Tresowes china clay works

In 1827, the Duke of Leeds leased setts at Tresowes, close to Tregonning Hill, to George Blakeley, a London merchant. Blakeley worked the clay for four years, but by 1832, with the pit almost idle, the Duke cancelled the lease and reissued it to Thomas Broad, a native of Hanley, Staffs. Both china clay and china stone occurred at Tresowes. Broad was only interested in the china clay, as he was already working a china stone quarry at Goonamarres for his in-laws. The china stone quarry was offered for a separate lease, and between 1833 - 1835 the lease was taken by the Staffordshire potters Thomas and John Carey, of Lane End, whose speciality was a special white stoneware known as White Granite Ware, which they made at their Anchor Works at Lane End. The Staffordshire Potteries were going through a minor recession, and both Broad and the Careys were forced by this to give up their leases on Tresowes - Broad in 1&38 and the Careys in 1839.

In 1871, Tresowes was leased by William Browne of St., Austell, after he had given up production nearby at Leeds pit. By 1877, the pit was producing 700 tons of clay per annum, but reserves were not as great as Browne had thought, to begin with, and by 1887, production was down to a paltry 37 tons. Just as he was about to give up, Browne found that after removing a stent island, he could gain access to further clay reserves. In 1889, he sold his lease of Tresowes to William Argall of Breage. When Argall retired from clay production in 1893, the Tresowes setts were taken over by a consortium consisting of James M. Holman, the Camborne iron founder, Francis Harvey representing William Harvey & Co., the Hayle founders, and F. N. Thomas, manager of the mighty Dolcoath Mine at Camborne. Several years after the consortium took over Tresowes, it was finally found to be worked out. The other nearby setts at Tresowes Hill continued in production for a few more years.

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