Royal Institution of Cornwall. 319 



produced in Cornwall, and of Is. 6f(Z. per 112 lbs. on all tin 

 produced in Devonshire. In 1837-8, therefore, the produce of 

 Cornwall was nearly twelve times as much as it was in 1305-6, 

 and Mr. Hunt's valuable statistics show that since 1838 it has still 

 further increased. The writer refers to the works of every author 

 who has preceded him on the same subjects, and mentions in his 

 notes many particulars which bear on numerous cognate matters of 

 interest, for, having lived amongst the engineers and mine agents of 

 a past generation, he is now almost the only surviving repository of 

 their experience. 



The tin trade of Cornioall in the reigns of Elizabeth and James, 

 compared loith that of Edward I. By Sir John Maclean, F.S.A. The 

 author had recently found two paper books of accounts which con- 

 tained statements of the quantity of tin coined at the four authorized 

 coinage towns in the county during the greater part of the reign of 

 Queen Elizabeth and in the early part of that of James I. Whilst 

 the toll in Cornwall was 40s. per 1000 lbs., in Devon it was 15s. l^d. 

 only for the same weight. Whilst the tin-producing districts in 

 those reigns had greatly changed, the produce had remained much 

 the same as in the reign of Edward I. (.1305). In the latter period 

 the average annual yield was 991,979 lbs., and in 1305 the product 

 was 865,562 lbs. Considering the great difference in the value of 

 money at the two periods, it was obvious that the revenue derived 

 by Elizabeth from the stannaries of Cornwall was far inferior to 

 that of her distant ancestor.. The two coinage towns in the east of 

 Cornwall in 1305 were Lostwithiel and Bodmin. The tin weighed 

 in that year in those two towns, which represented the quantity 

 raised in the stannaries of Black Moor and Fowey -Moor, was 

 616,686, as compared with 248,876 lbs. (including the weighing 

 at a place which was read as Trynu, presumed to mean Truro), 

 weighed at Truro and Helston. It was remarkable that at the latter 

 place there were only two weighings in that year, amounting in 

 the aggregate to 13,644 only. The average annual production of 

 the two eastern stannaries is represented by the coinage at Lost- 

 withiel and Liskeard, which latter place had been substituted for 

 Bodmin in the reign of Elizabeth, during the period of 40 and 50 years. 

 Embraced in the later accounts was 135,837 lbs. only, as compared 

 with 807,299 lbs., the production of the two western stannaries 

 of Tywarnhail, Penwith and Kerrier. The coinage usually took 

 place twice in the year, viz. in June or July, and in September or 

 October. The tin weighed at Bodmin in 1305 was 166,329 lbs. ; at 

 Lostwithiel, 450,357 lbs. in 1305, and 69,290 lbs. in 1607; at 

 Liskeard, 79,160 lbs. in 1577, and 35.010 lbs. in 1607 ; at Helston, 

 13,644 lbs. in 1305, and 454,372 lbs. in 1607; and at Truro, 

 153,843 lbs. in 1305, and 426,492 lbs. in 1607. Mr. Henwood 

 mentioned that in addition to the dues of Is. 6|(Z. per 112 lbs. in 

 Devon, and 4s. per 120 lbs. in Cornwall, the Duchy used to receive 

 other sums charged as " great pieces.'" No doubt this was a fine on 

 persons who sent unmanageable blocks of tin. 



On the Occurrence of Wood-tin Ore in the Wheal Metal Lode at 



