Mines & Mills

NOTE The entire area is private property & is dangerous due to hidden uncapped shafts . There is toxic heavy metal contamination in and around the dumps which must not be disturbed. COLLECTION IS PROHIBITED  The property owners  make it clear that anyone attempting to enter the site
will be prosecuted for trespass. 

Near Buckfast Abbey, Dartmoor .   Runnaford Combe Tin Mine (Combe Mine),
Buckfastleigh, Dartmoor & Teign Valley District, Devon

A number of tin lodes were developed in the Runnaford Combe Mine, on the north bank of the Mardle at Coombe Bridge. Originally worked as an opencast 100x50 yards and 50 feet deep, the lodes were subsequently worked from at least two shafts.

In 1848 the mine was said to be producing more ore than the 14 head of stamps could process. A year later, 12 more stamps were added and an engine house constructed, but the engine not being entirely satisfactory, it was later replaced by a waterwheel.

Work was suspended in 1853, when attempts were made to re-float the Company with increased capital.

A Chimney, shown on old maps, was felled in 1915 and, falling nearly intact, could recently be seen in the garden of a nearby cottage (HJ 1981) In describing the mine, Hamilton Jenkin noted that a specimen of the ore in his possession showed the tin to be of excellent quality and notable for its fine crystals.       Spoil heap. Copper.

April 12/2016 FOUND IT!  I knew Id seen this somewhere. There is another record I have yet to find.

 372/2/4/15  1509 held at Plymouth and West Devon Record Office

Contents: Bond

1 Richard Foxford, John Hext, Richard Langworthy, John Wydecomb junior, Richard Man, William Wilmott, John Leyman, Richard Hogge, John Baker

2 Edward Pomeroy, William Fortescue of Wode, Robert Pomeroy, John Hext, John Holbeme, Thomas Foster, Yryssh senior, John Smyth, Thomas Mathue, Richard Hamlyn

Tin working at Wydecombe - Widecombe on the Moor  This must be Sir Edward of Beri   (d 1538) and his cousin Robert of Ingsdon ( d 1517) 

(Question: I wonder if  Group #1 extended , invested money or provided up front  operating money with the expectation of a return in the form  bond to  Group
#2:   It appears that  group  #2 were the ones asking for up front money to extract tin at Widecombe? 

CORNWALL

TREGONY:  2 MILLS References to Pomeroy Mills and Mine: 

1494:  Reference: 3799M-0/ET/24/8

1. Richard of la Pomeray knt.

 2. William Lenne of Tregonyburgh glover

 Premises: one parcel of land lying between 1.'s two mills in Tregony containing twenty feet in length and twenty feet in breadth situated between a lane coming from Geganwylls on the east and the sanctuary land of the vicar there on the east, together with the stream of water running through the said parcel, for building on the same parcel of land a house and fulling mill, to be held by 2. and the lawful heirs of his body

Date: 1494 St Nyot: A stannery mine. 

Chancery records C 1/1511/47-48- 1386-1558

Edmund QUARR of Croscombe (Corscombe), clothier, v. Thomas, son of Edward POMEREY, knight, deceased.: Reversion of a messuage, lands and fulling-mills in defendant's manor of Croscombe.: SOMERSET. 

C 1/305/11 1504-05

Richard Elyot v. John Pomery: Detention of deeds relating to messuages, a water-mill, and land in Wootton by Woodstock, late of John Byrde.: Oxford. 1504-1515

Chancery records C 1/1511/47-48- 1386-1558

Edmund QUARR of Croscombe (Corscombe), clothier, v. Thomas, son of Edward POMEREY, knight, deceased.:(Thomas of Corscombe died 1508)
Reversion of a messuage, lands and fulling-mills in defendant's manor of Croscombe.: SOMERSET.

C 1/305/11 -1504-1515

Richard Elyot v. John Pomery: Detention of deeds relating to messuages, a water-mill, and land in Wootton by Woodstock, late of John Byrde.: Oxford.

Every village had one for corn grinding, flour /bread being the staple diet of the poor, most towns had several for fulling as well as corn grinding etc

until the middle of the 16th & the Dissolution the monastaries controlled the most of the mills and everyone was obliged to pay to have their corn to be ground at the monastary mill . It was illegal to grind your own wheat or barley (corn) & a hefty fine was levied you got caught

C 1/1032/47-51 1538-1544

Thomas MORTYMER, yeoman, v. Edward MILLER, husbandman, son of William Miller and of Alice his wife.: Contempt of a decree of Lord Russell and the commissioners in the county concerning lands in Berry Pomeroy. (Two answers, one a general demurrer.): DEVON.

