Mining - a great source of wealth for the Edgcumbes

The Edgcumbe family prospered hugely from the mining industry that came to play such a big role in Cornwall and Devon from the 13th century onwards. Not only did the family earn revenue from owning the land on which mines were dug, they also supplied the timber necessary for the infrastructure of the mines and for heating the furnaces to allow for the processing of the ore. Further income was generated by ownership the transport system and by control of the Stannary Courts, through which all the ore had to pass for weighing and taxation.

The prodigious wealth that the Edgcumbes earnt from mining rested upon the labour of the men and women working in the mines. The men working down the shafts toiled for long hours in appalling and highly dangerous conditions. Above ground, women were paid a pittance for processing the ore – usually working 9 hour days, 6 days a week in all weathers.