Cornish Stannary Parliament
The privileges of the stannaries of Cornwall were confirmed by Edward III on the creation of the Duchy of Cornwall in 1337. This confirmed that the tin miners were exempt from all civil jurisdiction other than that of the Stannary Courts, except in cases affecting land, life or limb. There was at this period no definition of the districts of each stannary.
The Cornish Stannaries were suspended in 1496, prior to the Cornish Rebellion of 1497. Henry VII restored them in return for a payment from the tin miners of the sum, enormous at the time, of £1000, to support his war on Scotland. In addition to restoring the Stannaries and pardoning the people who participated in the rebellion, Henry's Charter of Pardon 1508 provided that no new laws affecting miners should be enacted without the consent of 24 stannators, six being chosen from each of the four stannaries:
- Foymore (or Foweymore): chosen by the mayor and corporation of Lostwithiel
- Blackmore: by the mayor and corporation of Launceston
- Tywarnhaile (or Tynwarnhail): by the mayor and corporation of Truro
- Penwith and Kerrier: by the mayor and corporation of Helston
The stannators were described in 1831 as being "some of the principal gentlemen of the mining district". On assembly the stannators elected a speaker, the meeting being termed a Stannary Parliament. The parliaments were convened occasionally by the Lord Warden of the Stannaries when it was felt that laws concerning the miner's rights needed to be made or revised.
The Cornish Stannary Parliament last assembled at Truro in 1752, and continued until 11 September 1753. In 1977, responding by letter to a written question in the House of Commons from Plaid Cymru MP Dafydd Wigley to the Attorney-General for England and Wales, Lord Chancellor Lord Elwyn-Jones said he could find no record of the charter having been formally amended or withdrawn but also noted academic opinion that "no doubt has ever been expressed about Parliament's power to enact legislation for the stannaries without the need to obtain the consent of Convocation".
In March 2007, Bridget Prentice, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Justice, stated in a Commons written answer that "there are no valid Cornish stannary organisations in existence" and that there "are no treaties today that apply to Cornwall only".
Read more about this topic: Stannary Courts And Parliaments
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