In 1703, under a patent from Queen Anne, a German chemist, Francis Moult, together with a Mr. Lydall, set up "iron furnaces" for smelting tin with fossil coal at Newham, near Truro.
The account-books which are still in existence of the original smelting-works at Newham show that twenty men were employed at a wage of about 25s. a month ; " Mr. Heyden," the overseer, alone getting £3. The work of landing coals, clay, lime, brick, and sand from the River Fal was done almost entirely by barrow-women. In addition to their monthly wage, the smelting-house men got certain allowances, the chief of these being for drink on the occasions of the hot and exhausting labour of " ketteling the tin." " Drink money " seems almost always to have been allowed to the " tinners " also, as an encouragement to bring their tin to Newham.
Ref. A.K. Hamilton Jenkin "The Cornish Miner".