Coppices in the 17th Century

In the 17th Century, local woods were largely managed to ensure a supply of charcoal for iron forges and furnaces. These were located along the Rea to the west, the Stour to the east and some more local tributaries of the Severn. Consequently, the papers of ironmasters frequently contains detailed information on local woods. The most important collection is that from the Foley family, who dominated the iron trade of the West Midlands for much of the 17th Century. These papers are now held in the Herefordshire Record Office and have been used extensively for the information in this section. Where appropriate, information on parts of the Wyre Forest now in Worcestershire (Ribbesford, Bewdley, Rock and Upper Arley) have been included as these all adjoin the county boundary with Shropshire.

Philip Foley and Arley, Dowles and New Park Coppices

The ironmaster Philip Foley acquired coppices in the Wyre Forest to provide wood for charcoal manufacture in the later part of the 17th Century. In 1670, he purchased coppices from Lord Newport in Dowles for £420. In 1671 he took out a 32 year lease on the woods in Upper Arley belonging to Sir Henry Littleton. In around 1680 he took on coppices in New Park (Alton, in Rock) belonging to Captain Andrew Yarranton, himself an ironmaster and engineer.

Valuation of Sir Henry Littleton’s Coppices in Arley.

In 1679 a schedule was drawn up for the Arley Coppices, showing the extent and history of each coppice since 1654. This indicates that the coppices were felled in rotation, beginning with Shatterford. The felling interval depended on the individual coppice, varying from 13 to 18 years. In all cases, the idea would be to obtain wood of a couple inches diameter which could be cut into short lengths and made into charcoal. The average coppice size was just under 50 acres. Seckley Wood was 280 acres and was cut over three consecutive years so that the wood-cutters never had more than 100 acres to fell in a year. Over the period 1671-9, Foley paid rent at £200pa, coming to a total of £1570. He also had paid £8-9-5 in expenses at Coleridge, Shatterford and Woodseves, for gates, repairs to hedges and other minor expenses. Set against this were receipts of £306-12-8 as detailed below, leaving a debt of £1271-16-9.

1671 Rec’d for wood and faggotts at Woods Eves £55-0-0
1672 By 135Co-6 at Shatterford at 6s £40-14-6
Rec’d for ? and poles £1-0-1
1673Rec’d for pleachings, sugarwood and stuff out of Shutterford and Colridge 1-16-9
1674 Rec’d for 646Co at Colridge at 6s £193-16-0
Rec’d for bark, shydewood and other things £14-4-10
1676 Rec’d in earnest for sugarwood at Manwood 6d

Valuation of New Parks

Before Foley took on New Parks in Alton, the whole area was valued. Information was obtained about existing leases and condition of the ground from Cesar Mather by John Wheeler, Foley’s agent in 1672 of the land owned by Andrew Yarranton. The description indicates that the quality of the coppice varied considerably, with some being considered very thin or shrubby and apparently only worth felling for firewood. The report also indicates that fires had damaged parts of the coppices. Using this information, Wheeler calculated that the existing trees were worth just over £500.

THE INFORMATION OF MASIER MATHER CONCERNING THE SEVERAL GROWTHS OF THE COPPICE WOOD SOLD TO MR PHILIP FOLEY BY MR YARRANTON.

He saith there is about ten acres acres joining to Hanley’s Bind and lands in the possession of Humphrey Wheeler which is 23 years growth.
He saith there is about 30 acres of copice wood which is 12 years growth joining on the north west side of Thomas Brook’s land.
There is 2 acres in two several parts four years growth
There is about eight acres joining to the Lord’s Yard and sold by Mr Lowbridge and bought of Mr John Sped which is 18 years growth
He saith that all the rest of the coppice woods was fired and it was fired as he thinks the 16th of April and is 14 years growth.
[Information from] Masier Mather

The report of Cesar (or Masier) Mather to me 13th Jan 1672 which I writ down then from his mouth in my book was as followeth

