Course:History 344 Nasty Families/Regions/Cornwall

Economy

The most notable industry in Cornwall is the mining of tin and copper, a rich and historical tradition in both Cornwall and Devon dating back to at least the Roman occupation. The oldest record of these industries identified thus far was made by Pytheas while the writings of Julius Caeser make mention of the Cornish tin trade. A renewed revival of this industry during the middle ages culminated in the regions tin miners launching the 1497 Cornish Rebellion.

By the late Stuart Age tin mining had become a lot easier than it had ever been. An important innovation made Thomas Epsley using gunpowder with quill fuses revolutionized the mining industry, allowing the equivilant of six days woth of pick work in hard granite rock to be cleared with a single blast.

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