>"Daniel Hechstetter the younger - Memorabilia and Letters 1600-1639 - Copper
>Works and Life in Cumbria".
>Edited by George Hammersley, published by Franz Steiner, Stuttgart, in 1988.
>
>In the intervening 15 years, Hammersley appears to have refined his view of
>the Lake District operations.
>
Mike,
I shall have to catch up on my reading.
>I can only repeat that Mineral Lords simply did
>not remit duties for long if output increased.
The 'Mineral Lord' in this case, as with all silver-bearing minerals from
the mid 13th century to 1689/93, was the English Crown. In 1627 they were
granted a 'temporary' remission of half the royalties to finance
improvements in the mines ('Technique or Economy' p. 14 - quoting CSPD).
> Perhaps his 1973 paper was
>talking about the contribution of silver from the Society of Mines Royal's
>mines elsewhere.
No, his analysis of activity in the Lakes, particularly the Caldbeck Fells,
is peppered with references to silver (citing the Duke of Northumberland's
Alnwick MSS, Y II) although he does say that whilst 'it was no mere trifle'
the 'real business remained the production of copper'. Profit on the
enterprise in the early 17th century was calculated at 9.5 percent (15
percent before payment of royalties) which puts the 15 percent income from
silver in perspective.
Peter
______________________________________________
Peter Claughton, Blaenpant Morfil, Rosebush, Clynderwen,
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University of Exeter - School of Historical, Political and Sociological Studies
(Centre for South Western Historical Studies)
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