Dear List,
Just to try to clarify.
It was quite usual for the Crown to 'impress' miners from one area to
another and especially to work silver/lead mines.
The main silver production in the south west from 1297-99 was at Bere
Ferrers and Combe Martin with miners being 'impressed' from Derbyshire,
Wales and from elsewhere. During 1360 another attempt to mine the silver in
Combe Martin was made, and again the Crown 'impressed' miners from the Peak
District. In 1370 authority was given to 'impress' miners from Yorkshire and
Derbyshire. It must be remembered that these miners who were 'impressed'
actually worked for the Crown.
In 1528 Joachim Hochstetter was responsible for the Combe Martin mines, and
like his predecessors took leave to impress miners. He was followed in 1587
by Adrian Gilbert and John Poppler who took the lease from the Mines Royal,
with their partner Bevis Bulmer, who had spent some time working the mines
in Mendip. It was Bulmer who resolved the means to satisfactorily smelt the
ores. In 1642 Thomas Bushell took the lease of the Combe Martin mines.
I hope this is helpful.
Kindest regards,
Trevor
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bernard Moore" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, December 08, 2007 6:01 PM
Subject: Re: new Cornish Book - Cornish Cases (Tibuters)
> Dear David,
>
> Re the first ref. about Derbs. miners going to Somerset. I read this in a
> book sometime during the course of this year, so I will try and remember
> which
> for you. To my recollection it was around the latter part of Elizabeth
> I's
> reign and connected with her drive to get the British metal industry going
> properly. German miners definitely went to Somerset at some point... I
> wonder if
> their mines operated Tribute methods? John Pettus had some sort of
> involvement down there as well of course, as also Bushell... and didn't
> Waller have a
> spell there as well at some point. I may be mixing up the Combe Martin
> mines
> possibly with some of the latter names. I am taking all this addit. stuff
> from memory as I write, so it is a little 'off-the-cuff' so to speak.
>
> As to your second query this is merely a calculated guess: however, in
> nearly all cases where outside labour was brought in anywhere (pre-1910
> anyway),
> invariably some stayed and merged into the local community.
>
> Sorry a bit vague about this. I know I read this Derbs. matter in one of
> my
> books somewhere, it's now a question of which! I think it must be one of
> the
> Derbs. books rather than the old faithful and excellent Mines of Mendip
> vol..
> - I haven't looked at this one for a while so I know it's not that -
> though
> one would have thought such a matter would have been mentioned in the
> latter
> vol.?
>
> Will give this thought and get back to you.
>
> Regards, Bernard
>
>
>
>
>
>
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