In 1855, the Wheal Julian sett was acquired by Messrs H D Skewis (of Beer Alston) and John Sims (of Calstock), who initiated trials in the ‘old men’s workings’. The mine was named after the mineral owner, Mr Julian who lived in Laira House, Plymouth. They opened up a Gunnis (ie the space left behind in a mine after the extraction by stoping of a vertical or near vertical ore-bearing lode), which was 3 fms to 4 fms wide in which oak trees believed to be over 200 years old were standing. The trees were proof that the lode hadn’t been worked since the ‘old men’ or ‘ancients’. Skewis and Sims found tin worth £65 to £70 a ton in some of the old pillars (arches) and numerous veins were also found on the north side of the Gunnis. Note: In mining terms ‘room and pillar’ or ‘pillar and stall’ were mining systems in which the mined material is extracted across a horizontal plane, creating horizontal arrays of rooms and pillars. To do this, “rooms” of ore are dug out while “pillars” of untouched material are left to support the roof – overburden. Near to the Gunnis they started sinking a shaft to intersect a lode, which was around 20 fms (120ft).
In the south part of the Gunnis, about 70 fms (420ft) to the east of the shaft, the lode was 3’ wide and the ore was said to be worth ‘at least £100 per fathom’ (ref: Mining Journal – 4th August and 20th October 1855). In the Plymouth and Devonport Weekly Journal, it was recorded that Stamps and Dressing Floors were being prepared.
Working of the mine lapsed for two or three years, occasioned by unreasonable restrictions imposed by the Mr Julian. In 1857 work at the mine was renewed at a somewhat larger scale. At the bottom of the trial shaft, a crosscut was put out to the south lode and on this a level producing rich stones of tin was driven 8 to 10 fathoms. A 22in steam engine was also installed in 1857 (recorded in Mining Journal – 12th September) and by June 1858 the shaft was 18fms (108ft) deep. A month later, in July the shaft was 23 fms (138ft) deep, with considerable quantities of tin expected on reaching 27 fms (162ft). In 1858, the south lode was reported as being 7 or 8ft wide, at the 8 fm (48ft) level and carrying tin, peach (chlorite) and gossan worth £30 to £40 per fathom.
Due to the lack of water for dressing and other purposes and the difficulty of acquiring rights over certain adjoining fields, the mine material effects were offered for sale in April 1859. The auction details for July 4th 1859 included an 18” rotary steam engine, with fly wheel and 6 ton boiler; 1 crown wheel and crank for pumping and gear for stamping; drawing machine complete; stamps to axle carrying 12 heads; ditto to carry 8 heads; 40fms of flat rods; large shaft bob; balance bob; 8 arm capstan; horse whim and 24ft diameter waterwheel. If this auction went through, it would appear that new materials and equipment would have had to be purchased as in the following January (1860), the sett was advertised to let with immediate possession. Later in that year working was resumed, the water being drawn using a small 18” double-engine*, which had been acquired from North Tamar Mine (ref: Mining Journal – 15th September 1860). According to the mine plan, the shaft eventually reached a depth of 60fms (360ft). There was a cross cut which from the shaft met the main lode at 58fms (348ft). *This engine appears to be different from that offered at auction in April 1859.
In the Mining Journal (28th May 1864), another auction for all the Machinery and Materials from the mine was advertised. The auction was through Mr Henry Wills and took place at Parker’s Hotel, Plympton on 7th June at 3 O’Clock. Items being auctioned included an 18” rotary steam engine, with 5 ton boiler; rods, pulleys, stands and pumps; a drawing lift, balance bobs, wood rods, horse whim, poppet heads, rope, bellows, anvil and 30 tons of coal, oil, grease etc. This auction was most probably the end of Wheal Julian, which was eventually amalgamated with Wheal Sidney. It is thought that the 18” engine was, in all likelihood, moved to Old Engine Shaft, where it was utilised for winding.
The author is grateful to the Dartmoor Tinworking Research Group (DTRG) for a guided walk around the mine (March 2025) and the land owners for access, which provided the opportunity to take the photographs shown here. Much of the information contained in this post was collated from notes created for the walk by Stephen Holley of DTRG, which have been edited and added to for this post.
Bibliography
- Stephen Holley, DTRG (March 2025) – Guided walk notes for Wheal Sidney and Wheal Julian
- A.K. Hamilton Jenkin (2005) – Mines of Devon – Page 66
- Mining Journals – various
