Afraid I don't know when zinc mining ceased at Shipham, but the term "calamine" is a historic name for a type of zinc mineralisation, a combination of zinc silicate (hemimorphite) and zinc carbonate (smithsonite). The term derives from the zinc mines in Belgium of the same name (La Calamine) - so I'd suggest that this refers to a zinc mine, although I'm not 100% certain. There has been some recent research into the geology of this type of mineralisation by Maria Boni at the University of Naples - although I don't think anyone has looked into the geology of the non-sulphide zonc mineralisation of the UK as yet.
 
Simon
-- 
Dr. Simon Jowitt 
Research Fellow – Economic Geology 
School of Geosciences 
Monash University 
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: Keith Ramsey <[log in to unmask]> 
Date: Monday, July 12, 2010 6:48 am 
Subject: Mendip Calamineries 
To: [log in to unmask] 

> Can anyone tell me when zinc mining ceased at Shipham in 
> Somerset? I 
> know the answer will be in Gough's "Mines of Mendip" but I haven't 
> got a 
> copy to hand. 
> 
> According to the published 1831 census results "In the parishes of 
> Rowberrow and Shipham, 65 and 106 men respectively are employed in 
> Lead 
> Mines and Calamine Works". I was under the impression that all 
> such work 
> had ceased by 1841, but we've just found a report of an 1841 
> census 
> entry that refers to a "Head Miner" in a "Calaminery" (although we 
> haven't been able to check the original return yet). 
> 
> I'm also intrigued by the term "calaminery", which I haven't come 
> across 
> before. Was it a common term, and does it refer to a zinc mine or 
> some 
> kind of processing works? 
> 
> Keith Ramsey 
> 
> Bristol Research 
> [log in to unmask] 
>