MOLLAND MINERS
Devon and Somerset were significant producers of copper before 1900. Copper was mined at Bremley in Molland from c. 1845 until the 1870s when the mines switched to iron ore production. In 1851 the mine agent and all seven copper miners were from Camborne in Cornwall and lodged at the inn or with villagers. Only the captain had his family with him although some miners were related to each other. By 1861 there were still 23 Cornish people in Molland including eight copper miners but a further ten mine workers were local. The mine captain had been in the village nearly ten years and had a servant from Guernsey. Most men had families with them, and one had married a local woman. Some had visitors from Cornwall and some had lodgers. Several women worked in the mine, probably as ore dressers. In 1871 there were no Cornish people in Molland and no miners, presumably copper mining had ceased.
Bremley mine re-opened as an iron mine and averaged 3,500 tons of iron ore a year between 1871 and 1888 from six adits. In 1881 A Cornishman, John Bryant, was agent of the mine and lodged with the Molland village policeman. Only five men were full-time miners and they were all local except a man who had recently moved from Minehead but his wife was born in Molland. Probably several casual took on less skilled work round the mine. In 1891, when over 4, 000 tons was raised, c. 30 men were employed although only 11 were described as miners. The mines closed in 1893 and men returned to farm work but two moved to the south Wales coalfields, one to a Devon quarry, and one returned to Withypool returned as miller at Garliscombe where he also made agricultural machinery.[1]
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Mary Suirat Page 2 Exmoor Reference
[1] Burt, R, Waite, P, & Burnley R, Devon and Somerset Mines (Exeter, 1984), 5—6, 19—20, 53, 80, 84—5, 126—7; TNA, HO 107/1891; ibid. RG 11/2239; RG 12/1769; RG 13/2140, 2266.