ADVENTURE IN IRON: The blast furnace and its spread from Namur to northern France, England and North America, 1450-1650; a technological, political and genealogical investigation
by Brian G. Awty
Published 2019 by the Wealden Iron Research Group in a limited edition of 350 copies.
Making extensive use of British and continental archival and published sources, many previously unexplored in this context, Adventure in Iron describes the way in which the early history of the indirect ironmaking process in England is integrated into the parallel story on the Continent, and provides a detailed biographical approach to the migration of ironmasters and workers from the Continent to South East England in this period.
‘The most important book on the early modern European iron industry to appear for many years’. Philip Riden, Antiquaries Journal
‘Without question this is an extremely important work, tracing the spread of new ironmaking technology in the late medieval and early modern period’. Peter King, Historical Metallurgy
‘A tour de force’. Elizabeth Edwards, Archaeologia Cantiana
‘[Awty’s] detailed research gives us the family names of many of the ironworkers who came to Britain. For a family historian, this is wonderful’. Sherryl Abrahart, Genealogists’ Magazine
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in Yorkshire in 1925, Brian Awty studied German and Spanish for his degree, followed by a diploma in Archive Administration. He was archivist at Newton, Chambers and Co. Ltd., Chapeltown, from 1951-55, before moving to the Lancashire Record Office, where he remained until 1959. He then worked in the British Library of Political and Economic Science at the LSE until 1982. Brian’s early writings were on aspects of the iron industry in the northern counties, but during his time in London he became acquainted with the Weald and from this grew his interest in the continental origins of the ironworkers there, and of the wider development of the iron industry in late-medieval western Europe. His knowledge of languages enabled him to tackle the archives available in continental collections, opening up a huge body of information. The volume of this extensive research deterred commercial publishers and it was not until after Brian had died in 2013 that it became possible to bring his work to print.
ISBN 978-1-9160423-0-8; case bound in a two-volume set; 997pp; 302mm x 219mm 14 black and white illustrations; 21 maps of sites; two appendices; detailed contents pages, footnotes and bibliography; general and names indexes £45.00 + postage & packing.
BUY NOW
IMPORTANT – PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR LOCAL PHONE OR MOBILE/CELLPHONE NUMBER WHEN PLACING YOUR ORDER
IT IS A REQUIREMENT OF ALL PARCEL DELIVERY SERVICES
IMPORTANT – PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR LOCAL PHONE OR MOBILE/CELLPHONE NUMBER WHEN PLACING YOUR ORDER
The publisher regrets that it can offer no discount to the book trade. Institutional or private purchasers unable to order using credit or debit cards should Contact the Editor.
For more information about Adventure in Iron go to Contents pages (pdf) and Families of ironworkers described in the book (pdf)
© Wealden Iron Research Group 2000-25