The burnt wood, 112ac, 12 years growth next
That which was fallen for faggotts called Barkes Pleck, 8ac, 11 years growth
Fallen for a trial about 4 years ago, 2 ac, 4 years growth
Another parcel which Farwell has, 18ac, 17 years growth
A parcel which he never knew fallen, 20 ac and another parcel never fallen, 12 ac, very shrubby thin, short woods
Total 172 acres
Short of measure 44 acres
Measured for 216 acres

[Drawn up by] John Wheeler

The Valuation
By Cesar Mathers report to me, the 112 acres, 12 years growth at Easter 1673, was but 11 years growth at Midsummer 1672, from which time ye rent is pd at 4s per acre for every years growth, is £246-8-0
The 8 acres, 11 years growth then, was but 10 years the spring before, is £16-10-0
The 2 acres, 4 years growth then, was but 3 years ye spring before is £1-4-0
The 18 acres, 17 years growth then, was but 16 years ye spring before (and ye wood of 12 years is better) is £57-12-0
The 32 acres never fallen and ye 44 acres he gives now and of but includes it in ye rest as wanting so much in ye whole, is so thin shrubs it cannot exceed the wood of 12 years growth and reckoning it at 12 years growth for 76 acres is £182-8-0
Total £504-2-0

But ye 18 acres at 4 years excess is £14-8-0
The whole 216 acres at 12 years growth in general (and that is more than then in reason should be allowed) comes to £506-8-0 of which is pd £500 according to computation and agreement as by ye lease.

Philip Foley’s losses in the Wyre Forest

Foley’s leases of coppices in the Wyre Forest did not work out to his advantage. Each year he paid £266-4-0 in rent and another £24-16-0 in wages; an annual outgoing of £287. Unfortunately, this was not matched by the income he got from timber sales. An analysis of his annual losses was drawn up; the document below shows the situation up to 1696. By the time his leases expired, that to Littleton in 1703, to Yarranton in 1705 and to Newport in 1709, his cumulative losses amounted to £3073. The document demonstrates that Foley settled on a regular 19 year coppice cycle.

Felling the woods

A series of accounts from about 1680 for a fall, probably around Arley, give some idea of the operation of felling. Two agents, Edward Wheeler and Mr Watkins, appear to have overseen the work. The accounts are split into 3 portions; an overall account and then the parts of it to be ascribed to Wheeler and Watkins. The biggest single payment was £150 to a Mr Hayles, who may have owned the standing trees; ironmasters were quite prepared to buy stands of timber ready for falling rather than lease entire coppices with the prospect of long-term losses. Timber (perhaps large trees used for building), wood (cordwood, from coppices, probably for charcoal), lath, hurdles and bark were all sold. Purchasers included W Crane, Henry Longmore (a well-to-do gentleman of Arley) and Goody Wildy, who took the bark and may have been a tanner. The woodmen were paid not only for cutting down the trees but also trimming of the trunks. The felled trees were either sent to Wolverley or to Bargate in Kinlet. A payment demonstrates that at least some of the trees were then floated down the river to Bewdley.

The Account of the Wyre Bargain

[OVERALL ACCOUNT]
Credit
By 17H 17fo timber to [Wolverley] at 24s £20-16-0
By 17-20 to Crane at 26s £22-2-0
By 27-17 to him at 22s £30-1-1
By 7-45 to E Wheeler at 18s £7-3-6
By 2-9 to him at 20s £2-3-6
By 20-0 sold in wood to H. Longmore £15-0-0
By 1-17 for hurdles at 30s £2-5-0
By bark sold for £6-13-4
By laths sold for £14-0-0
By lath to Wolverley 2lo £2-0-6
By cordwood 392Do 2fo at 6s £117-13-6
Total £239-18-4


Debit
Pd Mr Hayles £150-0-0
Pd in charges by Mr Ed Wheeler £45-16-2
Pd in charges by Mr Watkins £5-14-0
Total £201-10-2
So there is cleared £38-8-2

