Differing Responses to an Industrialising Economy - eTheses ...

Extractive and building industries
Marl was dug for agricultural purposes, probably by workers on the farms, where
the marl-pits were located. No specialist marl-diggers have come to light. Gravel, sand
and clay were also dug, but maybe the only parish in this zone where any stone-quarrying
took place during the study period was Tardebigge, where Bromsgrove sandstone was
extracted for building purposes. 72
In 1700 Thomas Chettle leased mining rights on Sambourne Heath for sixty
years. 73
At a time of inexact geological knowledge he may have been hoping for coal or
iron, rather than the sand, gravel and marl which did occur there. In any case the
Throckmortons or their stewards were no doubt keen to benefit from his speculation,
however misguided.
In Period A two masons from Tardebigge left probate, but it is unclear whether
they were quarrymen as well as builders. Some masons enjoyed very modest wealth, but
John Paget, although he only lived in a five-room dwelling, was literate, purchased and
leased property and lent money out on mortgage, rather like a modern-day builderspeculator.
Amongst his farming assets could also be found ‘12 hundred of brickes’
(12s.) and tools of his trade (5s.). 74
A Redditch brickmaker supplied Coughton Court
with bricks and tiles of various sorts for its post-Civil War repair work, while another
brickmaker at this time set up temporary brickworks near the Court to dig clay and make
72 See Appendix 18.
73 SCLA, DR5/1196.
74 WoRO, probate of John Paget, Feckenham, mason, 1677, £129-3-2.
267