For centuries, the tin miners of Devon & Cornwall operated under a distinct legal system known as Stannary law, granting them special rights and privileges that set them apart from the rest of England.
The Plymouth Chronicle reports on events and traditions related to Plympton’s unique stannary heritage. The role of the Stannator, a ceremonial position rooted in the region’s tin-mining past, continues to be a focal point in the community, reflecting the enduring significance of stannary customs.
Fiona Smith, the 2019/20 Stannator of Plympton, has planted a tree to commemorate her year in office.
It is an established tradition that each Stannator plants a tree of their choice somewhere in Plympton at the end of their year in office. Fiona’s tree planting was delayed firstly by the Covid pandemic and then pending agreement on a location for the planting.
Fiona chose to plant a rowan (sorbus pink pagoda) and this is now in place along the border between Plympton Library and the hedge above Ridgeway.
Fiona was assisted in the planting of her tree by David Frost, vice chair of Plympton Community Council and Plymouth Tree People member and supported by a number of previous Stannators and some of their spouses who turned out for the planting ceremony.
(story courtesy of the Plympton Podcast)
Stannary Law
Dating back to at least the 12th century, the system was established to regulate the thriving tin industry, which was a major source of wealth for the Crown. Tin miners, known as tinners, were granted special legal protections under royal charters, allowing them to be tried in their own courts and exempting them from certain taxes.
At the heart of Stannary law were the Stannary Courts, which administered justice to miners independently of England’s common law courts. These courts operated in designated stannary towns such as Tavistock, Chagford, Ashburton, and Plympton in Devon, and Lostwithiel, Truro, and Helston in Cornwall.
The Stannary Parliament, which convened in Cornwall, had the power to make laws specifically for the mining community. It was one of the few legislative bodies outside Westminster that could enact its own rules, reinforcing the autonomy of the tin industry.
The tin trade was of significant economic importance to English monarchs, who imposed levies known as coinage dues—a tax paid on refined tin. In return, miners were granted privileges, including freedom from regular jury service and the ability to settle disputes in their own courts.
However, with the decline of tin mining in the 18th and 19th centuries, the influence of Stannary law waned. The last recorded meeting of the Cornish Stannary Parliament took place in 1753, and its legal authority was gradually absorbed into the wider British legal system.
