Richard Devéria

Abstract

This article presents an account of the efforts made by the 5th Earl of Breadalbane to develop a copper mining property during the mid-19th century on his Perthshire estate. During the twenty years from 1840, pyritic and copper-bearing ores of varying grade were produced. Following this period, limited amounts of sulphuric acid, phosphate fertilizer and copper matte were produced, but despite the high calibre of the consultants hired by the Earl, the operation made a heavy financial loss. Analysis of slag remaining by the shore of Loch Tay has permitted a description of the metallurgical process used, while by matching the information from the Breadalbane archives to the visible remains of the plant, the author offers an interpretation of the mining and manufacturing site as it exists today.

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Keywords
References
Bainbridge J W 1970, ‘A Nineteenth Century Copper Working, Tomnadashan, Loch Tayside, Scotland’, Industrial Archaeology 7 (1), 60-74.
Bainbridge J W 1971, ‘Smelting in Perthshire: a quest for copper.’ Historical Metallurgy 5 (1), 12-14.
Bainbridge J W 1980, ‘Lord Breadalbane’s Mines’, Scots Magazine 114 (1), 38-45.
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Hopkins D W 1970, ‘The Welsh Process of Copper Smelting’, (Conference Paper) Historical Metallurgy 5 (1), 6-8.
Odernheimer F 1841, ‘Mines and Minerals of the Breadalbane Highlands’, Trans Highland & Agric Soc Scot XII, 541-56.
How to Cite
Tomnadashan—A re-examination of a 19th century copper mining and smelting operation in Perthshire, Scotland. (2022). Historical Metallurgy, 35(2), 87-98. https://hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/278
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Articles

How to Cite

Tomnadashan—A re-examination of a 19th century copper mining and smelting operation in Perthshire, Scotland. (2022). Historical Metallurgy, 35(2), 87-98. https://hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/278