Tavistock: grid reference SX508794

Notable minerals: Axinite, Blende, Calcite, Chalcopyrite, Chalybite, Chlorite, Fluor, Galena, Pyrites, Rock Crystal, Scheelite & Wolfram.

Otherwise known as Devon Friendship Mine. It is situated just north of Mary Tavy and dates from the late 1700's working on and off until 1925. Said to have been the largest copper mine in the world at one time, at its height the mine employed over 1000 workers, indicating its importance to the area. The mine worked a number of lodes including Main Lode, Sprague's Lode, Bennett's Lode, Kent's Lode, South Underlayer Lode. There are, as you would expect, a large number of shafts including Taylor's Shaft, Buller's (Stream Engine) Shaft, Courtices's Shaft, Pearce's Shaft, Old Sump Shaft, Brenton's Shaft, Wheal Hope Shaft, Williams' Shaft and Maddock's Shaft. The mine worked mainly for copper, but also for tin and arsenic later. The site was expanded in the 1880's with the sinking of Bennetts shaft at Grid Ref. SX510792, with its name changing to Devon Friendship at this time also. The chimney at Brenton's Shaft was demolished by the Territorial Army in 1954.

The 1856 Post Office Directory for Cornwall gives us more information stating that: 'Wheal Friendship Mine is in the parish of Marytavy, union of Tavistock, hundred of Lifton, Devon, within the bounds of the manor or Lordship of Mary Tavy, and Duchy of Cornwall, and mining district of Tavistock; it is situated 4 miles from the town of Tavistock. The nearest shipping place for ores and machinery is at Morwellham, 8 miles from the mine, and the nearest railway station is at Plymouth, 19 miles from the mine, and 247 from London. The mine is held under a lease, granted by the late John Buller, of Morval, in the county of Cornwall. The country is killas, and the dip various. The nearest granite is at Dartmoor, about 1 mile distant. The three lodes on the sett run about east and west, and dip both north and south; they consist of copper principally, but have occasionally copper and tin in small quantities. The known crosscourses are three; two underlie north, and one south, and consist of trap and slate. There have been sixteen shafts and two inclined planes sunk; the deepest shaft is sunk 230 fathoms. The machinery is composed of –

• 1 water wheel 51 feet 0 inch diameter and 12 feet 0 inch wide for pumping
• 1 water wheel 51 feet 0 inch diameter and 11 feet 0 inch wide for pumping
• 1 water wheel 50 feet 0 inch diameter and 7 feet 0 inch wide for pumping
• 1 water wheel 43 feet 0 inch diameter and 5 feet 6 inch wide for pumping
• 1 water wheel 40 feet 0 inch diameter and 5 feet 6 inch wide for drawing ores etc.
• 1 water wheel 26 feet 0 inch diameter and 3 feet 6 inch wide for drawing ores etc.
• 1 water wheel 13 feet 6 inch diameter and 10 feet 0 inch wide drawing ores etc.
• 2 water wheel 11 feet 0 inch diameter and 12 feet 0 inch wide for grinding and stamping ores.

The minerals found in this sett include copper, tin, and lead. This mine was first opened in 1800, and was worked under the name of Wheal Friendship, and continues to be worked by the same parties, under the same name. This mine is now worked for copper, lead, and tin, as at first. The produce in 1851 was 2,447 tons of ore; in 1852, 2,977 tons of ore; in 1853, 1,776 tons of ore; in 1854, 1,426 tons of ore; in 1855, 1,783 tons of ore. The company is on the costbook system, and consists of 128 shares. The amount expended to 1855, is £941,747 15s. 91., insurance included. The dividends, in 1851, were £1,792, or £14 per share; in 1852, £1,280, or £10 per share; in 1853, £2,304, or £18 per share; in 1854, £1,034, or £8 per share. The purser is J. Matthews, of Tavistock; the Captains are Z. Williams and others. The London offices are at 6 Queen Street Place; the managers are John Taylor and Sons'.

Production records report that between 1849 and 1894 - 36,411 tons of 9% copper ore were raised. From 1877-1913 - 135 tons of black tin were produced. For lead in the period 1848-75 - 82.5 tons of 68% ore was raised. In 1854 and 1871-74 - 159 ounces of silver. In 1858 - 160 tons of zinc ore. Between 1861 and 1912 - 7,404 tons of crude arsenic was raised and uring the period 1875-1908 - 11,353 tons of arsenopyrite (mispickel) was produced. In 1909 one ton of tungsten ore (wolfram) was raised.