There can be few people interested in mining who have not read some of the books by Denys Bradford Barton. As most will know, he owned a publishing house in Truro which was active in the 60s and through the next 25 years or so. He also owned the Francis Street bookshop in Truro, a place which, in addition to new works, often sold out-of-print volumes, and a worthy venue to perusing shelves, not knowing what gem may turn up. Barton wrote some very definitive works, the most notable perhaps being his seminal The Cornish Beam Engine, first published in 1965., and his A history or tin mining and smelting in Cornwall, which was issued two years later. His writing style was - and remains - very readable and the last two volumes were nicely got up, with their fascinating footnotes and easy-on-the-eye
Bembo Old Style typeface. His publishing firm also owned Tor Mark Press, which published "flimsies" and which, I think, is still in operation today, but nothing to do with Barton any more.

I never cross the Tamar without thinking of the man, unlike Hamilton Jenkin for some reason, who was equally erudite in Cornish matters. D.B Barton published my first (immature)
picture book Britain's Old Metal Mines in 1974 and he paid me a hundred quid for it. I suppose I should be thankful for small mercies in that it is alleged that he was not always
as forthcoming to some his authors, such as Nellie Kirkham for example, whose book Derbyshire Lead mining through the Centuries he published in 1968.

I met 'the great man' once, at his publishing firm's offices at Lemon Quay in Truro, (now gone, of course) a meeting I was looking forward to. However, found his attitude very off handed, indifferent and aloof. I was expecting him to raise his eyes to the ceiling all the time I was there!

For some reason I had always assumed Barton to be a Cornishman, or, at least, a West Countryman, but seemingly not so. This week, while looking on a genealogical web site, I came across him. It appears he was born in 1927 at Burnley, Lancs and later married a Rita Margaret Coupland (also from Burnley) at Conwy, North Wales in 1951. Rita wrote a book on Cornish Geology and edited others which dealt with 19th centry press cuttings titled Life in Cornwall at the End of the Nineteenth Century. She also produced a pictorial survey entitled Waterfalls of the World (1974).

As for her husband, well, Peter Challis informed me some time ago that he had found Barton - and his wife - on the '192' web site and were shown living (at least from 2000-4) in Kendal, Cumbria, a long way from his erstwhile homes at Feock and Mawnan Smith, Cornwall. It is a great pity that he never got round to writing his advertised book The Cornish Miner Overseas, which was shown as being in preparation on the rear of the dust cover to his Essays in Cornish Mining History 1971. If his Tin Mining book was anything to go on, the Cornish Miner Overseas would have been a real cracker. But now, in his 88th year -assuming he is still around - that will probably never see the light of day.

[i]

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'The History of Copper Mining in Cornwall and Devon' is one of my favourite books.

I also wonder what happened to TA Morrison. It would have been nice for his Central District to pop over the hill to Gwennap for a Volume 3.

I remember the book shop in Truro, bought my two Dines volumes there in the early '70's (hardback orange covers) which have since "disappeared" :(

Lozz.

It is a great pity that he never got round to writing his advertised book The Cornish Miner Overseas, which was shown as being in preparation on the rear of the dust cover to his Essays in Cornish Mining History 1971. If his Tin Mining book was anything to go on, the Cornish Miner Overseas would have been a real cracker. But now, in his 88th year -assuming he is still around - that will probably never see the light of day.

[i]

Much more source material has become available since the 1970s (especially foreign sources) and has resulted in extensive publications on the subject of Cornish miners overseas, notably by Philip Payton and Sharon Schwartz, among others.

I have problems with D.B Barton's work. His "Cornish Beam Engine" being a case in point. Having tried to follow up some of his research on Newcomen engines I can only conclude that he had a very vivid imagination.

In contrast I really rate Hamilton Jenkin. Often when I have discovered a really obscure reference I find that HJ has already been there.

'The History of Copper Mining in Cornwall and Devon' is one of my favourite books.

I also wonder what happened to TA Morrison. It would have been nice for his Central District to pop over the hill to Gwennap for a Volume 3.

The lack of a weighty tome covering Gwennap is the biggest hole in Cornish mining literature.

I've been doing a lot of research into the place for many years. There are some massive holes in most of the early history. Wheal Squire is an enigma. 800 staff, virtually nothing alluding to the layout, position of the underbeam engines (x2), shaft names, etc. It's also odd that the whole area is lacking photos (apart from a few from West Poldice, Killifreth and Parc an Chy). Even the later efforts around Poldory and Whiteworks are almost completely ignored.

I wonder if Gwennap is on the Buckley agenda. His County Adit is quite an impressive book.

I'd like to have a go at it, but sadly I am totally unable to position myself on the continuum between very formal reports and jibber jabber, instead appearing at either end.

I have a few Bradford Barton books, and was most interested to read the there was a real person, not some publishing house.

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As Richard knows, I tried to locate Barton, without success, a few years ago in relation to his photographs of Irish Mines in "Britain's Old Metal Mines" book. No surprise about some of the statements in his books as I heard that many of his references don't tally with the actual sources.

In relation to Cornish miners overseas, Sharron Schwartz intends to publish her book on the Cornish in Latin America later this year. This will be a comprehensive and well illustrated book of over 500 pages.

Martin

In relation to Cornish miners overseas, Sharron Schwartz intends to publish her book on the Cornish in Latin America later this year. This will be a comprehensive and well illustrated book of over 500 pages.
Martin

Excellent news! Do please post on aditnow when it appears.

I heard that he moved to Jersey after making a killing selling his Truro properties.

