d to furnish about forty tons of tinplate per week with collieries
and mine work. Before the completion of the undertaking it was found
that the outlay so far exceeded their expectations and means, that the
concern became embarrassed almost before it was finished, which, with the
then great depression of the iron trade during the years 1829 to 1832
inclusive, led to the stoppage of the works, which had continued in
operation from November 1829 till the close of 1832, in which state they
continued to 1835, when Mr. Teague again came to the rescue, and induced
Mr. William Allaway, a gentleman in the tinplate trade, of Lydbrook, to
form, in connexion with Messrs. Crawshay, another company. Mr. Teague
having retired from the management of the furnaces, that important post
was filled by Mr. James Broad, a man of great practical knowledge, who
for twenty years succeeded in making iron at Cinderford furnaces of
quality and in quantities which had never been anticipated. There are
now four blast furnaces, three of which are always in blast, and a new
blast engine of considerable power is in course of erection, in addition
to the old engine which has been puffing away for twenty-eight years."

Adverting, in the next place, to the iron-works at Park End, the Reverend
H. Poole kindly supplies the following facts, courteously communicated by
the proprietors:--

"The year 1799 gives the date of the oldest iron furnace here,
situated about half a mile below the original works, and carried on
by a Mr. Perkins. They were afterwards sold to Mr. John Protheroe,
who disposed of the same to his nephew, Edward Protheroe, Esq.,
formerly M.P. for Bristol, who had extensive grants of coal in the
immediate neighbourhood. In 1824 Mr. Protheroe granted a lease of
the furnace and premises, and also sundry iron-mines, to 'the Forest
of Dean Iron Company,' then consisting of Messrs. Montague, James,
&c., until in 1826 Messrs. William Montague of Gloucester, and John
James, Esq., of Lydney, became the sole lessees. These parties, in
1827, erected another furnace, and also an immense waterwheel of 51
feet diameter and 6 feet wide, said to be nearly the largest in the
kingdom, and formed extensive and suitable ponds and canals for the
supply of water. This water-wheel was but little used, in
consequence of the general introduction and superior advantages of
steam power, which was ob