Chapter XXII: Appendix: J

ERECTION OF PLATING-MILLS AT ERITH BY CAPT. JOHN MARTIN

1624

State Papers Domestic, Jac. I, Vol. CLXXX, 71

King Henry the eight being resolved to have his armorye alwayes stronge and richly furnished wt thirtie or fowertie thousand armes to be in Rediness to serve all the necessities of th times (how suddaine so evr) caused a batterie mill to be built at Detford nere Grenew^{ch} for the batteringe of plaetes for all sorts of armes but dyed before the bsiness was perfected.

In the time of Queen Elizabeth Captain John Martin and myself resolvinge on endeavors to the furtheringe so good a worke resolved y^t I should go to Inspurge wch is uppon the Germaine Alpes and into Lukland likewise to bring over into England seven or eight plaeters, the beste that might be found (wch was donne to ow^r very great chardges) and i[=m] ediately ther upp[=o] fallinge to worke in a batterie mill wch we likewise erected nere unto Erith in Kent and in y^t place wrought as many plates of all sorts as served very nere for twentie thousand armors and targets never having the misterie of plaeting mills in England before. All wch plaeters formerly brought over are now dead save one, and he of so cunninge and obstinate a disposition that he would nev^r yet be brought to teach any Englishman the true misterie of plaeting unto this day.

The beste plaetes that have been formerly knowen to be in Christendome have been made of Inspurg stuff wch place hath continually served Milan Naples and other nations, and latelie England also, wch place beinge so remote and in the Emperor his owne countrie, it is not possible that wth any conveniencey any stronge plaetes can be now bought from thence as formerly we have had. But if his Ma^{tie} will be plesed to have his armorie continually furnished wth thirtie or fortie thousand armes or more to what number he shall be beste plesid as hath been the course and resolution of his Roiall pdecessors, y^t may now be done wth Englishe Irone, by a misterie yet unknown, either to smolten plaetes or armour and to be of such strength and lightnes, for the ease and pservation of the life of the souldier as none can be better found in any nation in Christendome from the pistole to the musket.

It hath been observed in all antient histories and in the rule of our later moderne wars, that the goodness strength and lightness of armes hath been so great an incoradgement unto the souldier as hath made him stand faste in the time of great and strong chardges of the enemye, and to give valiant and couradgeous chardges, and assaults when they have been assured of the strength and goodness of theyre armes.

The raetes for Plaetes and armors exactly examined for the prices the strength and lightness considered are thus reduced.

The chardge of a tun of Armor plaetes £18 0 0
Two chaldron of coles wt. carriage will be 1 12 0
The workmen for battering this tun of plaetes will have
uppon every hundred 4/- 4 0 0
Reparation weekly for the mill 12 0
A clarke’s wages weekly 12 0
Extraordinary chardges toe & froe for carridges 10 0
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These particular chardges come to £25 6 0

The true chardge of all such sorts of armor as they will stand you in wt. their severall [=p]portions and such apporveable goodness as we never heretofore have had.

Sixe hundred of iron will make five hundred of plaetes
wch. will be a skore of ordinary curatts of pistoll
proofs wch. cometh toe wth pouldrons 5 10 0
The Armourers may make them wt due shape black
nayle and lether them for 7 10 0
These twentie armours will yeild 26 0 0
So in these twentie armours is clerely gained the
sum of 13 0 0
Fower hundred of plates will make 20 paier of curatts
wt out pouldrons 3 12 0
The Armorers may [=p]portion them, black lether & naile
them for 6 0 0
These 20 paire of curatts will yeld 20 0 0
In these 20 paire of curatts is clerely gained 10 8 0

The chardge of 20 lance armours.
Sixteen hundred of plaetes will make twentie lance
armours wch come to 14 8 0
The Armourers may finishe them upp for fourtie shillings
the armour wch comes to 40 0 0
These 20 launce armours will yeld fower pounds a piece
wch amounteth unto 80 0 0
So yt in these 20 launce armours is clerely gained 25 12 0
Five hundred of plaetes will make twentie proof targetts
wch will come to 4 10 0
The armourers may finishe them lether them and blacke
them with all other chardges for 12 0 0
Thes targets will yeld (24s.[147]) the piece 26 0 0
In these targetts may be cleared 9 10 0
Twelve hundred of plaetes will make 20 paire of stronge
curatts with stronge capps wch will stand in 10 16 0
The Armourers may finishe them for (30s.) the paire
wch amounteth unto 30 0 0
These 20 paier of stronge curatts wt their capps will
yeld 4 li. the paier wch cometh toe 80 0 0
So that by these 20 paier of stronge curatts will be
clerely gayned 39 10 0
[148]
With fower plaeters may be wrought up in one weeke
3700 weight of plates. The pfitt of wch weekly,
as by the particulars may appear will be 98 14 0
And if these fower plaeters be emploied the whole year
(abating one month in the year for idle dayes) it
amounteth unto per ann 4737 li. 12 0

FOOTNOTES:

[147] An error in the original--this should be 26s.

[148] Should be 4s.