The organization of a Cornish mine can be structured as follows:
1. Management and Surface Services (Site Administration)
These roles managed, maintained, and supported the operational infrastructure (engine houses, buildings, and machinery).
- Engine Driver (Winding Engine Driver): Operated the steam-powered hoisting gear to raise or lower men and materials.
- Compressor Attendant: Maintained the compressors that powered underground drills.
- Electrician: Maintained electrical equipment as mining modernized in the 20th century.
- Machinist: Worked in the engineering shop, repairing drilling equipment and machinery.
- Carpenter & Sawyer: Built and repaired underground timbering, buildings, and headframes.
- Mason: Constructed or repaired engine houses, chimney stacks, and stone-lined shafts.
2. Surface Operations & Primary Crushing
Surface workers prepared the ore for the stamping mill, often separating the ore from waste rock.
- Bank's Man (Banksman): Supervised the surface of the shaft, controlling the loading and unloading of cages/skips.
- Crusher Man: Operated the primary crushing rolls (often "Cornish rolls") to reduce the ore size.
- Sampler: Assayed or tested the ore to determine its richness.
- Blacksmith (Blackman): Sharpened tools and repaired machinery.
3. Underground Services and Infrastructure
These roles were responsible for keeping the mine running and accessible.
- Shaftman: Maintained the main shafts, which was a dangerous job in often unstable ground.
- Adit Patrol: Monitored the drainage tunnels (adits) to prevent flooding.
- Pumpman: Maintained the massive Cornish pumping engines that kept the mine dry.
- Pipe Fitter: Installed and maintained compressed air pipes and water pipes.
- Timberman: Installed timber to support the roof of the mine, creating an "underground forest" of wood.
- Cage/Skipman: Operated the cages that carried men and ore up or down the shaft.
- Grab Operator: Operated loading equipment for removing broken rock.
- Sinker (Sinken): Specialised in sinking or deepening the vertical shafts.
4. Underground Extraction (Stoping)
These teams focused on the extraction of ore from the "stopes" (working areas).
- Scraper Operator: Used machines to move ore from the stopes to the chutes.
- Underhand Stoper: Extracted ore by working downwards from a level.
- Overhand Stoper: Extracted ore by working upwards from a level, often considered the more common method.
- Loader: Loaded the ore into trams or wagons for transport to the shaft.
- Grizzly Man: Operated the screen (grizzly) over the ore pass, breaking large rocks.
Historical Context
- Bal Maidens: While not on your specific list, women and girls, known as "Bal Maidens," were critical to this structure, working on the surface to sort and break ore.
- Safety: The work was notoriously dangerous, with high temperatures and toxic dust (from arsenic), often resulting in short life expectancies for the miners.
- Contract System: Mining jobs were often allocated through a "tutwork" (shaft/tunnel) or "tribute" (ore share) auction system
term References
term Sources
related media
Image
more info
media Title
Various jobs carried out in a typical tin mine from the headgear to the lower levels of pumping and crushing
Name
Drawing of the typical structure of a Cornish tin mine
image Credit
other see below
image Credit old
South Crofy brochure image - via Cedric Paterson
term Occupations
AHP Notes
AHP Notes
Based on the roles listed, the organization of a Cornish mine can be structured as follows:
1. Management and Surface Services (Site Administration)
These roles managed, maintained, and supported the operational infrastructure (engine houses, buildings, and machinery).
- Engine Driver (Winding Engine Driver): Operated the steam-powered hoisting gear to raise or lower men and materials.
- Compressor Attendant: Maintained the compressors that powered underground drills.
- Electrician: Maintained electrical equipment as mining modernized in the 20th century.
- Machinist: Worked in the engineering shop, repairing drilling equipment and machinery.
- Carpenter & Sawyer: Built and repaired underground timbering, buildings, and headframes.
- Mason: Constructed or repaired engine houses, chimney stacks, and stone-lined shafts.
2. Surface Operations & Primary Crushing
Surface workers prepared the ore for the stamping mill, often separating the ore from waste rock.
- Bank's Man (Banksman): Supervised the surface of the shaft, controlling the loading and unloading of cages/skips.
- Crusher Man: Operated the primary crushing rolls (often "Cornish rolls") to reduce the ore size.
- Sampler: Assayed or tested the ore to determine its richness.
- Blacksmith (Blackman): Sharpened tools and repaired machinery.
3. Underground Services and Infrastructure
These roles were responsible for keeping the mine running and accessible.
- Shaftman: Maintained the main shafts, which was a dangerous job in often unstable ground.
- Adit Patrol: Monitored the drainage tunnels (adits) to prevent flooding.
- Pumpman: Maintained the massive Cornish pumping engines that kept the mine dry.
- Pipe Fitter: Installed and maintained compressed air pipes and water pipes.
- Timberman: Installed timber to support the roof of the mine, creating an "underground forest" of wood.
- Cage/Skipman: Operated the cages that carried men and ore up or down the shaft.
- Grab Operator: Operated loading equipment for removing broken rock.
- Sinker (Sinken): Specialised in sinking or deepening the vertical shafts.
4. Underground Extraction (Stoping)
These teams focused on the extraction of ore from the "stopes" (working areas).
- Scraper Operator: Used machines to move ore from the stopes to the chutes.
- Underhand Stoper: Extracted ore by working downwards from a level.
- Overhand Stoper: Extracted ore by working upwards from a level, often considered the more common method.
- Loader: Loaded the ore into trams or wagons for transport to the shaft.
- Grizzly Man: Operated the screen (grizzly) over the ore pass, breaking large rocks.
Historical Context
- Bal Maidens: While not on your specific list, women and girls, known as "Bal Maidens," were critical to this structure, working on the surface to sort and break ore.
- Safety: The work was notoriously dangerous, with high temperatures and toxic dust (from arsenic), often resulting in short life expectancies for the miners.
- Contract System: Mining jobs were often allocated through a "tutwork" (shaft/tunnel) or "tribute" (ore share) auction system