Beenleigh Mill Harberton 

[Conventionary tenants] Pengwenna, Caryorall, Tylygowe, Treneyr, Ruthwas; heir of Godolhan for leat of mill, heir of Spernan for leat of mill, heir of Pomerey for high rent of manor of Pengwenna. [Bodbrane; Carminow; Pengwedna; Prospidnick; Reperry] Trelyuer [= Treliver in St Wenn] Tregener [= Tregamere in St Columb Major; see AR/2/1343] Trewheuerek [= Treworvack, in Constantine] Trevornan [= Trevarno, in Sithney, probably] Nanskerwys, Nanskyrwes [= Nankerres, in Sithney

Arundell of Lanherne and Trerice. MANORIAL RECORDS. SINGLE MANORS. Cornwall. 

Treloy Manor. |  Court roll Treloy (4-5 Hen VIII) 1513-14 (5-6 Hen VIII) 1514-15 (6-7 Hen VIII) 1515-16 (7-8 Hen VIII) 1516-17 (8-9 Hen... | 

Court roll Treloy (4-5 Hen VIII) 1513-14 (5-6 Hen VIII) 1514-15 (6-7 Hen VIII) 1515-16 (7-8 Hen VIII) 1516-17 (8-9 Hen VIII) 22 courts and law court (4 or 5 each year); courts held at Lanhern in 1516-17.

 Few entries, similar to those of preceding rolls. 1512-13:

William Towen, tithingman; relief from tenement at Myngam; Reginald Chycoys in lord's grace for cutting down elms and oaks at Treloy; a few civil pleas. 1513-14 (law court of 15th Oct 1513):   presentment that Reginald Chycoys and 8 others [named] 'diverted' [read laid waste?] moor and meadow of the lord at Treloy More, and diverted a water-course while working for tin there, contrary to stannary custom, because they are not allowed to work for tin in arable or meadow land, nor in woods; order given to distrain them.

 Complex land suit between Reginald Chycoys and Robert Treloy, clerk, concerning a messuage in Treloy. 1514-15:the reeve, and Alan Tregonwe [read Tregonwell?], tithingman. 1515-16: John Emot, reeve [read tithingman?]. 1516-17; John Pomerey, tithingman. [Treloy, in St Columb Minor] |   Held by: Cornwall Record Office 1472

Devon Record Office: Tiverton and Great Torrington  3799M-0/ET/21  [n.d.]

Devon Record Office  3799M-0/ET/21/1  1379

Contents:Tiverton. Grant for life

1. Thomas Pomerey and Johane his wife (5th son of Sir henry & spouse Johan Moels)

2. Johane Bolham

Premises: that tenement with the land adjoining which John Bolham once held at will in the manor of Lomeneclavile, together with the fulling mill in the same manor

Term: life of Johane of la Pomerey

Witnesses: John Gobbe, Robert Storigg, Thomas Hunt

Date: Lomeneclavile, Friday before the feast of St Luke the evangelist, 2 Richard II

Seal: small, oval, ?lion

Devon Record Office  3799M-0/ET/24/8  1494

Contents:Deed of gift

1. Richard of la POMEROY knt.

2. William Lenne of Tregony burgh( borugh) glover

Premises: one parcel of land lying between 1.'s two mills in Tregony containing twenty feet in length and twenty feet in breadth situated between a lane coming from Geganwylls on the east and the sanctuary land of the vicar there on the east, together with the stream of water running through the said parcel, for building on the same parcel of land a house and fulling mill, to be held by 2. and the lawful heirs of his body

Rent: 16d

Witnesses: Peter Bevyll, Thomas Tregarthyn esqs., Laurence Penkevell, Thomas Poyle, Thomas Helland

Date: Tregony, the feast of St Matthew the apostle, 10 Henry VII

1510

Devon Record Office  3799M-0/T/1/1  1510

Contents:Exemplification of recovery by letter patent

1. Richard POMEROY esq.

2. Edward POMEROY knt.

Premises: eight messuages, two mills and lands in Berry POMEROY, Bridgetown POMEROY, Smalebroke and Flete, which Oto Gilbert, Thomas Bowryng and John Snape gave to Henry POMEROY and Anna his wife and the lawful heirs of their bodies.
If Henry and Anne died without heirs of their bodies, the premises remain to Thomas POMEROY son the said Henry, and Agnes Kayleway daughter of Johanne daughter of the said Anna, and the heirs of the body of Thomas and after the death of Henry, Anne, Thomas and Agnes, remainder to Richard son of Thomas POMEROY

From the Mills Archive  a list of Mills on the river Dart'

Mills were a significant source of local income . Everyone needed  corn to  make the staple of their died , bread .
Laws decreed that the grain, barley , wheat and rye, had to be taken to the Mill ,it could not be  ground at home; millers charged for the service