200 A HISTORY OF SALT-MAKING IN ESSEX.
and Maldon; at all of which places, the refiners used "water-
borne" coal for boiling their brine-pans.
At Colchester, the industry continued until at least 1793,
when John Buckingham was a "dealer in salt" there, and John
Luff kept a "Salt Office."18
At Manningtree, the industry survived even later; for, in
1823, one James Monteith, residing there, was described19 as
a "salt-refiner and coal merchant."
In 1836, there were in England thirteen salt-works (or,
rather, salt-refineries) making salt from rock-salt, using "sea
water as a solvent." Of these, two are stated to have been
in Essex—at Manningtree and Maldon.20 Probably, however, it
did not survive long at Manningtree.
At Maldon alone has the industry continued to the present
day. That the town was formerly recognized generally as
a centre of the salt-making trade is shown by the fact that,
in 1785, a writer spoke21 of the demand for "the famous Maldon
salt," while in 1823 another described22 Maldon as "famous for
its salt." Yet it seems clear that much of the salt which passed
as Maldon salt was made, in reality, in the adjacent parishes of
Goldhanger and Heybridge, on the opposite side of the river.
In 1786, Morant wrote23 that, at Goldhanger, there was a
"a considerable salt-work, in which is used Rock-Salt brought
from Cheshire, mixed with sea-water." This establishment was,
apparently, still working at Goldhanger in 1819, when Cromwell
wrote:—24
"The salt-works here are considerable. Rock-salt from Cheshire was formerly
used ; but, in consequence of the erection of very extensive works by Messrs.
Bridges, Johnson, and Co., the manufactory of salt from the sea-water by steam
has been practised with considerable success."
In all probability, Cromwell here confuses the "very
extensive works" of the firm named (which appear to have
been, in reality, in the adjoining parish of Heybridge: see post)
with the earlier salt-works at Goldhanger.
In 1889, our Past-Presidents, Dr. Laver and Mr. E. A. Fitch,
18 See Brit. Directory. 1793, ii., pp. 522 and 523. The "Salt Works" at the Hythe are
shown on Thomas Sparrow's Survey of Colchester (1767) and on Chapman and Andre's Map
of Essex (1777).
19 Pigot's Directory, 1823, p. 299.
20 See Rep. of Select Com. on Salt (British India) (1836), p. 218.
21 See John Phillips, Treatise on Inland Navigation (1785), p. 18.
22 Pigot's Directory, 1823, p. 289.
23 Hist. of Essex, i., p. 389. See also the Hist. of Essex, by "a Gentleman," v (1772),
p. 385.
24 Excursions through Essex, i, p. 41.