A glimpse into mining past

DEVOTEES of Winston Graham's 'Poldark' will be familiar with the importance of mining to Cornwall; it brought immense wealth to the county and copper-rich towns such as Redruth and Camborne were once at the centre of this prosperity.

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According to the auctioneers, influential men such as Richard Trevithick and James Watt both lived near Redruth, and since the early 1800s, mine owners and investors recognised a need for mining schools in the immediate locality, with technical and scientific education for their mine captains.