Whitby Jet
Whitby
Jet is the name given to the black resinous material found within the jet rock,
a black laminated shale which forms part of the Upper Lias rocks of the North
Yorkshire coast. These rocks date from the Lower Jurassic Period, making them
some 180 Million Years old. When examined under a scanning electron microscope,
Whitby Jet can be seen to be a fossilised wood, which has been compressed due
to the pressure of the over lying sediment.
The jet occurs at random within these shale's in planks, rather than seams making locating it problematic. The lack of bacterial decay in the jet suggests that it was deposited in anaerobic marine conditions. Sand grains embedded in the jet implies that it was once a driftwood resting occasionally on sand bars as it made its journey from the forests, down rivers and eventually into the sea where it became waterlogged and sank to the sea bed. The species of wood has been identified as araucaria, of which the modern day Monkey-Puzzle tree is a member, however these Jurassic ancestors were huge in comparison.
When worked the jet smells strongly of oil, in fact jet from different locations often has a characteristic smell, that found at Port Mulgrave for example having a muddy stagnant aroma.
History
Jet has a rich history of usage in Britain and by the start of the
Bronze Age, jet artifacts amongst grave goods are widespread.
Jet finds increase
in abundance into Roman deposits and although the Romans had a source of
jet from Turkey, they had discovered jet in Britain by 3rd or 4thC AD. Major
jet pieces have been found in Eboracum modern day York which was founded
in AD71 and a jet workshop, with partially finished items was uncovered near
the present day railway station (hence we are not the first Ebor Jetworks!).
When the Roman Eboracum became Viking Jorvik in the 9Cth AD it was one
of the most important trading centres in Western Europe and many jet items
have been found from this era.
Through Medieval times and into the 19Cth jet
was used only for ecclesiastical ornament such as crosses and rings, this was
all to change however with the Victorian preoccupation with mourning. With
the death of George 1V in 1830 the Lord Chamberlain's Office issued a decree
that stated that "the ornament will be jet", and in Whitby, jet production
went into overdrive.
With the death of Prince Albert in 1861 Queen Victoria
led the whole country in mourning.
By 1873 there were 200 shops manufacturing in Whitby employing 1500 men, the value of trade being some £100,000, a million pounds by today's standards. However by 1880 the trade was already starting to decline mainly due to the use of poor quality soft jet, foreign imports and imitations. Sadly by 1921 only 40 men were still producing, dropping to 5 by 1936 and by 1945 there were 3.
After the First and Second World Wars, the nation was tired of mourning and everything associated with it was shunned. Failing to exploit new styles and fashions the industry could not go on. With the death of the last Victorian jet worker in 1958 the skills of this great era were lost. All modern day jet workers, of whom we number only a few, are self taught and few are as skilled as our Victorian counterparts.