Richard mentions RTZ at St James's Square. I believe the company is now Rio Tinto and is no longer at St James's Square, but at 2 Eastbourne Terrace, London W2 6LG (next to St Pancras station) Phone 020 7781 2000.
When, two or three years ago, I deposited the original Minute Book of the formed Mining Club (which had been based at London Wall) at the London Metropolitan Archive, I was told that Rio Tinto had given them all the company's archive material - presumably when they moved out of St James's Square. The LMA is at 40, Northampton Road, London EC1R 0HB. Telephone 020 7332 3820.
Tony Brewis

-----Original Message-----
From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Richard Smith
Sent: 14 January 2012 23:10
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Capper Pass & Crowndale Smelting Works

The records to which you refer sound like purchases by Capper Pass & Son when they were based at Bristol and before the administration moved to North Ferriby.  Very little of the production data from Bristol made it to Ferriby and there were very few written details of the old processes available there.

I'm not sure what was retained by RTZ archives when Cappers closed - I know they have a collection of photographic slides at St James's Square but many of the really good professionally taken slides are not there.  Much of the technical stuff such as drawings and plant records were taken by RTZ Consultants based at Avonmouth - not sure where they are now.

Richard Smith


----- Original Message -----
From: "Alasdair Neill" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, January 14, 2012 9:42 AM
Subject: Capper Pass & Crowndale Smelting Works


In looking through a collection of mainly 20thC documents relating 
particularly to the Tamar Valley, have come across assay reports, invoices 
etc from Capper Pass for tin slags etc. sold by the John Taylor & Sons 
concern working at Crowndale in the 1920's, & also for black tin from Wheal 
Emma (DGC) in the 1940's. I understand some tin from Great Work tributers in 
the 1940's went to Bristol, presumably also to Capper Pass.
Two queries:
firstly, is anyone aware of any records - perhaps in Rio Tinto archives - of 
Capper Pass purchases. Of course RTZ didn't take over Capper Pass till much 
later. I have checked online catalogues for archives around the Bristol 
area. On the (probably remote) chance such records do survive, it might be a 
useful source for production figures from other small ventures in the South 
West.
secondly, has anyone been able to pinpoint the location of the Crowndale 
smelting works (worked up to c. 1830's)? Tom Greaves' paper on Devon tin 
smelting suggests the exact location was unknown. The sale of slags in the 
1920's which must have originated from these works indicates it must have 
been within or close to the lease area then held.

Alasdair Neill.