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Dear Sharron, Yes, the local wheeler-dealers - in the old and new senses of the term! They were major shareholders in, and in effect ran, the Tavistock Canal from its inception to its closure. Their relationship with the Bedford Estate was at times stormy, which has generated a lot of very interesting and useful correspondence! What do you know about them? I know a fair amount about them but they don't seem to have left any portraits for instance, other than John Hornbrook Gill in Tavistock Town Hall. Robert -----Original Message----- From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dr. Sharron P. Schwartz Sent: 20 February 2012 13:23 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Obscure Tamar Valley mines - Found word(s) farm in the Text body Was John Gill of the Mount Foundry Iron Works in Tavistock one of the Gill Family mentioned in connection with these mines by any chance? Regards, Sharron -----Original Message----- From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Robert Waterhouse Sent: 20 February 2012 12:58 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Obscure Tamar Valley mines - Found word(s) farm in the Text body Dear Caroline, I was aware of this placename, but suspected that it wasn't the one I was after, as its well outside the main mineralised zone. 'Tuell' may be derived from Old Cornish, possibly meaning a pit - like Twll in Welsh. Of course, it could refer to any sort of pit - not specifically mining. Thanks anyway, and to Chris and especially Alasdair, who seems to have hit the nail on the head! These are very interesting mines, being part of a group which were worked by John Taylor in partnership with local entrepreneurs, notably the Gill family. To all intents and purposes, these were identical to mines leased by the Tavistock Canal Company - Gill & Taylor being the principal signatories to their leases too - and covering the same period, ie: c.1803-1821. Many of them don't actually seem to have been worked - or if they were, it was minimally - it being more a case of grabbing any setts which were going begging, in the hope that Taylor's management techniques might find/develop something which previous adventurers had missed. Robert -----Original Message----- From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Caroline Vulliamy Sent: 19 February 2012 13:44 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Obscure Tamar Valley mines Tuell is a farm lying just west of the road between Milton Abbot and Tavistock. Caroline Vulliamy > Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:15:53 +0000 > From: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Obscure Tamar Valley mines > To: [log in to unmask] > > Wheal Smith was part of the later DGC, probably the later Wheal Jack Thomas (details of leases 1798 at Couteney Library William Jenkin letters, & to Gill & Taylor 1810 in DRO Bedford). > > > Wheal Adam was later Wheal Strode then Little Duke (DRO Bedford & WDRO Strode papers) > > Wheal Tool (also spelt Wheal Tule in Bedford dues accounts) was I think the later Bedford Consols although I havn't rediscovered the source for this, probably something in DRO Bedford. =