A Compendium of British Mining
With Statistical Notices of the Principal Mines in Cornwall

This short work of 1843 sheds much light on the history of British metal mining in the nineteenth century.

Joseph Yelloly Watson (Author)

9781108063692, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 21 November 2013

94 pages
21.6 x 14 x 0.6 cm, 0.13 kg

Joseph Yelloly Watson (1817–88) produced this short work for private circulation in 1843. For many years a mining agent with the London firm of Watson and Cuell, he became a fellow of the Geological Society and wrote on mining and historical subjects. Drawing chiefly on data from Cornwall, the present work gives details of mining processes, the layout of mines, the working conditions of miners (including figures for wages and working hours), and the typical management structure of a mine, with information on shareholders, profits and accounting. The work includes coverage of individual mining districts, including Gwennap, Camborne, Illogan, St Just, St Ives and Marazion in Cornwall, along with discussion of mines in Devon, Cumberland and elsewhere. Concluding with notes on the history of metal mining, followed by a useful glossary of mining terms, this remains a concise and instructive resource on a significant economic sector in the nineteenth century.

Introduction
General features of a mine
The system of Cornish mining
The mining district of Gwennap
The district of Camborne and Illogan
Tin and other mines of St Just and St Ives
The mines of Marazion
The eastern district of Cornwall and Devon
The mines of Cumberland and other counties
The history of metals and their uses
Glossary of the terms used in British mining
List of subscribers.

Subject Areas: Earth sciences [RB]