Hilderston or Hilderstone in West Lothian, Scotland, was the site of the discovery of a vein of silver in 1606 and a mining operation that attracted international interest. King James used rumours of a silver bonanza to leverage a loan in the City of London. He took over the mine works, an act sometimes regarded as an example of nationalization.Alec Livingstone, Minerals of Scotland: Past and Present (Edinburgh, 2002), p. 127. The enterprise may have inspired a satirical stage play.Gertrude Marian Sibley, The Lost Plays and Masques, 1500–1642 (Cornell, 1933), pp. 146–147. On 8 May 1608 work commenced under royal supervision. Miners from Cornwall and Germany were employed in the works.Photos-Jones, E., Hall, A., Pollard, T., Meikle, T.K. and Newlands, A., 'The manner of how it grew was like unto the haire of a man’s head: the early 1600's discovery and exploitation of native silver at Hilderstone in Scotland', Suzanne Young, Metals in Antiquity, BAR, 792 (Oxford, 1999), pp. 280–289.
Hilderston is near Cairnpapple Hill in the Bathgate Hills. Contemporary descriptions of the silver ore seem to refer to native silver, mercury amalgams, arsenical content, and nickeline,Richard Smith & T. Kemp Meikle, 'The Smelting of Silver Ore from Hilderston Mine at Linlithgow', British Mining, 61, (NMRS, 1998), pp. 5–19 found in "native silver bearing carbonate veins".C. M. Rice, 'Metalliferous Minerals', Nigel Trewin, The Geology of Scotland (London, 2002), p. 446.
The God's Blessing shaft Silver was discovered on lands at Hilderston in June 1606.Lauren Working, A Golden World: How the Americas Transformed Renaissance England (Faber, 2026), p. 8: HMC 9 Salisbury Hatfield, vol. 19 (London, 1965), p. 235. The find was attributed to a collier called Sandy Maund by another prospector Stephen Atkinson. The landowner was the King's Advocate, Sir Thomas Hamilton, who managed the initial mining works for a while. He had acquired the estates of West Binny and Orchardfield east of Hilderston in 1601 and these lands, including a former property of Robert Hamilton of Briggis, were made into a free Barony of Binny.William Fraser, Memorials of the Earls of Haddington, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1889), pp. 161–162: John Maitland Thomson, Register of the Great Seal, 1593–1608 (Edinburgh, 1890), pp. 436 no. 1251, 541 no. 1481, 681 no. 1873. The mine site was sometimes called "Binnie".A Chronicle of the Kings of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1830), p. 174.
Hamilton obtained a specific "tack" to work mine and minerals in Linlithgowshire on 26 June 1606 (presumably after the silver discovery), and subsequently gained permission to "draw levels, waterways, sinks, conducts, shafts" and build "fire-works (furnaces), water works, dwelling houses" and cut peats and timber, to extract his Majesty's metals.David Masson, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 1604–1607, vol. 7 (Edinburgh, 1885), pp. 358–359, modernised here. Hamilton employed the English mining entrepreneur Bevis Bulmer partnered with his brother-in-law, the Scottish goldsmith and financier Thomas Foulis.Samuel Lythe, The Economy of Scotland in Its European Setting, 1550–1625 (Edinburgh, 1960), pp. 55–56. Hamilton sent "little parcels" of native silver and ore and topographic details to King James in London, and the King asked Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury to conduct chemical assays of the ore in April 1607.HMC Salisbury Hatfield, vol. 19 (London, 1965), pp. 103–104: TNA SP 14/27 f.22.
Hamilton was appointed Master of Mines and Metals in Scotland on 25 March 1607, and put in charge of crown revenue from gold and other mines.William Fraser, Memorials of the Earls of Haddington, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1889), p. 95: NRS, PA2/17, f.18v-21r, The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, K.M. Brown et al eds (St Andrews, 2007-2021), 1607/3/40 Date accessed: 18 September 2021. He was able to use the Privy Council to browbeat other Linlithgowshire landowners, like James Ross of Wardlaw, who held Tartraven, just east of Hilderston and had refused to allow the miners on his land.David Masson, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 1604–1607, vol. 7 (Edinburgh, 1885), pp. 358–359.
Bulmer christened the shaft at Hilderston "God's Blessing". Some miners from the Earl of Pembroke's works in Cornwall were sent to Bulmer in April 1607.M. S. Giuseppi & D. McN. Lockie, HMC Calendar of the Manuscripts of the Marquess of Salisbury, 19 (London: HMSO, 1965), p. 85. One of the accounts identifies Cornish workmen as "Inglish pickmen".HMC Manuscripts of the Earl of Carlisle (London, 1897), p. 4.
The partnership of Hamilton and Bulmer broke up. Bulmer wrote to Hamilton on 10 August 1607 that he was unable to pay the workmen at Hilderston, and Hamilton should take over the mine. He left the site to Hamilton's own management.M. S. Giuseppi & D. McN. Lockie, HMC Salisbury Hatfield, vol. 19 (London, 1965), p. 213. By this witnessed "bond and deposition" Bulmer quit the works.James Balfour, Annales of Scotland, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1824), p. 22, Balfour seems to have had access to a copy.
On 17 and 18 August, equipment and mine buildings erected by Bevis Bulmer at the gold mines at Bailgilhead and Lang Cleuch near Wanlockhead were destroyed by saboteurs, possibly a hostile act against Thomas Hamilton, as Master of Mines and Metals.David Masson, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 1604–1607, vol. 7 (Edinburgh, 1885), pp. 446–447. In September 1607 a general order from the Privy Council prevented mine workers absconding. A "miner, pick-man, windaisman (winch-handler), fire-man (furnace workers) or any workman" departing without written licence was liable to arrest. Secondly, "masterless vagabonds and sturdy beggars" could be taken and put to work.David Masson, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 1604–1607, vol. 7 (Edinburgh, 1885), p. 434, modernised here.