For Mr E Wheeler £19-4-7
For Mr Watkins £19-4-7


MR EDWARD WHEELER’S ACCOUNT
Debit
Pd him by H. Longmore on account of 20H of timber £3-0-0
Pd him by Goody EWildy on bark £2-13-4
Pd him by timber to viz:
W Crane 17H-0fo at 26s, £22-2-0
And more 17-38 and 9-29 at 22s, £30-1-0
By timber – had himself 7-45 at 18s, £7-3-6
Found in 2 pieces(?) 1-18 at 20s, £1-7-6
At Bargate 1 piece 18, 1 piece 23 at 20s 16/-
Total £67-3-4
Due to him £3-12-10

Credit
Pd Mr Hayles in part of £150 £25-0-0
Pd car[riage] 74H to Bargate £25-18-0
Pd falling, squaring and stocking trees £7-16-6
Pd flo[a]ting 61H £2-10-10
Pd making, cutting and car[rying] lath and for liberty of car[riage] by this account £9-10-10
Total £70-16-2

Mr Wheeler’s credit £3-12-10
His part of the profit £19-4-1
In all which was p[ai]d him to clear the account £22-16-11

MR WATKINS ACCOUNT
Debit
By 17H 17fo timber to Wolverley at 24s, £20-16-0
By 392D 2fo of wood at 6s, £117-13-6
Rec’d of Mr Wildy for bark in full 6-13-4, £4-0-0
Rec’d 1H 17fo for hurdles at 30s, £2-5-0
Rec’d Hen Longmore in full of £15 for 20H in ye wood, £12-0-0
Rec’d Mr Dedicott part of £14 for lath, £14-0-0
Rec’d by lath to ye works as per Mr Juke’s note £2, £2-0-6
Total £172-15-0

Credit
Pd Mr Hayles £125
Pd cleaving lath 2-6-0, squaring 25s, falling 15s, £4-6-0
Pd on car[rying] lath 28s £1-8-0
Total £130-14-0
Res[ultan]t debit £42-1-0

Mr Watkins debt £42-1-0
His part of the profit £19-4-1
So part which was p[ai]d to Mr Wheeler by me £22-16-11

Cording and charcoaling

Once the trees had been cut, the wood that was going to be made into charcoal had to be converted to cordwood or blockwood. The coppiced stools would have produced a number of long thin stems, typically two or three inches in diameter. There would be cut into short lengths so they could be stacked into heaps (called cords) and converted to charcoal. In 1674, William Childe of Kinlet sold 4000 cords of blockwood from his lands in the Wyre Forest in Kinlet and Cleobury for £1800 to Foley. The sale specified that the wood was to be cut into 2’ lengths.

A particularly informative set of documents exist from the 1650s. In March 1652 Thomas Foley purchased the lease of Hubbal’s Mill, a forge in Oldbury, near Bridgnorth previously held by Richard Brindley. Included in the sale of the lease were 300 cords of cordwood and merchantable old cordwood, each cord containing a stack of wood 4’ x 3’ x 3’. This was to be taken from coppices in Billingsley with three months of the date of the lease, the cost of cutting and cording to be allowed by Brindley. Foley was allowed to convert the wood to charcoal on site in Billingsley and was allowed free entry with horses and wains. Charcoal is a fragile substance, easily reduced to powder by rough handling and it was generally reckoned it could be transported for no more than a dozen miles if it were to be used at a furnace or forge. Brindley was also to allow Foley six tons of good timber for use at the forge, presumably for building. A year later in 1653, Brindley sold to Foley 343 cords of wood which he had previously purchased from Mr Cressett and John Jones for £120-5-3. Foley also paid £300 for a further 1200 cords which on land which Brindley has purchased of Thomas Hill in “Yeardon” (perhaps Eardington). Brindley also agreed to deliver a further 100 cords from this site. This was to free Brindley from certain undertakings he had apparently promised Foley at Hubbal’s Mill. Foley was to convert all 1300 of the Yeardon cords to charcoal in the woods at Yeardon.

