Page images
PDF
EPUB

haue binn of late time, for except yo' last let'r reced by Mr. Carnsew's brother*, I hearde nothinge from yow since Ester last:

Thus wisshing yow health & good succes, I co'mit yow to God: from my house in Fannchurch Street, this vijth of July, 1584.

Yo'r M'r & frinde,

THOMAS SMYTH.

V.

ULRICK FROSSE TO MR. THOMAS SMYTH.

22 JULY, 1584.

To his right worsh. Thomas Smith, esq., principall Customer of London, at his house Fanchurch Street, in London.

Right worshipfull and my very singuler good M'r 'after moste humble co'mendations, pleaseth it yow to be adv'tised that Mr. Carnsewe was here the xi. of July laste paste to se o'r woorkes, & o'rmyne here at Perin Sande, and wente downe w'th me into the bottom of the worke, and so up alongste the new audiet we made, w'ch is at this p'sente above 50 fadom longe, under all ye olde workes, but we do not lighte w'th any owre as yet; w'th greate springs of water we lighte still in goinge up, w'ch will put us to great charge in the ende I feare me. We have yet above 17 or 20 fadom to the deepe shafte where the moste owre was lefte by reporte, to w'ch we thinke to com aboute the later ende of Auguste w'th God's helpe; the Lord sende that we maye lighte w'th suche owre that will requite the former charges, and to help yo'r Worsh. parte to yo'r one agayne, w'th some p'fite.

Mr. Carnsewe did also ride w'th me to the Copper myne at St. Ann's, o'r Logan, to se that worke. I thinke he will adv'tise your worshipp how he do like the workinge bothe of * Vide the Carnsewe brothers, as described at p. 2, ante.

Perin Sande and Logan. I measurde and receaved this laste weeke at Logan 10 tonne of goode & cleane sorted Copper owre, & truste to have as much more ready of sorted owre shortly: I caused it to be sorted very cleane & good, consideringe the far cariage, and better it wilbe when it shall com to the meltinge: for the clener it be sorted, the lese will the charges be in meltinge of it: the copper loade in Logan doth holde out resonable as yet, I pray God it may longe continewe.

I sente yo'r Woorshipp at Ester laste, by a poore laborer, the seconde quarter yer's racninge of o'r charges here, and sith that an other letter dated ye 15 of Maye, by Mr. Keligreis man, and one by S'r Frauncies * Godalphin' man, dated the 19 of June; in it I sent yo'r Worsh. a noth of certayne Copper mines, w'ch I thoughte we woulde have taken in hande this Somer if Mr. Weston had come hether before this time, or else [to] have had monye to set in hand w'th them, for the monye I hath did but serve me to mayntayn the worke w'ch I have in hand alreadye untill hetherto, and if I mighte have had better store of [money & things I] would have wroughte all Perin Sande longe before this time, as well by nighte as by day, and so mighte we have come to the principall place by St. James daye att the longe[st] woulde have set our copper myne a woorke by weste, and if there be suche store of owr gett in that myne as it is reported, we woulde have gotten good store of owr above the grounde by this time where so for lacke of monye I could not take in hande, I . hande w'th Mr. Carnsewe of late for the 40li. he hath of yo'r Worsh: because I lacked money, & can not here of Mr. Weston's co'minge as yet; he awenswet me agayne, that he told Mr. . that he would receave

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

the said 40li. of yo'r worship in co'sideration of suche stuffe he hath [now in] his hande that woulde do him pleasure for * See some further account of him in Carew, p. 153.

meltinge of o'r owers, and so Mr. Weston was co'tent therewith, as Mr. Carnsewe told me: yet neverthe les he did speake to Mr. Recever for zoli. for me, untill Mr. Weston do com hether to mayntayn those woorkes w'ch I have in hande, for I tolde Mr. Carnsewe that I would take no monye up of Mr. Recever, before I hath letters from yo'r Worshipp so to do.

I do send yo'r Worshipp herein closed the third quarter yere racninge of o'r charges here, the Lorde send us some p'fitable mynes, wherby this charge maye be recovered agayne w'th some reasonable p'fitt, I shall do my diligence and be carefull aboute them so muche as lies in me to do by God's helpe: for I thanke my God I have my health agayne, and able to go into every woorke my selfe, to se the working thereof:

I receaved no letters from your Worsh. sith the 24th of Marche laste paste, I look dayly for Mr. Weston here, to take some order for settinge in hande of some more places to se what good may be donne, wherby we maye continew a woork with some in the .

