Devon Great Consols
Devon Great Consols was a copper mine near Tavistock in Devon. The lease on the site was taken from the Duke of Bedford in 1844 by a group of investors. Work at the site began in the same year, when it was known as North Bedford Mines or Wheal Maria. It was once viewed as the most productive copper mine in the world. The company also began refining arsenic in 1867 and was considered to be its largest producer in the 19th century.
History
The counties of Devon and Cornwall were at their height of copper production in the early to mid 19th century. While there were many very productive mines in existence for some time, speculation was active in the establishment of new ones. The attraction of copper mining was the ability to make large profits from small investments, but for every new mine which proved successful, there were countless others which failed.[1]
Led by Josiah Hugh Hitchens, a group of six[2] investors who were comfortable with the risks in establishing a new copper mine, agreed to fund the project. The group met with the Duke of Bedford's land agent and signed a lease for the property on 26 July 1844.[3][4] Among those investing was William Morris, Sr. who was appointed to the mine's board and served as the director of the company from 1871 to 1875.[5][6]
The 21 year lease for the mine called for royalties to be increased at the time the mine made a profit. The mine was first named Wheal Maria, for the Duke of Bedford's wife. Work began at the site in August 1844. By November 1844, a rich copper lode was discovered at the depth of 20 fathoms below ground. It was determined that the lode was at least 40 feet wide and extended eastward for more than two miles. The company rapidly opened other mines in the vicinity: Wheal Anna Maria, Wheal Fanny, Wheal Emma and Wheal Josiah among them.[7] The company became the Devonshire Great Consolidated Copper Mining Company or Devon Great Consols on 25 March 1845.[7]
In the first six years of operation, the investors extracted and sold close to 90,000 tons of copper; the Duke received £44,000 in royalties, with the investors earning £207,000. 1,024 shares were sold and shareholders received over £200 for each share of stock held; the value of shares in the mine continued to rise over time.[8] The shares were sold in 1844 for one pound per share. By 1864, the total dividends paid to shareholders was £818,824.[9] The mine was considered to be the most productive copper mine in the world circa 1864.[10]
A four-mile narrow-gauge railway was opened in 1859, linking the mine with Morwellham Quay for the export of ores.[11] The mine was 200 fathoms deep and employed 1,284 people in 1864. Of these 861 were men, 203 were boys; there were 220 female workers.[9]
Devon Great Consols ezpanded into arsenic production beginning in 1867. The company's arsenic facilities extended over eight acres. It was the largest arsenic producer in the world during the 19th century.[12] As cheaper copper imports began to affect the profit of Devon Great Consols, the company found a new source of income to replace its copper mining; the mine scrap was able to be used for extraction of arsenic. Prior to this, arsenic was imported from Germany. The work at Devon Great Consols now made Britain the world's largest arsenic producer. The mine's high quality product was in demand by industry both at home and abroad.[13]
Copper extraction continued until the 1870s, after which arsenic extraction continued until 1903.[14] During its 60 years in business, Devon Great Consuls produced some 700,000 tons of copper and 72,000 tons of refined arsenic.[15] The land around the mine is still heavily contaminated.
References
- ^ Harvey & Press 1996, p. 33.
- ^ Leifchild 2013, p. 251.
- ^ Spago 1864, p. 113.
- ^ Hervey & Press 1996, p. 35.
- ^ Harvey & Press 1996, pp. 35–36.
- ^ Harvey & Press 1996, p. 41.
- ^ a b Harvey & Press 1996, p. 35.
- ^ Spago 1864, pp. 113–115.
- ^ a b Spago 1864, p. 115.
- ^ Spago 1864, p. xxii.
- ^
"Devon Great Consols Mine, Tavistock, Devon". Tavistock Gazette. 23 December 1864.
In November, 1859, however, a railway which had been constructed by the company
- ^ Cullen 2008, pp. 124–125.
- ^ Emsley 2006, p. 122.
- ^ "Devon Great Consols". Cornish Mining World Heritage Site.
- ^ Cullen 2008, p. 125.
Sources
- Cullen, William R. (2008). Is Arsenic an Aphrodisiac?: The Sociochemistry of an Element. Royal Society of Chemistry. ISBN 978-0-8540-4363-7.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Emsley, John (2006). The Elements of Murder: A History of Poison. OUP Oxford. ISBN 978-0-1928-0600-0.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Harvey, Charles; Press, Jon (1996). Art, Enterprise, and Ethics: The Life and Works of William Morris. Taylor & Francis US. ISBN 978-0-7146-4258-1.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Leifchild, J. R. (2013). Cornwall, Its Mines and Miners. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-1362-3870-3.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Spago, Thomas (1864). Statistics and Observations on the Mines of Cornwall and Devon. Darling and sons.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help)
50°32′N 4°13′W / 50.54°N 4.22°W
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