Subject:     Re: Family history enquiries
Sent:        14/01/2001 15:56
To:          The mining-history list., [log in to unmask]


>But what does that tell us - that the Cornish were involved in mining since
>the 12th century?  I could tell you that without knowing the name of a
>single Cornish miner! Single name research might give you considerabe
>enjoyment but it does not advance the overall understanding of mining
>history.

Peter --  Next you'll be telling me you can tell me all about Christianity without telling me the names of the 12 disciples, and who in the Old Testament begat whom...You can be academically correct but how do you stop the congregation falling asleep?

Anyway, I am not interested in the OVERALL understanding of mining history  -- I am interested in MY understanding of mining history, and presumably the other 288 people on this list are interested in theirs. We will all be different.

Last week I was showing Justin Brooke a document, (dated AD1230 and written in latin), about a piece of land near Marazion in Cornwall. It had words in it like Rivulum (stream?), molendinum (mill?)  Fossatum (ditch or openworks?) and Stannariam (tin workings?)
Not only does it mention Stannariam but the owner was Robertus filius Nicholai filii Frewinni. He was a nephew of Odo son of Frewyn (also of Marazion) and who had acquired the fee-farm of Helston for 40 marks a year. This seems to have been the right to all the incomes of Helston that normally went to the Earldom, including the farm of tin (tin smelting and coinage taxes).
This Odo son of Frewyn is also mentioned in De Wrotham's letter of AD1198, the first written account that I know of that explains tin smelting operations in Cornwall.
Odo is also mentioned in the same year as one of a jury for the Cornish tin miners.
Thus this document about the land near Marazion may refer to a tin mine there in AD1230.
Justin Brooke has perhaps the most complete index of Cornish mines and miners that exists in private hands, and he also lives at Marazion, but he had not seen the details of this document before, or any reference to a mine there that early.
I would never have read it if I had not been following family history. Nor would I have connected the ownership of the land to the Helston coinage, nor to De Wrotham's letter if I had not been interested, through family history, in the names.

There is an even better example. In the Black Prince's White Book of Cornwall there is a account of a mining operation in the far west of Cornwall in AD1359. I came across the source in the Duchy of Cornwall library next door to Buckingham palace. I would not have seen it if I had not been there looking up a Trevarthen family history lead. Sure, others would have seen it -- I think it was Prof Pennington who pointed me at it, and I have since found copies of the White Book elsewhere, but I doubt if I would have seen it if I had not been interested in my family's mining history.

And because I saw it, and have researched the families mentioned in it, I knew exactly who the 12 named tinners were, and where they came from, and what their social position was -- that half of them came from local landowning families and gentry. By following the histories of these families I could follow their inter-related connections, not only with the mining of tin, but the transportation, smelting, coinage and farm of tin, its sale and exportation, the administrative structure of the coinage town of Helston, the role of the Stannary, Earldom, and Duchy in the tin trade, and I can see for myself the ever-pervasive role the local gentry played in the direction and control of all mining, administrative and military activities in 13th and 14th century Cornwall.

It is true that mining in the history of West Cornwall was just one activity amongst many, one source of cash amongst several as diverse as agriculture, trade, shipping, warfare, piracy, and selling papal indulgences and souvenirs to pilgrims at St Michael's Mount. Some of the families I am following did all of these things. I am interested in all these activities, but particularly mining and the family's continuing involvement in mining, generation after generation.

I want to see the overall historical picture and understand how mining fitted into it, how it was all financed, managed, worked, by whom and why, and where any profits went.  For me, mining and mining history as mainly about people.  For me, trying to understand the history of an old mine without knowing the community and people involved, and how they were related, would be as pointless as planning the development of a new mine without thinking about the people -- those who are going to work there, and those who are going to oppose its construction. If you don't get the people on your side they are going to shaft you, up, down and sideways, and with wickedly innocent smiles on their faces as they do it.

Some readers may have read to the end. (Bless you). If so, you may be interested in the AD1359 example that I have quoted. Just for you I enclose below a couple of the passages..

