Cornish Mining - Fascinating Facts and Quintessential Quotes

The rise and fall of Cornish Mining 

The remains of Cornwall's once thriving mining industry are also potent reminders of advances in engineering technologies that revolutionised the world. World-famous companies such as Holman's, Harvey & Co of Hayle and Perran Foundry, based in the great 19th century mining centres of Hayle, Redruth and Camborne, serviced the mining industry at home and abroad for 200 years. However, the rise and fall of mining brought about dramatic changes in the area - influxes of people, huge wealth for some, harsh working conditions for others, and economic decline and migration as the mines closed. Great Cornish inventors like Richard Trevithick produced the world's first road vehicle and high pressure steam engines that drained water from the deep mines and led to the creation of railways. Enormous quantities of tin and copper were extracted from the richly mineralised county to produce such essentials of daily life as coins, nails, and even the vital components needed for today's mobile phones and computers. All this was hard won, though.

Memorials to the people who worked beneath them

Beam engines began pumping water from mines in the area from 1725, fighting the mines' constant water battles and enabling them to become deeper and more productive. Engine houses, mine shafts, chimneys and the remains of dressing floors are all striking memorials to the people who worked beneath them. Many have now been destroyed, but some of the best and most complete examples can be discovered along the Mineral Tramways trails.

Other engine houses on United Downs

Garland's 80 inch to the east, now partly demolished. This engine drew water for the Gwennap United operation and subsequently went to Woolf's Shaft, Great Condurrow, to occupy the engine house there. (This was the second engine to have occupied Garland's house).

Eldon's or "Little" engine house beside the road, converted into offices in 1900 for Gwennap Utd.

Taylor's 85 inch engine on Consolidated Mines to the north

Davey's 80 inch engine on Consolidated Mines to the north - only the bob wall remains

"At Poldice the men are like mice,

The tin is very plenty

Captain Teague is one of Breage

And he'll give ten for twenty"

In 1837 over 28,000 people were employed in Cornish mines and a survey of 78 mines that year noted an annual consumption of 50,000 tons of coal and timber equivalent to 140 square miles of Norwegian forest

With the decline of the mines miners and their families were forced to emigrate, hence the well-known expression "if you look in any hole in the ground around the world you'll find a Cornishman looking for metal"

For every miner who worked underground, there were other people who worked above - carpenters, pump men, masons, blacksmiths and so on.

By 1838 3,196 people were employed at the combined United and Consolidated Mines and 21 steam engines were worked there. From 1819-1840 nearly 300,000 tons of ore were raised and over 63 miles of development levels and shafts cut

By 1839 7,000 children were employed in the Cornish mining industry. Women were never employed underground.

Other useful websites:

Richard Trevithick Society website:

http://www.trevithick-society.org.uk/

Cornish Mining World Heritage website:

http://www.cornish-mining.org.uk/

Information kindly provided by Cornwall Council