King James takes an interest
Thomas Hamilton had fielded some inquiries from King James about the mine in 1607 while Bulmer was still working for him. The current arrangement was that the King received a tenth of the profit.HMC 9 Salisbury Hatfield, vol. 19 (London, 1965), pp. 235–236. Hamilton wrote in detail to King James about Bulmer and mining in Scotland on 12 September 1607. He had not recently sent any reports of Bulmer's other projects in Scotland. He felt that he had been "credulously induced" to place his own mine in Bulmer's management. Bulmer had been advertising in London the "exorbitant value" of the silver to be extracted. Bulmer did not have sufficient capital of his own to work the mine at Hilderston for Hamilton and had made his "voluntary renunciation". Hamilton paid the miners' back wages.Melros Papers, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1837), pp. 35–38: William Fraser, Memorials of the Earls of Haddington, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1889), p. 96.
Hamilton stated that he was continuing the work at Hilderston to the king's benefit (the king received 10% and other benefits), although several miners had left due to an outbreak of plague. Bulmer had accused Hamilton of concealing the true value of his mine from the King, but Hamilton pointed out that the large industrial operation could hardly have been a secret. Bulmer had been in charge at Hilderston for four months (April to August 1607), and could have kept Hamilton himself better informed. Hamilton had several times asked him to maximise the king's profit. Hamilton had also hoped that Bulmer would train up local people, also to the king's benefit.Melros Papers, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1837), pp. 35–38.
On 25 November, King James gave a commission to an official from the Royal Mint, Edmund Doubleday (a tall Middle Temple lawyer said to have arrested Guy Fawkes), and Bevis Bulmer to survey the site and examine the stockpiled ore in the winter of 1607/8, and take a quantity for assay. The Privy Council of Scotland had reservations about this apparent appropriation of private property, but John Arnot of Birswick produced Hamilton's letter agreeing to satisfy the royal commission in all points.David Masson, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 1607–1610, vol. 8 (Edinburgh, 1887), pp. 22–23. In early January the Privy Council of Scotland planned to assay the ore for themselves using the most "experimented men" in Scotland. The Chancellor of Scotland, the Earl of Dunfermline felt all the metallurgy was beyond his expertise, and "professed plain ignorance of all experience in these subterraneall works".HMC 9 Salisbury Hatfield, vol. 20 (London, 1968), pp. 4–5: Robert William Cochran-Patrick, Early Records Relating to Mining in Scotland (Edinburgh, 1878), p. 118: Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 1607–1610, vol. 8 (Edinburgh, 1887), p. 34. Later in January, Thomas Hamilton wrote to the King of the continuing hopes for the "largeness and richness of the vein". Hamilton thought the ore ought to be processed in Scotland, rather than shipped elsewhere for refining.Melros Papers, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1837), pp. 39–41.Samuel George Edgar Lythe, The Economy of Scotland in Its European Setting, 1550-1625 (Oliver & Boyd, 1960), p. 56.
Under new management Rowland Whyte wrote about the assay of ore in London from the "great mine in Scotland" on 26 January 1608. Reports of the yield had resulted in "much hope and joy". Whyte said more royal commissioners were to set out for Scotland, and if all reports "prove true, his Majesty's empty coffers will be filled, and his great debts paid". The King's Council were asking London merchants for loans.Michael Brennan, Noel Kinnamon, Margaret Hannay, Letters of Rowland Whyte to Sir Robert Sidney (Philadelphia, 2013), p. 573: Edmund Lodge, Illustrations of British History, vol. 3 (London, 1791), p. 343. On 29 January, in Edinburgh, Thomas Hamilton learnt that he was displaced.Melros Papers, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1837), pp. 39–41. John Arnot of Birswick, depute-treasurer, took possession of the mine on behalf of the King. He closed the shafts but continued draining the works.Melros Papers, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1837), pp. 40–43.
Hamilton wrote to the King again gracefully accepting his decision on 19 February. He apologised for any show of resistance to John Arnot at the end of January, which may have offended King James, "I should sooner have offered to have been buried in the bottom of the work, nor to have [rather than have] meaned to any possession to your majesties miscontentment". He also denounced the underhand activities and "great malice" of Bevis Bulmer, who had tried to get neighbouring landholders to dispute Hamilton's title to the mine and had asked fellow commissioners and courtiers in London, "sum nobilmen at court", to write to the king to ensure that Hamilton was prohibited from continuing.Melros Papers, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1837), p. 42 quotation modernised here.
Bevis Bulmer re-opened the mine. Samples of ore were sent to London for refining and assay. On 18 February, impatient to receive the next shipment of Scottish ore, the Earl of Salisbury wrote to the courtier Roger Aston, (a courtier who had managed a coal mine at Linlithgow), his expectation that in a few months he could say "Scotland has yielded us the richest mine that ever was discovered in Europe".HMC 9 Salisbury Hatfield, vol. 20 (London, 1968), pp. 74–75.
On the London stage The French ambassador in London, Antoine Lefèvre de la Boderie, wrote of the increasing interest in the mine and the arrival of ore in London, on 27 February 1608. Boderie linked the profits with King James's continued interest in forming a full political union between England and Scotland with one Parliament. The silver would cement the two kingdoms.Ambassades de Monsieur de la Boderie en Angleterre, vol. 3 (Paris, 1750), pp. 128–29