Alan
__

THE BLACK PRINCE¹S REGISTER
Folio 98 and 99

1359 May                        By order to John Dabernon, the prince's yeoman, and steward of Cornewaille, from Edward, The Black Prince

                        " On a complaint by Henry Nanfan and others of those parts, who have begun a tin working in the moor of Lamorna , that some tinners of those parts disturb them in their working to such an extent that they cannot make their proper profit, in contravention of the customs of the stannary in those parts, - to hear the said complaint, cause the complainants to have redress of whatever wrong has been done to them in accordance to the laws and customs heretofore used in such case, and see that the tinners have the franchises granted to them by the prince's progenitors, kings of England, and be enabled to work everywhere except in the workings which the prince has forbidden in order to preserve the haven of Fowy and his mills of Lostwithiel, providing that the workers do not through malice or trickery begin a pretended working, which might tend to the ruin of their neighbours, in a place where no tin is to be found.
By advice of Wengefeld.

THE BLACK PRINCE¹S REGISTER
Folio 100 -- cont.
1359 July 5th, (London)
                        Notification to all the Prince's lieges and subjects of his Duchy of Cornwaille that, whereas the Stannary of Cornwaille has greatly deteriorated and is now of much less value than it used to be, partly because the moors where the tin ought to be dug have remained unworked owing to divers disputes among the tinners of those parts, who have interfered with each other's work in the said moors, and partly owing to the lack of workers since the pestilence (Footnote 1) ,the prince, in the sure hope of having a greater profit from his said stannary than he has heretofore had, and with a desire to relieve and increase the same, (Footnote 2) has reserved a certain parcel of the moor of Nansmorna (Footnote 3) and Tresadar extending from the chapel called Chapelle Cornou as far as the mill of Treweef, and has appointed Henry Trewynard, Hervey Trevaswithen, Henry Grigor, Richard Nichol, Nicholas Rosmodres, John Porthmour, Richard Geffrei, Robert Wisdom, Alan Treverthyen, (Footnote 4), Henry Nanfan, John Sugon, William Carwenan, James Gerveis, Richard Hughelot, John Bosveysok, and Richard Nanfan to be his tinners for digging and working the tin which they can find in the said parcel for twelve years from Michaelmas next.  He therefore orders all the other tinners, lieges, and subjects of the duchy not to begin any tin working in the said parcel, or around the bounds thereof, which might in any way tend to the damage or disturbance of the works of the said tinners.  By bill endorsed by Wengefeld at the suit of J. Dabernon". (Footnote 5)


Footnote 1
Late pestilence = The Black Death, The Bubonic Plague, that reached England 11 years earlier.
Divers disputes amongst the tinners may refer to the universal lack of respect for authority that followed the Black Death.

Footnote 2
The Prince needs more money -- This was to finance his Royal war with France

Footnote 3 - Placenames
Nans Morna = The Morna Valley, i.e. the valley above Lamorna Cove, 6 km to the south west of Penzance.
Treweef is the present day Trewoofe in the Nans Morna
Tresader may be Trevider  in the present day upper Lamorna valley, (or it may be Tresidder which is in the Penberth Valley, 2 or 3 kms further west ).

Footnote 4
This Alan Treverthyen was probably a son of Richard Trevarthyan of Trevarthyan, St Hillary, near Marazion. Trevarthian Manor is about 6 km East of Penzance. The name Alan probably came into the family through the marriage of Robert Trevarthyan to Rose Bloyou of the adjoining manor of Truthwall where the first names Alan and Henry had been repeated for generations, reflecting the Bloyou's Breton roots, for Truthwall manor was held by Blohin the Breton in the Domesday book of c.1087

Footnote 5
John Dabernon was the Steward and Sheriff of Cornewaille, & John Renward the bailiwick of the hundred of Penwith.


Alan Trevarthen, on Copper Hill, Hayle, overlooking the Copperhouse Creek, Phillack, and Hayle Towans