Cornwall has one of the oldest mining histories in Europe. At one time, the county was a leading producer of tin, with over 2,000 mines in operation, but competition from overseas saw the boom years of the mid-nineteenth century give way to steady decline. Brenton Symons (1832-c.1908), an experienced mining engineer and metallurgist, firmly believed that the mineral wealth of Cornwall was far from exhausted and that careful application of financial investment and skilled personnel could boost the county's prosperity. This illustrated monograph, published in 1884, is his account of Cornwall's geological characteristics, giving details of the formation, location and economic use of various mineral deposits, and describing the extraction techniques of the key mining districts. Accessible and authoritative, this book remains relevant to readers interested in mineralogy, mining and the economic history of Cornwall.
