A forgotten industry along the Yorkshire coast was the graving of ironstone from cliff fall, and perhaps in places from the cliff face. The rock wasloaded on ships for delivery to the iron works of county Durham in late Georgian times. Scarborough Corporation made a contract in 1749 letting the "brown stones or brown mine laying and being in and upon the sands" for fourteen years to Thomas Calisthenes in 1749 . The lease was probably renewed. The Corporation made another contract with Richard Fishwick of Newcastle for ironstone from the beach in 1800 on payment of £250.
The Seamer estate steward was involved in the management of the iron forge at Forge Valley. He reported in 1793 that ironstone had lately been found in the cliff near the Scarborough spaw, muchthe same as that produced in the West Riding. Othercontracts were made by land owners north and south ofScarborough. Fishwick had another lease for £250 from Richard Hill, himself as seen of the rights of the Duke of Lancaster in 1801 of "all mineral, fossil or stone called or denominated ironstone on the seashore from Hayburn to Peaseholm". He was allowed to erect sheds, for 14 years, provided that he left access forothers to burn seaweed or kelp.
John Rushton
