Chris
 
Don't be put off publishing, from a personal point of view I think we all  
have something to add, of course it is only right to be as accurate as 
possible.  My wife bought the book in question for me, but I've only dipped in 
and not been  grabbed, I'll have a closer look later, but I expect that it 
covers areas which  I know very little of.
 
As for costs at the National Archives, book into one of the B & Bs at  Kew 
and take your camera. They aren't that expensive and Kew is a very nice  
place, you only get distrubed by flights into Heathrow on alternate nights. 
With  a camera you can photograph all you like for free. You do need two hands 
though  from time to time.
 
Ian
 
 
In a message dated 26/08/2011 19:09:26 GMT Daylight Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:

Dear  List

I have not seen the publication in question so can’t comment on  its 
content. What I would like to point out is that information in the public  domain 
varies quite considerably regarding the same mines in some cases of  Devon’s 
mining past. Newspaper reports, often hyped up to entice potential  
shareholders to part with their hard earned cash differ from company records  found 
in Public Record Offices. Facts and figures quoted are sometimes  different 
to the Official Returns… it’s hard to believe some of the newspaper  
reports as well as the Mining Journal reports. I know that the editors only  
published with good intent the information supplied.

In my personal  opinion if two well-known academics (Peter & Roger) have 
reviewed the  publication and have made their observations known, then there 
are  discrepancies, which may deter the mining enthusiast from purchasing  it.
Maybe the author didn’t use all available material at the time of  
research. If that’s the case then personally I feel that future authors should  take 
note, and access all available material before their research is put into  
a publication.

I have been pondering on writing a book on Devon’s tin  mining in the 19th 
century. I am concerned that I might not be able to access  all material due 
to the high cost of photographs and photocopies of material  from Public 
Record Offices.

I sent a request to the National Archives  and received a telephone number… 
or that’s what I thought it was, until I read  it was their price for the 
material I’d requested. The articles requested were  from the Board of Trade 
listed on their website for a number of tin mines of  Devon. So that was that
… 

Kindest regards Chris  Kelland