Stannary facts for kids

A stannary was a special area in the English counties of Cornwall and Devon. These areas were set up to manage the collection of a tax called tin coinage. This tax was paid on tin metal that was melted down from cassiterite ore, which was mined in the region. In Cornwall, this tax money went to the Duchy of Cornwall. In Devon, it went to the Crown, which means the King or Queen.

The main reason for stannaries ended in 1838. This happened after tin miners in Cornwall asked for simpler tax rules. However, in Cornwall, the stannaries kept some old rights. They could still choose special representatives called stannators for the Cornish Stannary Parliament.

What Does 'Stannary' Mean?

The word 'stannary' comes from an old English word, stannarie. This word came from the Latin word stannaria, which meant 'tin mine'. It all goes back to the even older Latin word stannum, which means 'tin'. You might know 'Sn' as the symbol for tin in chemistry! In the native Cornish language, the word for tin is sten. Tin-working places were called stenegi.

Stannaries in Cornwall

There were four main stannary areas in Cornwall. They were spread from west to east:

• Penwith and Kerrier: This area included most of the hundreds of Penwith and Kerrier. It had granite areas like Land's End and Carnmenellis.
• Tywarnhaile: This covered areas like St Agnes and Carn Brea.
• Blackmore: This was the Hensbarrow granite area. Today, it's better known as the St Austell moors or the china clay country.
• Foweymore: This is the old name for Bodmin Moor.

The borders of these Cornish stannaries were quite clear. Each one was a separate area where tin was found. Even though the borders weren't exact, they showed different tin-rich regions. Some stannaries produced much more tin than others, even if they weren't bigger in size.

The towns where the tin tax was collected in Cornwall changed over time. These "coinage towns" included places like Penzance, Truro, Helston, St Austell, Bodmin (probably), Liskeard, and Lostwithiel. The town of Penryn tried twice to become a coinage town, with support from Falmouth. But it failed both times because other towns strongly opposed it.

Stannaries in Devon

Devon's stannaries are usually known by the names of their stannary towns. These were the places where white tin was checked, taxed, and sold. These towns also had the offices and groups that helped run the stannary system.

In 1305, King Edward I created a special charter (a legal document). This charter named Tavistock, Ashburton, and Chagford as Devon's stannary towns. These towns had a special right to be the only places for tin mining in Devon. They also had the right to send representatives to the Stannary Parliament. Plus, they had their own special Stannary Courts.

Plympton became the fourth Devon stannary town in 1328. This happened after a powerful group convinced the Sheriff of Devon that Plympton was closer to the sea. This made it easier for merchants to access.

All the Devon stannary towns are located near Dartmoor. Dartmoor is a granite upland where tin was found. We don't know if there were ever clear boundaries for the Devon stannaries. If they existed, they are not known today.

Old Records of the Stannaries

Many of the old records from the stannaries are hard to find. The Cornwall Record Office has some records from the Vicewarden's Court for Devon and Cornwall. Most of these are from the mid-1800s, which is quite late in the stannaries' history. Earlier records there include "Tin Abstract Books" from the Truro Tin office for 1703–1710 and 1833–1835. These books show how much tin was taxed in different towns. They also record when the Crown bought tin and shipped it to London by sea.

You can also find many stannary-related papers in the records of families who owned tin mines. These papers might include details about tin production or arguments over mining rights. However, these records are often mixed with other family papers, making them hard to find.

The National Archives keeps most of the central government records. This includes some stannary information, like lists from parts of King Charles I's reign. The House of Lords Record Office also has important documents. These mostly relate to the special legal position of the stannary groups and tin miners.

See also

• Cornish Stannary Parliament
• Dartmoor tin-mining
• Lord Warden of the Stannaries
• Revived Cornish Stannary Parliament
• Royal charters applying to Cornwall
• Stannary Convocation of Devon
• Tin sources and trade in ancient times