought down to 22 pigs only. The produce of silver upon this occasion was about 11 ozs. for every fodder of lead, the loss of which latter by refining and reducing is reckoned upon an average about one fifth part.
The workmen who are employed in smelting etc. are paid by weight
as under: -
£. s. d.
Smelters of refinable ore 6. 0 per fodder
Smelters of slags 12. 0 per fodder
Smelters of litharge, black
slags, and test bottom lead 1. 8. 0 per fodder
Persons for stamping and
washing black slags 7. 0. 0 per fodder
Persons smelting lead from
black slags 3. 0 per fodder
Refiners 2.10
Reducers 1. 6
Reducers for weighing 2
Two smelters at the one hearth will smelt about 17 pigs of 1 cwt. each and sometimes more if the ore is free, in; about 12 hours. Three refiners can refine about three fodders, which is as much as one test can conveniently hold, in about 22 hours; but then nearly one third part of that time is taken up to prepare for working by heating the furnace and gently drying the test. Three reducers can reduce about two and one third fodders in twelve hours. As to what may be earned at the slag hearth, by stamping and washing the black slags, smelting litharge slags, etc., we were not able to learn with any precision, 'but as the prices allowed per fodder are so much more than the others it must necessarily follow that the operations of producing the same quantity of lead must be proportionably more tedious.
The various operations abovementioned which are carried on with the greatest facility under the superintendence of Mr Mulcaster the Mill Agent, who is a very modest sensible intelligent man & particularly well skilled (as we are informed in the Refinery business) afforded us a great pleasure & the moreso when we reflected that the Undertaking, tho’ in its infancy has been & is likely to be attended with considerable profit to the Hospital; the clear gain, after deducting all charges incident to the work & allowing something more than 5 P cent upon the money expended in Building the Mill & c, having amounted to more than £600 p ann one year with another ever since its commencement.
The Mill Agent’s salary is £50 p.A with a house to live in and an allowance of coals.
Having viewed the Mill & all its different Conveniences & Machinery appurtenant to it well adapted to their several uses, we repaired to the Agent’s house where we could not help observing that, as the Bullion which is produced from time to time at the Mill is deposited in his house til there is an Opportunity of sending it to Newcastle where it is sold or shipped for London, it would be extremely proper that the said Agent should be furnished with a strong iron chest for its greater security. And we therefore recommend it; for, tho no attempt has been made to steal the silver from this or any of the mills in the neighbourhood that we could learn, or even to take it from the persons who single & unarmed carry it thro the country on Horseback, with endeavouring to conceal it, yet its is certainly prudent to guard, as much as possible against any attempt of the kind & not to make Thieves by throwing such powerful temptations in the way. NB. The smith’s shop was lately broken open & robbed of a considerable quantity of Iron.
The Mill Agents’ house & the four others for the workmen which adjoin to it are in very good condition being all built of stone & covered with heath. Some land, containing 60a 3r 17p has been taken off from that part of Langley Castle farm, which is in the occupation of Thomas Brown, for the use of the above agent & workmen besides 21a 2r 31p more spoiled by the smoke form the Mil & Refinery & taken up with the buildings & necessary works. Brown is allowed £26 p. Ann for the whole – which is made up in the following manner
£ s d
Paid by the Hospital p. ann 7. 0. 0
Agent 6. 2. 6
Workmen 13. 7. 0
26. 9. 6
The surplus of 9s6d is applied towards paying 5 p cent upon the money expended in making fences &c
The above mentioned 60a 3r 17p are divided into small Farms which are improving and the young quick fences are in a thriving condition.