I've been doing a lot of research into the place for many years. There are some massive holes in most of the early history. Wheal Squire is an enigma. 800 staff, virtually nothing alluding to the layout, position of the underbeam engines (x2), shaft names, etc. It's also odd that the whole area is lacking photos (apart from a few from West Poldice, Killifreth and Parc an Chy). Even the later efforts around Poldory and Whiteworks are almost completely ignored.

I wonder if Gwennap is on the Buckley agenda. His County Adit is quite an impressive book.

I'd like to have a go at it, but sadly I am totally unable to position myself on the continuum between very formal reports and jibber jabber, instead appearing at either end.

Work on the assumption that if you don't do it no one else will. For years I moaned that there wasn't a good history of DGC, in the end I had a sod it moment and did it myself.

I wouldn't worry too much about literary ability or style, that develops with time. Whatever your style someone won't like it. I tend to have quite a convoluted written style using lots of commas and colons which annoys some people, however that's the way my head works.

When I give lectures and presentations quite a few people say to me that they wish they could write a book - my answer is "have you tried?" It may sound glib but the key to being a writer is writing something.

Decide on a rough structure, do your research, put pen to paper, reference properly (very important) and don't be afraid to admit when you don't know something.

The bottom line is to write the sort of book that you would want to buy.

If the idea of doing a whole book is too daunting perhaps consider doing one of the smaller mines as an article for (say) the Trevithick Society Journal.

I'm still grinding through the archive material with a big list of questions.

There is plenty of scope for a fair old bible, for sure.

I'm still grinding through the archive material with a big list of questions.

There is plenty of scope for a fair old bible, for sure.

I tend to run my writing along side my research, otherwise things take forever. I also find that writing things down in a structured manner focusses one's mind and highlights gaps in your research.

My current project is "The mines of Calstock parish". I started work at the beginning of April and am ploughing my way through Mining Journal. So far I have got to 1844 and have written around 15 - 18,000 words. I am hoping to have a completed draft within three years.

It really doesn't matter that you haven't finished your research, start writing.

My parents started buying me Bradford Barton / Tor Mark books as a youngster on holidays in Cornwall in the late 1960s. I think the first was bought for me at the Tin Mine Tavern, Trewellard.

When I was in my mid teens in the 70s I had most of the mining ones, quite a few of the Cornish history ones and probably a couple of dozen or so of the picture book series which were mainly railway orientated but did include Dickie's book.

What I noted was when the company became involved in the picture book album and at one point dominated the railway publication market the mining books dried up.

I also think at some stage in the mid 70s there was some legal unpleasantness between Mr Barton and the Trevithick Society. I recall reading in a news letter probably late 70s early 80s that the society had had to make a payment, but there was no explanation as to what happened. As I have only ever been a postal member of this group I never found out about the local gossip which must have been going round.

Out of interest does anyone know what happened here?

I wonder if DBB over extended the business? As I picked up ages ago in the railway press that it had gone bust except for Tor Mark which was sold on.

A lot of the railway books found their way into clearance
bookshops in the 80s, I recall a pile in a shop here in Liverpool.

Another thing I read somewhere was that after leaving Cornwall he went to live in South Africa for a while.

Unfortunately, around 15 years when eBay first appeared and my bookshelves were bursting I sold almost all of my Bradford Barton books something I regret now!

Another thing I recall is that quite a lot of the mining books I bought, irrespective of where one bought them from actually smelt a little strange, almost musty!

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Got mine in 1973, I woz working down S/Crofty back then....I believe I got it from The Truro Book Shop in Frances Street same time as I got Dines.

Lozz.

The quality and usefulness of Barton's books is specially impressive when you consider that there was much less available when he was researching and writing:

Most mining history books and journal articles were published after Barton's key books on copper mining, on tin mining and smelting, and on engine houses were published. In many ways he was starting from scratch for many aspects of his subject - there was little to guide him. Later authors have benefitted considerably from Barton's books providing a good general guide to the general history of the area's mining industry.

County archives contained far less relevant material when Barton was researching. This makes it all the more impressive that his broad conclusions (and much of the detail) have not been significantly challenged in later decades despite so much more information no having become available.

I always wondered why his copper mining volume was so much thinner than his tin mining and smelting and engine house volumes. Despite being thin it still accurately and very usefully summarises the subject very accessibly, but its brevity is a major contract with his tin mining and smelting volume. Does anyone have any information why it was so much thinner?

I did hear rumour that he 'harvested' some research info from a MSS submitted to him for possible publication, before returning the work, and later took credit for the research.
Just how much truth there is in that is open to conjecture.
His publications certainly helped to spur my interest in mining history, and his re-print of Wiliam Pryce's 'Mineralogia Cornubiensis' was a real gamble. It was not the most popular book on the shelves at the time, but has since become something of a rare collectors item.

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Apparently much of Barton's research was done by H.L. Douch of the R.I.C.

I have real problem's with Barton's work. If you follow up his references (when he bothers to reference) more often than not they bear little resemblance to what he wrote. He will twist facts to suit the particular argument he is making.

One example that springs to mind is his assertion that William Lemon ordered a number of engine cylinders directly after a drawback on coal was passed is 1742, Barton's contention being that the proliferation of engine building in Cornwall was a direct result of the granting of the drawback. There is no documentary evidence to support this.

What really irks me is the current generation of mining historians taking Barton work as gospel. For example a recent publication dealing with the Gwennap area blithely repeats Barton's contention regarding Lemon's purchase of cylinders.

Well Rick, we should all get in the studies library/record office and private archives ourselves.

I most certainly am/do!

:thumbsup: