Cape Cornwall Mine appears to have
opened in 1839 and closed in 1848, by which time it was 100 fathoms deep
from shaft collar and had a 16-inch winding engine which was also used for
pumping. The engine shaft is situated on the south-western corner of Cape
Cornwall just a few feet from the cliff edge. The engine house for
this working was on the west side of the shaft. The mine remained
closed until 1864 when it was taken up by the St Just Consolidated Tin and
Copper Mining Company which acquired the sett for £2,500 and £6,250-worth
of fully
paid-up shares. A new engine house was built some
distance to the
east of the shaft and a 26-inch engine installed: this was to wind, pump
and stamp. It was at this time that the stack was built on top of
the Cape, although Cyril Noall (St Just Mining District) states it was
built in the 1850s. This engine was underpowered, and a 30-inch was
bought in 1866 to supplement it. A third engine house was built, to
the west of the shaft and presumably on the site of the first. This
engine was subsequently used to pump and wind, while the 26-inch was
relegated to stamping only. Attached to this engine were 32 heads of
Cornish stamps, a remarkable feat when it is realised how little space
there was available.
Back to top^
This was not a
successful mine; a little concentrate was produced during 1865-67 but the
mine was offered for sale in 1870. After this it was worked under
the cost book system, with the former manager, Henry Philips, as purser.
Little activity took place beyond driving the 70 and 100 fathom levels as
exploratory crosscuts. The 70 eventually
stretched for 150 fathoms
north-west of the engine shaft. The mine closed in 1875 having
produced no more concentrate. Its neighbour, St Just Amalgamated,
also closed then, allegedly because the mineral lords would not let the
latter work across the boundary of the two setts. However, when
Amalgamated was reworked between 1879 and 1888 as
St Just United, it incorporated Cape
Cornwall although the section was abandoned in 1883.
Back to top^
Production:
1865-67: 18 tons black tin (Dines)
1866-68: 17.2 tons black tin (Burt et al)
