"much, and the subjects little or nothing, and the Jews being banished the kingdom in the eighteenth of Edward I. the mines were again neglected, for want of proper encouragement to labour, and "security to enjoy and dispose of the products of "that labour; which the gentlemen of Blackmoor "(lords of seven tithings, best stored at that time "with tin) perceiving (Carew, p. 17), addressed "themselves to Edmund earl of Cornwall, (son of "Richard king of the Romans, &c.) and obtained "from him, confirmed by his own seal, a charter "with more explicit grants of the privileges of "keeping a court of judicature, holding plea of all "actions, (life, limb, and land excepted,) of managing and deciding all stannary causes, of holding

parliaments at their discretion, and of receiving, 66 as their own due and property, the toll-tin, that "is, one-fifteenth of all tin raised. At this time

also, as it seems to me, the rights of bounding or "dividing tin-grounds into separate portions for the encouragement of searching for tin, were either "first appointed, or at least more regularly adjusted "than before, so as that the labouring tinner might "be encouraged to seek for tin by acquiring a property in the lands where he should discover it, "and that the farm-tin acquired by the bounder,

"and the toll-tin, which was the lord's share, "might remain distinct and inviolated. For the "better promotion of tin-working in all waste and "uninclosed grounds, every tinner had leave to

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place his labour in searching for tin; and when "he had discovered tin, (after due notice given in "the stannary court to the lord of the soil, and for"mally registering the intended bounds without

opposition or denial,) he might, and at this time "still may, mark out the ground in which he should "chuse to pursue his discovery, by digging a small "pit at each angle of such wasteral, which pits are "called bounds; by this means he did acquire a right " in all future workings of such grounds, either to "work himself, or set others to work upon his own "terms, reserving to the lord of the soil one fifteenth

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part of all tin raised therein. In Devonshire, "the tinners constitution (says Mr. Carew, p. 14) "enables them to dig for tin in any man's ground

inclosed or uninclosed, without license, tribute, "or satisfaction;' which infraction of common 66 property shews that the constitution of the stan"naries was never equitably established in that

county, as the same judicious author observes. "These pits, all bounders, by themselves or others, "are obliged to renew every year, by cutting the

"turf and cleaning up the dirt and rubbish which "falls into them, to the intent that such land"marks may not be obliterated. In consideration "of these privileges so granted by charter, the gen"tlemen tinners obliged themselves to pay unto "Edmund and his successors Earls of Cornwall, the "sum of four shillings for every hundred weight of "white tin, a very high duty at the time it was laid

on, the tinners of Devonshire then paying but "eight-pence for every hundred weight of tin; and "that the payment of this tax might be the better "secured, it was agreed, that all tin should be "brought to places purposely appointed by the "prince, there weighed, coined, and kept, till the "Earl of Cornwall's dues were paid. To this " charter there was a seal with a pick-axe and shovel in soltire, (says Carew, page 17), as he was "informed by a gentleman who had seen this char66 ter, though in Carew's time it was not extant.

"In the thirty-third of Edward I. this charter of "Edmund seems to have been confirmed, and the tin"ners of Cornwall were made a distinct body from "those of Devonshire; whereas before, the tinners "of both counties were accustomed to meet on

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Hengston-Hill every seventh or eight year to con

cert the common interest of both parties. Two "coinages yearly, viz. at Midsummer and Michael

mas, were also granted by this charter, and the tin"ners had the liberty of selling each man his own tin, "unless the king insisted on buying it himself.

"A farther explanation of the Cornish privileges and laws was made by the fiftieth of Edward III. "(Carew, p, 17,) and their liberties confirmed and "enlarged by parliament in the eighth of Richard "II. third of Edward IV. first of Edward VI. "first and second of Philip and Mary, and in the "second of Elizabeth; and the whole society of the "tinners of Cornwall, till then reckoned as one 66 body, was divided into four parts, called from the places of the principal tin-workings of that time, "Fawy-moor, Black-moor, Trewarnheyl, and Pen"with. One general Warden* was constituted to "do justice in law and equity with an appeal from "his decision to the Duke of Cornwall in Council only, or for want of a Duke of Cornwall to the

crown.

* "The Lord-warden appoints a Vice-warden to determine "all stannary disputes every month: he constitutes also four "stewards, (one for each of the four stannary precincts before " mentioned,) who hold their courts every three weeks, and "decide by juries of six persons, with an appeal reserved to "the Vice-warden, thence to the Lord-warden, thence

finally to the Lords of the Prince's Council."

Thus continued the tin establishment till the " reign of Henry VII. when Arthur, eldest son of "that king, and consequently Duke of Cornwall, "made certain constitutions relating to the stanna"ries, which the tinners refused to observe, and

indulging themselves in other irregularities not "consistent with their charters, Henry VII. after "his son Arthur's death, seized their charter "as forfeited; but upon proper submission, by "his own new charter restored all their former privileges, and enlarged them with this honourable "and important addition, that no law relating to the "tinners, should be enacted without the consent of "twenty-four gentlemen tinners, six to be chosen

by a mayor and council in each of the stannary "divisions. This charter was confirmed by the "twentieth of Elizabeth, and (it being found incon❝venient that the consent of the whole twenty-four "should be required) it is declared at the meeting "of every convocation or parliament of tinners, "that the consent of sixteen stannators shall be "sufficient to enact any law. Accordingly, when

any more than ordinary difficulties occur, and either "new laws for the better direction of the tinners and "their affairs, or a more explicit declaration and "enforcement of the old ones become necessary, "the Lord-warden, by commission from the Duke

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