The exact location of the woods in Billingsley and Yeardon is unclear. In 1656, it was reported that Henry Shaw and Thomas Moseley had cut wood in Red Hills, High Fields and Bothy Leasow in Billingsley and Kingswood in Yeardon. The accounts distinguish between cutting “runnels” (pollards) and “cropped underwood” (perhaps coppiced stools), suggesting two forms of coppicing were being practiced. Shaw and Moseley appear to have been agents and it is unlikely they actually did any cutting themselves. A separate set of accounts records the names of 10 individuals, apparently working for Shaw, Moseley and another who are likely to be the wood cutters themselves. These men cut between 20 and 120 cords each.

The sale of the Billingsley and Yeardon cords proved to be a protracted affair as there was a dispute between Brindley and Foley as to exactly how much cordwood was delivered. This was settled in 1657, largely in Foley’s favour by two independent arbitrators, John Nurshall and Thomas Moseley.

Maintaining the Coppices

In between falls, there was very little that needed to be done in a coppy. A set of accounts from 1675-7 shows the expenditure on Conningsby Coppice in Kingswood, jointly owned by Thomas Foley and “Lady Blount”, possibly Mary Blount, the heiress of the Blount family of Kidderminster. The biggest single item of expenditure was the local rates (“lewns”) for the maintenance of the local church and other items. The coppice was also assessed for Ship Tax, introduced by Charles II to expand the navy. The main expenditure on the coppice itself was for maintenance of the boundary hedge and repair of its gates with a little money also spent on ditching. Equally there was little income; only a few sales from Withybind Coppice in 1677, largely dominated by bark.

William Hall’s account for money paid between the 25th March 1675 and the 29th September 1677 being upon the Accounts of those coppices which are Thomas Foley Esq and the Lady Blount’s the elder, called Conningsbys copies.

1675
13th April. Paid Humphrey Hamond a const[ables] lewn for this year ending Mich 1675, 3/4
8th May Pd Thomas Wheeler 6 lewnes for ye poor, more, being for year ending at Easter next, 10/-
Pd Francis Smith 3 lewnes for the church being for a year ending at Easter 1675, 10/-
31st May Pd Woodward and Griffin mending ye coppice hedges 3 days ½ a piece at 10d a day, 5/10
25th Sept Pd Richard Walker 6 lewnes for the poor, being for this present year 1675, 10/-

1676
24th April Pd Richard Monnox 6 lewnes for ye church, being for a year ending at Easter 1676, 16/-
Pd Richard Monnox 6 lewnes more for ye poor, being in full for a year ending at Easter 76, 10/-
5th August Pd William Holliman a const[able’s] lewn, being for a year ending at Mich 1676, ¾
14th Oct Pd Francis Smith 2 thirds of 15/4, being in full of our ye portion of the train[e]d souldiers pay to this day 10/3
23rd Dec Pd Thomas Deuxhill 6 lewnes for ye poor 10/-
23rd March Pd John Brian for one day drawing ye gates and posts to their places in Withybind coppice with his teams 2/6
Pd falling and squaring 3 posts, setting them up and hanging 3 gates in Withybind Coppice 2/6
Pd Thomas Palmer helping to measure ye hedging about Withybind coppice

1677
2nd April Pd Thomas Deuxhill 10 lewnes more for ye poor being in full for a year ending at Easter 1677, 16/8
18th April Spent by William Lowbridge and myself when we met the tanner about selling ye bark, 1/-
23rd April, Pd William Weale 3 lewnes for ye church being a year ending at Easter 1677, 10/-
16th June Pd William Wanklin ye first 3 months assessment for His Majesty’s use towards building 30 ships, 15/6
Pd Woodward and Griffen for ditching and tyning 351 pearches about Withybind coppice at 12d 3 farthings ye pearch with 22 over, 4-2-5
22nd April Pd Cook and Griffin 1 day ½ mending coppice hedges, 2/6
28th Sept Pd William Wanklyn ye second 3 months assessment for His Majesties use upon ye account aforesaid, 15/6


[Total] £11-18-3

1677 Received for Challs sold out of Withybind Coppice 8/-
Received for bark sold therein £8-15-0
[Total] £9-3-0

My Lady Blount’s part is £1-7-7½
Thos Foley Esq’s part is £1-7-7½