Reply To: Jamaica puddling

[P.W. KING]

English Heritage should be strongly discouraged from changing anything on their website.  I have read it through and there is nothing on it (or the history page associated with it) that refers to puddling.  It is a steel furnace, not any kind of iron production furnace.  There was a finery forge there, but not revealed in the Time Team excavations.  They will be well-advised to stay clear of controversy.

Paul Rondolez wanted to publish a summary of these discussions in The Crucible.  I consider that this will be inadequate to prevent bad history finding its way into text books.  Further discussions on Saturday after Richard left suggested a short article sent to History and Technology by way of reply and rebuttal.  I will try to produce a draft of that next week and circulate it for comment.  I think that if it is a joint article from several of us, it may carry more weight.

I Looked up Jenny Bulstrode on the UCL website.  She is a lecturer in the History of Science there, not a mere doctoral student.

Peter KIng