Chagford a Devon Stannary Town
Chagford is one of four Stannary Towns where refined tin (or white tin) was assessed, coined, and sold. King Edward I's 1305 Stannary Charter established Tavistock, Ashburton and Chagford as Devon's stannary towns, with a monopoly on all tin mining in Devon, a right to representation in the Stannary Parliament and a right to the jurisdiction of the Stannary Courts. Plympton became the fourth Devon stannary town in 1328 after a powerful lobby persuaded the Sheriff of Devon that it was nearer the sea and therefore had better access for merchants.The Devon stannary towns are all on the fringes of Dartmoor, which is the granite upland which bore the tin.
Sep 2, 2011
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