“Incredible but true, the coastline of Yorkshire was the birthplace of England’s first chemical industry, using natural materials and human urine, and changing the fashion trade in England for ever.”
This was the blurb in our NT newsletter advertising the talk on this chemical compound which David Banks gave at our January meeting. He showed us a map of the original Yorkshire coastline before it was “scarred for ever” by the alum quarries dating from the early-17th to mid-19th centuries, and quarrying deep into the coastline. At one time some 500 people were employed and paid just 2/6d an hour.
Sir Thomas Chaloner (1559 –1615) was responsible for introducing alum manufacturing to England. He travelled to Italy, Germany and visited the alum works in the Papal States, smuggling back workers who had the secrets of manufacture, into England! Alum was a very important product at that time, and used internationally, in curing leather, for many medicinal uses and for dying cloth. Clothes became more colourful -very important when trying to make an impression in the Tudor Court.
Alum shale, wood, coal, seaweed and human urine were all essential to the process. The poor, from as far away as London, were paid for their urine, which was shipped in barrels to the alum works. Ravenscar, Loftus and Boultby were three of the alum works and quarries that David mentioned. The old Peak alum works to the north of Ravenscar is now a National Trust site and is referred to as the birthplace of the British chemical industry.
David is also a volunteer and tour guide at Fountains Abbey. He was thanked by Janet Hutton.