There is actually a (very interesting) Pencil Museum in Keswick in the Lake District, UK, near where those first graphite deposits were found. One fact I learnt

There is actually a (very interesting) Pencil Museum in Keswick in the Lake District, UK, near where those first graphite deposits were found. One fact I learnt was that early on, due to its usefulness and scarcity, it became a hugely valuable commodity, transport had to be done in secret or under guard, and the mine owners became extremely wealthy.