22 History of the English Landed Interest. 



these rights in a series of fifty-nine articles. It would not 

 come within the province of a work of this description to 

 relate in detail all the various laws and customs which ob- 

 tained in these old courts. Later on, many of their most 

 cherished clauses became obsolete, and ill suited to the modern 

 appliances for lead-mining ; so that in 1851 a Mineral Courts 

 Act was passed, establishing jurisdiction over the King's Field 

 within the hundred of High Peak, and in the following year 

 " The Derbyshire Mining Customs and Mineral Courts Act " 

 performed a similar office for the King's Field within the soke 

 of Wirksworth and manors of Crich, Ashford, Stoney Middle- 

 tyn, Eyam, Hartington, Litton, Peak Forest, Tideswell, and 

 Youlgreave ; excepting, however, those ancient freeholds of 

 Eyam which came under the purview of King John's Charter 

 already alluded to. By these Acts the steward must be either 

 a solicitor or barrister — a wise provision, considering that his 

 duties are both ministerial and judicial. Under him is a 

 deputy steward. 



The barmaster, who was formerly chosen by the miners and 

 merchants, is now appointed by the lessee of the mineral dues, 

 his election requiring confirmation by the authorities of the 

 Duchy. His office is to select persons to serve on the grand 

 jury, measure ore, collect dues, supervise finances, etc. ; while 

 his deputy has to serve the summonses, "attend views, keep 

 accounts, measure ore, and collect dues. The grand jmy con- 

 sists of experts in mining matters resident within the juris- 

 diction of the Great and Small Barmote Courts, who attend 

 the courts, go down and view the workings, and advise the 

 miners. 



The roj^alties, or dues payable to the Crown, were not paid 

 by weight, but so much per dish. This brazen vessel, which can 

 hold fourteen pints of water, was given to the miners and lead 

 merchants by Henry VIII., and is still to be seen in the Moot 

 HaU of Wirksworth.^ That in the High Peak district con- 

 tains fifteen pints, showing one out of many diflferences of 

 custom in the two hundreds. The industrial classes are great 

 sticklers for established methods, and hence we are not sur- 

 ' Pilkingtou's Derbyshire^ 2nd ed., p. 101. 



