CHAP. X. MIDDLE AGES. 



the crown, by virtue of the royal prerogative, 

 assumed the entire right to all mines and mi- 

 nerals. It had been customary to issue grants 

 from the crown during the period which extends 

 from the reign of Edward the First to that of 

 Henry the Seventh, by which several persons 

 were empowered to search for ores. These 

 grants were limited, some being confined to 

 particular counties, some to districts, and a few 

 extending to the whole kingdom. The only 

 restriction was one forbidding the works to be 

 carried on under castles or houses, gardens, and 

 orchards, the owners of which were to be indem- 

 nified for any injury they might sustain. In 

 letters patent granted by Richard the Second, 

 to Richard Wake, authorising him to search for 

 mines of gold and silver in the county of Devon 

 during ten years, he has unlimited power to 

 dig in all liberties on paying for any damages 

 he might commit, but on condition of his render- 

 ing one-tenth of the profit of the mines to holy 

 church, and one-ninth part to the Exchequer. 



There are records as early as the reign of 

 Edward the First, which show that tithes of 

 minerals were then paid. That prince directed 

 the same proportion of the produce of the mines 

 to be paid to the parochial churches in Wales ; 

 and the Abbey of Basingwert derived a revenue 

 from the same source. 



It does not appear in the remote ages of our 



