We have found the waistcoat! Its back on display again in our newly relocated museum which is filling up as we find precious things that were discarded by the former owners and left to rot in wet sheds filled with rubbish of which we have an abundance.
The waistcoat is a bit desiccated being in a frame with glass (as found) and not properly conserved as with many other artefacts here such as clogs and leather found in the old workings and main Horse Whim stope.
Sadly a glass bottle seal dated 1735 found in the mine in the 1970s was taken from the museum by the last owners (in May 2014) along with the entire mineral collection that Peter Young acquired from the Holman Museum
At the same time much of the museum photographic collection was just "taken" away and the offices ransacked by the former owner who left the place in an indescribable filthy mess. Some papers and the computers were returned after some considerable protest and the threat of police involvement to the liquidators against the former owner.
Many items were sold off during the last 14 years including an enormous amount of rare tin ingots, papers, records, about half of the rare models from Holman's, most of the Holman collection of drills, large sums of money were involved. Thankfully a few items went to good homes, but the overall loss to Poldark is immeasurable and had a great effect on visitor numbers as tacky things were added instead.
We have recovered the Falmouth Docks Locomotive and have purchased some replacements for things pillaged or sold and that is a start.
Combined with what is being found in our sheds, things are looking far more interesting. Three mine models and two mining related turret clocks were moved into the museum in January and these date to the 18th century. Some early 18th Century hand mining tools (Widow Makers) were also found and are on display again. All of these came from the Holman Museum in Camborne in 1979 which the late Peter Young acquired for the princely sum of £1 thanks to the generosity of Holman Compair at that time. Peter soon had them on display.
Its rather sad to note that the last owners sold off items for a value in excess of £250,000 in cash during the very early part of their tenure and evidence shows that they invested nil in the mine or museum. More items were sold down the 14 years of occupation and in the final months the place was literally pillaged.
We are progressing with things below ground too. The visitor area to the bottom of the stope is some 25 to 30 (?) fathoms from the surface and 10 fathoms or more below the main adit but we have not yet fully re-opened this part of the mine and hope to use it as a longer tour for a deep mining visitor route.
Heavy remedial works and timber renewal on another shaft beyond the present mine tour were carried out last Autumn and the lower mine has since been dewatered and inspected which means that groups of agile visitors can be taken down to this very interesting part of the mine by special arrangement.
Access is via five or more flights of narrow stairs with many landings all fitted ingeniously into the twisted confines of the narrow stope which was used for winding for most of the mine's life, a horse whim being used.
The stope sides are polished to a sheen in places and worn from the effect of the kibble being raised and lowered in Georgian times. We have a heavy wrought iron Georgian kibble and some chain that was found in the stope. This will be in the museum very soon.
The stope shaft continues downwards to at least another 30 or 40 feet unexplored and the smooth walls continue which indicates that the mine may well be considerably deeper and will have some other levels. The silt is soft and may well contain more artefacts
Due to the risk of flooding from other mines up the valley for now it seems that we are unlikely to do any more clearing or be exploring further until we can come up with an effective plan to remove the risks such as a set of flood doors and a means of escape. Then we will need a team of volunteers and the funds!