304 THE STANNARIES OF CORNWALL. 



observations by a Cornish Man.-" Magna est Veritas et prtevalebit. 

 London, MDCCII." 



The summoning of this Convocation was preceded by three 

 petitions, two presented to Frederick, Prince of Wales, by the 

 tinners (evidently the working tinners) of Coi-nwall, and one 

 intervening petition to the lord warden praying his good offices 

 in the matter. In the first petition to His Royal Highness the 

 the following passage occurs "The relief which your Eoyal 

 Highness' progenitors have given to the Tinners and to this Countj^ 

 and without which the Tin trade must have been utterly lost before 

 this time to the men of this County has been by taking b}' way 

 of Farm the Tin annually at a price certain, or by waving the 

 Preemption, giving libert}' for a Farm to be made." And the 

 petition to the lord warden concludes by earnestly desiring him 

 to represent to His Eoyal Highness the low estate of his 

 stannaries ' ' to the end that .... in compassion to our reduced 

 circumstances he would be pleased to commissionate 3'ou as 

 Warden of his Stannaries to summon or call before you in the 

 ancient and accustomed manner a Parliament or Convocation of 

 Tinners within the County of Cornwall for the reforming the 

 abuses of the Stannaries, and for revising such old Laws and 

 making such other additional new ones as may be thought 

 necessary for His Royal Highness' service and the benefit and 

 encouragement of the Tinners within his said County, and that 

 in the meantime for the support of the poor labouring Tinner 

 and also to maintain the value of this staple commodity which 

 this County of Cornwall doth afford beyond any other part of 

 the world, he would vouchsafe to resume and effectuate his 

 compassionate inclinations by taking a Farm of our tin at such a 

 reasonable price conformably to former farms as may encourage 

 the Tinners to carry on their adventures." 



The pamphlet sets out verbatim the Commission from the 

 Prince, 16 June, 1750, and the accompanying Commission of 

 Instructions. 



20. Under the words " a Cornish Man " there is written in ink "Thomas Pitt." 

 whether or not the pamphlet was actuaUy written by the lord warden there can, I 

 think, be no doubt that he had something to do with it. The proceedings are given 

 in the greatest detail. 



