Mines and miners of Cornwall and Devon: the tin and copper industries

With a 2,000-year history in Cornwall and Devon, tin mining has a long-established place in Britain’s mining history. This new book by Anthony Burton (incidentally, his 100th book) takes a look at the people, politics, economics and technology of the tin mining and copper mining industries of the counties of Cornwall and Devon.

There are seventeen different chapters, ranging from the history of tin and copper mining, through life in the mines, the various equipment used and the smelters and foundries. Anyone with mining ancestors will find the chapters on the children and work, and life in the mines and at home very interesting. Sadly, the life expectancy of Cornish miners often dropped below the already low expectancy for miners working with other materials.

As someone more familiar with coal mining from my own Yorkshire family history research, I was fascinated to read about how tin and copper mining differed from mining coal – not only in the industrial aspect of the processes but also through the way in which the miners worked both as employees and colleagues. • Published by Pen & Sword in paperback, RRP £14.99 www.pen-and-sword.co.uk ISBN: 9781526773388 RB