At 14:19 17/12/2009, Robert Waterhouse wrote:
>Does anyone know anything about the leasing of tin mines to private
>individuals by the Society of Mines Royal in Devon & Cornwall in the
>1620s? Some book references would be handy.
Tin was not included in the Crown monopoly granted in perpetuity to
Thurland and Hochstetter in 1564, and later taken up by the Society,
that covered copper, silver, gold and quicksilver (ie mercury). From
time to time, prior to the 16th century, the Crown had included tin
in grants of mines royal but they could not be sustained. If the
Society was granting leases of tin mines in the 17th century then
they must have acquired them by other means and, I must admit, I'm
not aware of them working mines outside their monopoly rights.
Do the leases mention tin or are they of mines which we might
associate with tin production today but, at that date, were primarily
copper producers?
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
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