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factured at the Neath-Abbey Works, until the stupid Irish people urged on by the Drapier's letters, politically written by Swift against the Government of the day, refused in 1724 to accept them in lawful tender, and the unfortunate Patentee was threatened to be "scalded to death in his own melting Copper and then hanged"!*

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Reading my proof of this page and the "Times" of the day (May, 1881), I am horrified to observe that IRELAND is once more resorting to similar political cruelties in roasting no less than three bailiffs alive, under the wretched Land League system of Parnell and Davitt, now actively displacing common sense and its ordinary practices!

There is also an interesting foot-note at p. 339 of Mr. S. C. Hall's work on South Wales, giving an account of the export of copper ores from Ireland to the Swansea centre of manufacture by Col. Hall, that author's father.

For the sake of continuous history however, we must now return to

THE COPPER WORKS AT TAIBACH, Which I have shown were erected in 1727. But it is not certain when the original builders, Newton & Cartwright, had the first lease of the Collieries at the rear of Taibach, (now held by Mr. Shaw of Cwmavan,† and Messrs. Vivian: it is supposed that they assigned their lease to the English Copper Co. and left Aberavon), but it is not accurately known when "The Governor and Company of Copper Miners in England "§ vacated Redbrook || and commenced smelting in Glamorganshire; be * Vide a notice of this in Ch. Knight's "England," vol. vi., pp. 51, 52, where also are to be seen wood-cuts of the 3 coins of Geo. I.

† Whose concern is called "The Gov. and Co. of Copper Miners Successors," Cwmavan.

Oldisworth, says :-" Aberavon is become of more note since the establishment of the great Copper Works, which belong to the Bristol Company, see Ist Swansea Guide, 1802, p. 67.

§ More commonly known at present as the "English Copper Company." A view of these works, as they now exist there, may be seen in Hall's South Wales, p. 105.

G. G. F.

that as it may, when they did arrive they existed and dealt as a Company under the powers of a special Grant from the Crown. To William and Mary they were indebted for a Charter, dated 3rd of August, 1691, the preamble and details of which I shall now give in abstract to save both time and space.

THE GOVERNOR & COMPANY
OF COPPER MINERS IN ENGLAND,
INCORPORATED BY WILLIAM AND MARY.

Setting out with a Preamble

Of which the recital states That, "Whereas great quantities of Copper ore are found in divers parts of this our kingdom, which, for want of skilful artists to refine and purify the same, is totally neglected and unimproved, to the great loss and detriment of this our kingdom in general, vast sums of money being yearly remitted to foreign parts to pay for the said commodity, and whereas our trusty and well-beloved subjects Sir Joseph Hern, Knight, John Briseve, Francis Tyson, Esquires, Samuel Howard and Richard Munford, of London, Merchants, have set forth that they have formed out several furnaces, engines, and other ways methods and inventions for the more easy and effectual melting down, refining, and purifying the same, that have not hitherto been used or practised in these our Dominions by any other of our subjects. And whereas they have most humbly besought us to incorporate them and divers others hereinafter mentioned to manage and carry on the same by a Joint-Stock."

Now know ye, &c., that, By the name of the Governor and Company of Copper Miners in England they shall be a body Corporate.

To continue for ever and to have perpetual succession by the same

name.

May purchase and hold lands not exceeding £6,000 a-year in value; may dispose of any; and may plead and be impleaded in any Court May have a Common Seal, and alter the same.

A Governor and Deputy-Governor and Assistants to be chosen.
Sir Joseph Hern to be the first Governor.

Power to keep a Court (of management) in London or elsewhere. Seven or more Assistants with Governor or Deputy-Governor to make a Court.

Power in them to appoint Officers, and make Bye-Laws, and then to alter or annul as they see fit.

Power to inflict penalties, but said penalties to be recovered by action of debt only, and to be for the Company's use.

Power to appoint Sub-Committees, and summon Members to the Court, Governor, Deputy-Governor and Assistants to be chosen yearly on 29th Sept., or within 14 days.

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DRAWINGS BY J. M. W TURNER. R.A. DEPOSITED IN THE NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON. AND ENTITLED "PICTURESQUE MANUFACTURE

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Decisions to be by plurality of votes.

To continue for a year or until others appointed.

Votes to be sent in writing.

Proportion of Votes to Shares.

The Oaths of the Officers of the Company to be taken within 14 days. Governor and Company, in Court assembled, have power to remove Officers.

Appointments in case of vacancies.

Persons who subscribe moneys and do not pay within 14 days may be disenfranchised.

The first Governor to take the Oath before the Lord Chief Justice or the Lord Mayor.

Judges, Mayors and public Officers to favour, aid, further, help and assist in all things according to the Charter.

Power to raise a joint-stock of any value, and to increase or reduce the

same.

The words of the Charter to be construed to the benefit of the Company.

It should be observed that this Charter gives no power to imprison shareholders, as did those of an earlier date.

A month later, a like Charter for Ireland, and two months after, another for New England in America, were granted by the same Sovereigns to the Governor and Company; and several years afterwards, I discovered that a fourth Charter, modifying dates for the election of officers and other working details, was granted by Queen ANNE, but it is quite unnecessary to trouble the reader with their particulars

Mr. John Wright is said to have come from Redbrook, in Gloucestershire, to act as Manager. I have been informed on good authority that while the Taibach Works were being constructed, the English Copper Company rented and used those of Sir H. Mackworth, at Melincrythan, near Neath. This, on the face of it, would appear to be a rather strange proceeding commercially; but I give the statement for what it is worth. From their erection to the present day, however, these works at Taibach have continued to be carried on with success. They are conveniently situated for coal of the right quality,

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