Rick,
I discovered copper slags at Bampfylde Mine, Heasley Mill, North Devon and
radio carbon dating for associated charcoal suggested dates between 1420 to
1570.
Peter noted two mines in the area of Codden Hill, North Devon. Bronze and
copper finds, along with copper slags at Codden Hill provided a radio carbon
date of 1380 to 1520.
I hope this helps.
Trevor
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Claughton" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 01, 2009 5:20 PM
Subject: Re: Early Tamar Valley Copper Mining
> At 11:28 01/09/2009, Rick Stewart, Morwellham Quay Mine Manager wrote:
>>What documenary evidence is there for pre eighteenth century copper mining
>>within the Tamar Valley? The earliest references that I have come across
>>are early eighteenth century Bedford Estate leases held in the DRO.
>>
>>Dines and (Ithink) Hamilton Jenkin both note that Virtuous Lady is
>>reputed to have been worked in the 16th Century.
>>
>>A more recent reference (Rippon, Claughton & Smart, 2009) notes "there
>>is, however, good documentary evidence that some copper - bearing ores
>>were being worked in the Tamar Valley by at least the first decade of the
>>fourteenth century."
>
> Rick,
>
> There is a list of mines in Devon, and other parts of south-west England,
> assessed / 'proved' by Petrus Filius in about 1528 (TNA: PRO SP1/236)
> which includes 'A mine beside our lady in the cliff - copper and lead'.
> No specific location but, although it appears in the list between two
> mines in the area of Codden Hill in north Devon, the list generally runs
> from north to south across Somerset and Devon, and the mine 'beside our
> lady in the cliff' is shortly followed by two other mines in the Tavy and
> Tamar valleys - so the mine could be Virtuous Lady, although it needs some
> work on identifying 'our lady in the cliff' which may be shrine?
>
> The best evidence for copper working comes in the early 14th century and
> the reworking of copper smelting residues at the Crown silver mines in the
> Tamar valley. The residues are described as being 'from old works at
> Calstock' which, until we found the Roman fort and associated furnace at
> Calstock (on the Cornish bank of the Tamar), was thought to have probably
> been the result of earlier medieval activity - but they could perhaps be
> the result of smelting in the 1st century. The furnace found outside the
> southern boundary of the Roman fort has been stripped of slag and that may
> be the result of collecting the residues reworked in the 14th century -
> the furnace is not a lead smelter but we have not, so far, identify any
> metallic residues associated with it beyond a high arsenic level in the
> material filling the furnace bottom. See Claughton and Smart, 'The Bere
> Ferrers Project and Discovery of the Roman Fort at Calstock', Tamar -
> Journal of the Friends of Morwellham, 30 (2008), 4-15, for some
> preliminary detail - work on the fort and its environs is on-going but a
> report should appear in the not too distant future.
>
> Peter King is correct to identify Sweden as the principal source of copper
> used in England and Wales prior to the late 17th century - all attempts to
> work copper in England and Wales before the late 17th century, even the
> renown Mines Royal operations in Cumberland, were economic failures.
>
> Peter
>
>
> Dr Peter Claughton,
> Blaenpant Morfil, nr. Rosebush, Clynderwen, Pembrokeshire, Wales SA66
> 7RE.
> Tel. +44 (0)1437 532578; Fax. +44 (0)1437 532921; Mobile +44 (0)7831
> 427599
>
> Hon. University Fellow - School of Humanities and Social Sciences
> http://huss.exeter.ac.uk/archaeology/staff/claughton.shtml
> E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
> Co-owner - mining-history e-mail discussion list.
> See http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/files/mining-history/ for details.
>
> Mining History Pages - http://www.people.exeter.ac.uk/pfclaugh/mhinf/
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