Discovery of Gold in Taynton

CALENDAR OF STATE PAPERS, DOMESTIC—Chas II

1682 The case of Abraham Shipton concerning the gold and silver mines he has discovered in the parish of Tavnton, Gloucestershire.

In 1673, he began to sink for coals and hit on the silver mine and knew it not, never having seen any such mine, though it was known to the workmen and others in the country. In 1675, endeavouring for coals at other places in the same lands, he lighted on ore very rich in gold, which was also unknown to him, but he believes was known to the workmen and others, who have concealed the same to the King's damage. He heard of the silver mine in a coffee-house in London by accident, and returning to Gloucestershire discovered both the said mines and has brought up of each sort of the ore, which yields very considerable. Whilst he was in Gloucestershire, John Claypole has underhand obtained a lease of the said mines from the Mines Royal and Mineral Battery Works Society. Claypole uses all endeavours to keep Shipton from attending the King to know his pleasure concerning the mines, as he has good reason to believe. Shipton believes that Claypole holds correspondency with drivers of corrupt interest, who design to defeat the King of the benefit of the said mine's, which, he conceives will be very great, the veins being thick and lying very shallow. If the King shall not think convenient to work the mines himself, Shipton desires, as he is the proprietor of the lands and has been at the whole costs of the discovery of them, a licence to work them and he covenant with the King to pay one moiety of the produce and does not desire to put him to any charges about the same.