Dear Sharron,
Brilliant! A potentially dodgy colonial mining project is exactly the sort
of thing I would expect the Gills to be involved in!
Among various drawings of mining machinery from the Mount Foundry at
Tavistock dating from the 1820s-60s, jointly acquired by the Tamar Mining
Group and Tavistock History Society in 2005, is a drawing of roller crusher
components entitled 'for Namaque Mining Company'. Was this one of your
Latin American mines?
Robert
-----Original Message-----
From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dr.
Sharron P. Schwartz
Sent: 20 February 2012 15:54
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Obscure Tamar Valley mines - Found word(s) farm in the Text
body - Found word(s) farm in the subject
Robert,
Thanks for the info, I thought that it was probably the same family. I'm
almost finished writing my forthcoming book on the Cornish in Latin America
and I came across John Gill. He became a Director of the Chilian and
Peruvian Mining Association during the London Stock Market boom of 1824-5
when numerous overseas mining enterprises were floated. Like Taylor and many
other mining magnates of the time (Foxes, Williams'), he wanted a slice of
the lucrative markets opening up in Latin America after the fall of the
Iberian empires. I guess he was hoping that his foundry would be able to
fulfil some of the orders for machinery and other equipment needed in those
mining areas. In February of 1825 John H. Gill held interviews at Pearce's
Hotel Truro and at Foss's Hotel Redruth for two prospective mine captains.
Sharron
-----Original Message-----
From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Robert Waterhouse
Sent: 20 February 2012 15:46
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Obscure Tamar Valley mines - Found word(s) farm in the Text
body - Found word(s) farm in the subject
Dear Sharron,
Yes, the local wheeler-dealers - in the old and new senses of the term!
They were major shareholders in, and in effect ran, the Tavistock Canal from
its inception to its closure. Their relationship with the Bedford Estate
was at times stormy, which has generated a lot of very interesting and
useful correspondence!
What do you know about them? I know a fair amount about them but they don't
seem to have left any portraits for instance, other than John Hornbrook Gill
in Tavistock Town Hall.
Robert
-----Original Message-----
From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dr.
Sharron P. Schwartz
Sent: 20 February 2012 13:23
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Obscure Tamar Valley mines - Found word(s) farm in the Text
body
Was John Gill of the Mount Foundry Iron Works in Tavistock one of the Gill
Family mentioned in connection with these mines by any chance?
Regards,
Sharron
-----Original Message-----
From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Robert Waterhouse
Sent: 20 February 2012 12:58
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Obscure Tamar Valley mines - Found word(s) farm in the Text
body
Dear Caroline,
I was aware of this placename, but suspected that it wasn't the one I was
after, as its well outside the main mineralised zone. 'Tuell' may be
derived from Old Cornish, possibly meaning a pit - like Twll in Welsh.
Of course, it could refer to any sort of pit - not specifically mining.
Thanks anyway, and to Chris and especially Alasdair, who seems to have hit
the nail on the head!
These are very interesting mines, being part of a group which were worked by
John Taylor in partnership with local entrepreneurs, notably the Gill
family. To all intents and purposes, these were identical to mines leased
by the Tavistock Canal Company - Gill & Taylor being the principal
signatories to their leases too - and covering the same period, ie:
c.1803-1821.
Many of them don't actually seem to have been worked - or if they were, it
was minimally - it being more a case of grabbing any setts which were going
begging, in the hope that Taylor's management techniques might find/develop
something which previous adventurers had missed.
Robert
-----Original Message-----
From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Caroline Vulliamy
Sent: 19 February 2012 13:44
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Obscure Tamar Valley mines
Tuell is a farm lying just west of the road between Milton Abbot and
Tavistock.
Caroline Vulliamy
> Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:15:53 +0000
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Obscure Tamar Valley mines
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> Wheal Smith was part of the later DGC, probably the later Wheal Jack
Thomas (details of leases 1798 at Couteney Library William Jenkin letters, &
to Gill & Taylor 1810 in DRO Bedford).
>
>
> Wheal Adam was later Wheal Strode then Little Duke (DRO Bedford & WDRO
Strode papers)
>
> Wheal Tool (also spelt Wheal Tule in Bedford dues accounts) was I think
the later Bedford Consols although I havn't rediscovered the source for
this, probably something in DRO Bedford.
=
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