Home

DARTMOOR TINWORKING RESEARCH GROUP

21st November 2011

A NEW BOOK ON THE TINNERS OF DEVON

A 500^TH ANNIVERSARY AND THE DISCOVERY OF AN UNRECORDED GREAT COURT

This book, written by two well-known specialists on the Devon tin industry, marks two special anniversaries of the Devon tinners.  A dinner and talks (on which the book is based), held in Chagford on 24th September 2010, marked exactly 500 years since a Great Court of Devon tinners was held on Crockerntor near Two Bridges in the heart of Dartmoor in 1510.

Greta Courts were infrequent but momentous occasions, at which a large gathering of tinners passed statutes for governing their industry.  The Devon Great Courts are first documented in 1474, more than 100 years before the first known Cornish equivalent.

That held in 1510 enacted 37 statutes, which formed the basis of administration of the Dartmoor tin industry during its most prosperous period.  The statutes are reproduced here for the first time since 1725, and in a modern form.  One of the statutes led to momentous events in 1512 when Richard Strode MP was imprisoned by the tinners in Lydford gaol for trying to curb their activities by introducing a Bill into the Westminster Parliament.  After his release, and because of his treatment, Strode introduced a new Bill at Westminster which, it is argued, became the foundation of parliamentary privilege.

The exciting discovery of a previously unknown record of a Great Court of Devon tinners held in 1710 was also marked as a 300th anniversary on the same day in 2010.  Besides being of considerable intrinsic interest, this unique and important record includes the only known eyewitness account of a meeting on Crockerntor itself.  The original record is reproduced in full.

The book also explores the context of these two remarkable events, based on much original research about tinners and tinworking in Devon in the early 16th and 18th centuries.  The book has colour and black-and-white illustrations, a full bibliography and a comprehensive index.

The publication of the book also marks the 20th anniversary of the Dartmoor Tinworking Research Group (www.dtrg.org.uk).

Price £5.95.      ISBN 978-0-9529442-1-8.  A5, stapled, iv + 57 pages.

Copies are available from good bookshops @ £5.95 or, including p+p, for £6.95 from Membership Secretary, 78 Durham Avenue, St Jude’s, Plymouth PL4 8SR (Cheques payable to DTRG).

Notes for Editors:

1.      If you would like a copy of the book for guaranteed review, please contact Tom Greeves on 01822 617004 or tomgreeves@btconnect.com

2.      A copy of the colour cover of the book is attached as a JPG.

3.      The Dartmoor Tinworking Research Group was established in 1991, and has conducted important excavations, field surveys and other research relating to Dartmoor tinworking, besides publishing a regular Newsletter.

4.      Dr Tom Greeves and Dr Phil Newman have both studied the Devon tin industry for many years and have published books and numerous articles about it. Both obtained doctorates for research on Devon tin (plus other minerals in the case of Phil Newman).

5.      For further information, please contact Tom Greeves on 01822 617004 or tomgreeves@btconnect.com or Phil Newman on 01626 360113 or phil.newman@blueyonder.co.uk.

Last Updated: Monday 21st November 2011