THE TIN TRADE OF CORNWALL. 189 
two towns, and which, we conceive, represents the quantity raised 
in the Stannaries of Blackmore and Fowey moor,* was 616,686lbs., 
as compared with 248,876lbs., (including the weighings at a place 
which we could only read at Toynu, but which we presume means 
Truro) weighed at Truro and Helston. It is remarkable that at 
the latter place there were only two weighings in this year, 
amounting in the aggregate to 13,644lbs., only. The geographical 
area of production had considerably altered between the reigns of 
Edward I. and Elizabeth. This probably arose from the alluvial 
deposits having become, to a great extent, exhausted by streaming, 
and from the introduction of mining in the western part of the 
county. The average annual production of the two Eastern 
Stannaries, as represented by the coinage at Lostwithiel and 
Liskeard, which latter place had been substituted for Bodmin in 
the reign of Elizabeth, during the period of 40 or 50 years em- 
braced in the later accounts, was 135,837lbs. only, as compared 
with 807,299lbs., the production of the two Western Stannaries 
of Tywarnhaile and Penwith and Kerrier. Moreover, upon a 
reference to the Table, it will be observed that this disparity was 
largely increasing every year, by rapid decrease in the eastern 
district, as well as increase in the western. 
The Coinage usually took place twice in the year, viz., in June 
or July, and in September or October; and it may be noticed 
that the “pieces” or blocks of tin had greatly increased in weight 
from Edw. I. to Elizabeth, and were becoming larger every year. 
In 1305 the average weight of the pieces was 126lbs. ; in 1577, 
308lbs. ; in 1587, 324]bs. ; in 1597, 335lbs. ; and in 1607, 346lbs. 
* The local limits of each of the four Stannaries have never, as it seems, 
been defined. They probably grew out of a general grant of jurisdiction, 
such as we find to have been usual in other royal mines. * * * * The 
name of each Stannary points out its original nucleus. Five tracts of 
stanniferous wastrel, with their adjacent vallies, supplied the ancient stream- 
works of Cornwall. The moor between Launceston and Bodmin, in which 
the Fowey river has its source, gave rise to the northern Stannary of Fowey- 
more. Hensborough Beacon, with the tin grounds of Roche, Luxulyan, and 
St. Austell, formed that of Blackmore. A smaller district on the north 
coast, including St. Agnes and Cligga, and extending inland to Truro, con- 
stituted the Stannary of Tywarnhaile. The Stannary, or united Stannaries, 
of Penwith and Kerrier, included two great tracts of waste, of which one lies 
north of Helston in Kerrier, the other between Lelant and the Land’s End, 
Smirke. Vice v. Thomas, Appendix, p. 96. 
B2 
