>Has anyone any views as to how far it is
>still correct to highlight the Early Modern period as being
>especially significant in the development of the coal industry,
>compared to earlier and later periods?
David,
The questions / arguments here are similar to those for non-ferrous metal
production in the 16th/17th centuries - to what extent did technological and
organisational change underpin increased production. Burt is of the
opinion, for the lead industry, that the increase largely resulted from a
multiplication of small producers. Kiernan and Wood would probably argue
that organisational change, with a move to larger enterprises using full
time workers, played a significant part in increased production. Changes in
the technology employed had an influence but only one, the ore hearth
smelting process, was truly innovative.
Similarly, for the coal industry increased production appears to have come
from a multiplication of small to medium producers. Collieries in the
north-east of England, where there was the greatest growth, had been
organised on an 'industrial' scale since the medieval period, as they had in
other areas like Leicester, Nottingham and Swansea. The independent miner /
small partnership evidently did not have the same impact as in the lead
industry. If I was looking for any factor which was significant in the
growth of coal industry it would probably be in the methods of financing
production. Apart the introduction of tramroads towards the end of the
period, there were no really innovative technological advances although
earlier techniques were adapted to increased advantage in the industry.
Peter
______________________________________________
Peter Claughton, Blaenpant Morfil, Rosebush, Clynderwen,
Pembrokeshire, Wales SA66 7RE.
Tel. 01437 532578; Fax. 01437 532921; Mobile 07831 427599
University of Exeter - Department of History
School of Historical, Political and Sociological Studies
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Co-owner - mining-history e-mail discussion list.
See http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/files/mining-history/ for details.
Mining History Pages - http://www.exeter.ac.uk/~pfclaugh/mhinf/
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