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SOME ASPECTS OF LEAD MINING IN CARDIGANSHIRE IN THE SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH CENTURIES. LEAD mining in Cardiganshire is an ancient industry though many of the claims made for its antiquity seem to be without proof. It is often stated that the industry was carried on both before and during the Roman Occupation of Wales, such statements being usually based on such evidence as the discovery of stone hammers at Cwmsymlog and stone wedges at Twll y Mwyn near Cwm y Darren.1 The term Roman Level is frequently applied to certain galleries, and it is still a common belief that the Romans were a people of short stature because of the small dimensions of these workings. It is not realised that, until the end of the 17th century, all underground excavations were made with the hammer and wedge. So laborious and expensive a method kept the galleries to the smallest possible dimensions. 2 Lewis Morris based his belief in the antiquity of Cardiganshire mining on the great thickness of Black Soil' that was grown over the Rubbish and Hillocks left by the ancients at Esgair y Mwyn.3 In a district of heavy rainfall and strong winds such as that of Upper Gwnnws, a depression such as was usually left by the older methods of mining would soon fill up with soil from the surrounding land. Also, the miners of those days often filled in abandoned workings because they believed that thereby the lead would grow again and provide another crop of ore at a later period.4 The earliest record of mining known to the writer refers to the working of a lead mine near Llanbadarn in 1305 from which 39 feet of lead was sold at 16d. a foot. Unfortunately, only 4 miners were employed because more could not be found yet the mine is good.'5 No further information is available until the 16th century and it is highly probable that mining was either at a standstill or so unimport- ant as to be ignored. In the debates between the heralds of France and England held in the middle of the 15th and 16th centuries, the English herald said, We have in Cornwall and Devonshyre the richest mines of silver and tynne that may be, also in Ireland mynes of silver, in Derbyshire mines of leade.'6 Wales was not even mentioned. The coming of Queen Elizabeth to the throne of England saw a marked change in the attitude of the Crown to British mining. Previous sovereigns had made some attempt to develop this industry but had accomplished very little. Disappointed with the lack of progress, the Queen, in 1564, sent for some expert miners from Germany. The first to come were Thomas Thurland and Daniel Houghstetter and