Hi List
I have recently take on the role as Editor of the Dartmoor
Tinworking Research Group, and the first article forwarded to me has
referred to 'Male or Bastard Tin'. The author of the article has asked the
question "Can anyone explain what 'male or bastard tin' was?". His guess
is that it may refer to tourmaline. The author of the article states that
the reference came from Charles Vancouver's 'General View of the
Agriculture of the County of Devon' first published in 1808. Two extracts
from the book on the subject of minerals are as follows - "The male or
bastard tin stone is found generally on the commons abutting on Dartmoor,
on Bradbury-down, and other places in this district...." - "....Traversing
these wilds, a single stone of bluish cast (known by the name of male tin)
is rarely to be found without the mark of a hammer in chipping off a
corner, to discover by its fracture, whether it was worth converting or
not...."
The DTRG and Editor would be very grateful for any information regarding
the above male or bastard tin. Thank you any response.
Chris Kelland
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