Morvah Consols
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The compact
remains of this mine lie on the coast to the north-east of the hamlet of
Morvah, on the Pendeen - St Ives road (B3306). The mine was probably
opened for the first time in the 1820s, while in 1851 it was described as
"a new mine, on the coast" in which a "very promising copper lode" had
been discovered which could be worked by a waterwheel. The mine
was
divided into 160 shares which were owned by some of the Levant
shareholders. The manager was a Captain Goldsworthy, who may have
been Ralph Goldsworthy, managing agent at Levant in the early 1850s,
Bosorne Mine in 1854 and Cape Cornwall Mine from 1864.
Earlier
workings are recorded by Allen Buckley, who described a Whele Chapell
Morveth or Whele Myther, operating in 1508.
The best recorded operations are those dating between 1871 and 1875, when the current
remains were built when the sett was acquired by John Hammon from the
White brothers of Bojewyan. After the formation of a company with a
nominal capital of £15,000, Hammon sold the sett on for £1000 and 1000
fully paid-up £3 shares. The
managing agent was Thomas Bennetts, who
had been agent at Spearne Consols in 1866. An engine was bought from
Balleswidden Mine in 1873, a 24-inch, single acting with a 9-foot stroke.
This was used for pumping and stamping and was to be used later for
winding.
Very little work was actually carried out at the mine,
which was closed in 1875 by order of the Stannaries Court, having produced
only 5 tons 18 cwt of tin concentrate. In January that year there
had been no money to pay wages and the mine was put up for sale.
However on the day of the sale the mine's
workers appeared and intimidated
the auctioneer into abandoning the sale. The inquiry of the
Stannary Court into the machinations of some of the directors was to last
until 1877. An attempt to reopen the mine was made in 1929 but this
came to nothing.
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Production:
1873: 6 tons black tin (Dines)
1874: 5.9 tons (Burt et al)
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