CHAP. X.

MIDDLE AGES.

295

the crown, by virtue of the royal prerogative,assumed the entire right to all mines and mi-nerals. It had been customary to issue grantsfrom the crown during the period which extendsfrom the reign of Edward the First to that ofHenry the Seventh, by which several personswere empowered to search for ores. Thesegrants were limited, some being confined toparticular counties, some to districts, and a fewextending to the whole kingdom. The onlyrestriction was one forbidding the works to becarried on under castles or houses, gardens, andorchards, the owners of which were to be indem-nified for any injury they might sustain. Inletters patent granted by Richard the Second,to Richard Wake, authorising him to search formines of gold and silver in the county of Devonduring ten years, he has unlimited power todig in all liberties on paying for any damageshe might commit, but on condition of his render-ing one-tenth of the profit of the mines to holychurch, and one-ninth part to the Exchequer.

There are records as early as the reign ofEdward the First, which show that tithes ofminerals were then paid. That prince directedthe same proportion of the produce of the minesto be paid to the parochial churches in Wales ;and the Abbey ofBasingwert derived a revenuefrom the same source.

It does not appear in the remote ages of our