[ocr errors]

This I reste to troble yo'r worshipp, & so w'th my hartely desier to o' Lorde God for your Worsh. & all yo'rs longe & p'ssperis health.

Frome Perin Sande, the 22 of July, 1584.

Yo'r woorshipp's poore servante,

ULRICKE FROSSE.

VI.

ULRICKE FROSSE TO MR. Wм. CARNSEWE.

3 AUGUST, 1584.

Right Worishipfull my dewtey remembret. S'r I have received the 21 of July from you by the hand of your man the som of 5li. starling, and sinch by the hand of John Ston

*

the first of August, [instant] the sum 5li. mor, and if it wher not for your Woriship's healp, I should be dryven to give over our workes, and so I shall make my M'r to understand of it what herte and loose it would have been for the workesspe'ially Treworthie, trusting your Worship will healp me as much as yow are able, to meantain it, and I shall then put my best healp into it. I thannke your Worship most hartyly for your freindly letter, written unto my M'r in my behalff, and the Lord send me grace that I may desarved, trusting yow will, at Mr. Weston's coming first to your house, lett him understand likwysse, and as consarning your stuff you have to serve our toren for melting of our Copper ewre, I doe know, that it is good for that porpos and w'th out the sam, or such like wee shall have much to doe to make our ewre to ryne, for the most copper ewres her will be very strong to melte. It wher good to be knowne what quantytie ther is of yt, and how the same may be brought to the sea syd, whit what charges, and as for the goodnes of yt that can not be knowne, because, the first meltyd slackes, or sinder as yow caled the copper stone, and stone slackes be all mynglyd to gither, whereby it can not be knowne what quanttytie of either sorte ther is, neither can it be sorted, but through such as hath knowledge of it, to know the on from the other, for if either sorte hath ben by it selff, the better and more proffet it hath ben for yow, for then might wee have mad sayes of the Copper stone, and so might yow have knowne by the say, and the quanttytfe of the sayd copper stone how much copper hath ben in it, and silver likewise, if it hold † silver. I would yow did consyder upon all your stuff as neer as yow can what quanttytie ther is of it in all, one with an

This is the first letter of this series, see page 1.

+ It is clear by this that the early smelters were aware of argentiferous ores, the which some folk of the present day are prone to imagine to be a modern discovery.-G. G. F.

other, and how the same may be brought to the sea w'th what charge, and also what yow exstime it of your on consyderation to be worth betwist two brethern, and so to lett me understand of yt by your letter betwixt yow and me, be for Mr. Weston doe come to your howse.

Wee did light w'th a lyttle ewre at Treworth, the quanttytie of all most on C. waight in one nest by itself, but cut sune out again, it is but of the co'mon Lead ewre.

I suppos wee ar w'thin 12 faddem to the deepe shaft wher the ewre was most left by report, w'ch I hop wee shall recover w'thin this moneth and leesse; in Logan the lode holds out reasonable well for it, the Lord bethank it.

This I rest, and so commit yow and all yours to the Almightie God. From Cut'bert P'ish the 3 of August, 1584. Your Worship to command,

[Indorsed.]

ULRICKE FROSSE, M.Mr.*

To the right Worshipfull Mr. Wm. Carnsewe, esquier, at his

howse at Bockelly.

receyvid 8 Aug., a'o., 1584, by R. C.†

VII.

ULRICKE FROSSE TO MR. Wм. CARNSEWE.

9 JUNE, 1585.

Right Worshipfull my dewty surves co'mendacions to yow. S'r your letter sent to Mr. Weston I have receyved this 8 of June. Mr. Weston is now at London. I sent your Worship a letter by Mr. Weston's man, a weeke befor Whit Sunday,

* In the charter of James 1st to the Mineral and Battery Works Society, which may be perused subsequently, one Christopher Schutz an Almaigne born is, described as "Work Master." I suspect therefore these letters stand for "Mining Master.”—G. G. F.

† R. C. was probably the brother Richard of Mr. Carnsewe, alluded to at p. 2.

« PreviousContinue »