Posted by Jock on October 19, 2007 at 18:38:13 from 87.105.81.146 user Jock.
In Reply to: Re: Prospecting & plumbing (was Mrs Tyson) posted by Peter H on October 19, 2007 at 17:11:07:
Are you sure that the Crown owned the rights to chalcopyrite in the Coniston mines?
Thanks, Peter. On re-reading my post I can see that it's another example of when I write something
where I know exactly what I mean, but probably nobody else does.
In the UK, the rights to mine gold and silver as well as to extract oil are held by the crown. In the
case of Coniston copper the right to mine copper was held by the Lord of the Manor. The Coniston
Electrolytic Copper Works Ltd had a licence to process the tailings from earlier mining efforts, but
ceased operation at the start of WW I.