Stannaries was a term used for tin mines, especially those tin mines of Cornwall and Devon. For hundreds of years the tin mines of that region had their own laws, customs and organisation. They had a meeting on Hingston Down, and later had their own representative assembly or parliament, wherein laws were passed. This met for the last time at Truro in 1752. The district had its courts which dealt with matters affecting the mines, but the jurisdiction of these was transferred to the county court in 1896. Research Stannaries
Henry Charlton Bastian was an English physician and biologist. He was born in 1837 at Truro in 1837 and died in 1915. He was educated at Falmouth and at University College, London, where he was assistant-curator in the museum from 1860 until 1863. He obtained the degree of M.A. in 1861 from the University of London, graduating subsequently in medicine at the same university (M.B. 1863, M.D. 1866). In 1864 to 1866 he was a medical officer in the then Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum (now Broadmoor Secure Hospital), and in the latter year was appointed lecturer on pathology and assistant-physician in St Mary'sHospital. In 1867 he became professor of pathological anatomy in University College, subsequently he was also professor of clinical medicine, and he was appointed to the chair of medicine and clinical medicine. Apart from numerous contributions to medical and other periodicals, and to Quain's Dictionary of Medicine, he wrote The Modes of Origin of Lowest Organisms (published in 1871); The Beginnings of Life (published in 1872); Evolution and the Origin of Life (published in 1874); Lectures on Paralysis from Brain Disease (published in 1875); and The Brain as an Organ of Mind (published in 1880), which was translated into French and German. He was also an advocate for spontaneous generation. Research Henry Bastian
Richard Lemon Lander was an English explorer. He was born in 1804 at Truro and died in 1834. He accompanied Clapperton's Niger expedition in 1825 and on his return wrote accounts of it. In 1830 he and his brother were sent by the government to explore the lower course of the Niger which they surveyed and proved it flowed into the Gulf of Guinea. During a later expedition to Niger he was killed by the natives. Research Richard Lander
Samuel Foote was an English comic writer and actor. He was born about 1720 at Truro and died in 1777. He was educated at Oxford, and entered the Temple; but after a course of dissipation, in which he lost his small fortune, he turned his attention to the stage. He appeared first in Othello, but had little success as a tragedian. In 1747 he opened the theatre in Haymarket, with a dramatic piece which he entitled The Diversions of the Morning. It consisted of some very humorous imitations of well-known characters, in detached scenes, written by Samuel Foote, who always took the leading parts himself. After 1752 he performed alternately in London and Dublin. He did not obtain a patent for the Hay-market until 1766. Of his numerous plays, above twenty in number, hardly any was still performed by 1900. His humour was described by Dr. Johnson and other witnesses as irresistible. Research Samuel Foote
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