6A Questions on Thomas Lovett’s Tale

1. Where was Thomas Lovett, and what was his job before he came to Snailbeach?

2. Did he know about lead mining? If not, what was his skill?

3. Thomas Lovett calls mining ‘A robber economy?’ What does this mean?

4. The Wagbeach Adit was a long straight tunnel. Why was it dug if it didn’t reach any lead ore?

5. Why did Thomas Lovett need a coal mine?

6. Make a list of all the expenses which you think Thomas Lovett would need to put into his accounts.

7. His accounts would list ‘INCOME’ and ‘EXPENDITURE’. Where did his company get its income?

8. In the Snailbeach Company, Thomas Lovett says there were ‘ten shareholders, with 16 shares, and I had 2½ of the shares’. If the mine makes £16,000 profit

· How much does a shareholder with one share receive?

· How much does Thomas Lovett receive?

9. The Marquis of Bath receives a royalty of 7% of the value of all minerals sold. It the mine produces 1,500 tons of lead a year, sold for £40 a ton, how much does the Marquis have?

10. Imagine you are a businessman, and Thomas Lovett invites you to invest £2,000 in the Snailbeach Company. You were thinking of buying a farm. What are the risks and advantages of buying the farm, and what are the risks and advantages of investing in the mine?

Questions about pumping the mine

1. Why was the Wagbeach Adit made?

2. Why was a water wheel needed?

3. In what way is a water wheel better than a steam engine for pumping the mine?

4. In what ways is a steam engine better than a water wheel?

5. How did Watt’s steam engine improve the pumping of water out of mines?

6. How did Watt make money from the steam engine he invented?

7. How did make it more difficult to improve steam engines?

8. Why couldn’t the pumping engine be used to raise the kibbles (buckets of lead ore) out of the mine?

9. How is the ore lifted to the surface from the mine?