This is a list of charters promulgated by kings of England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 that specifically relate to Cornwall

Cornwall

Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...

. Various such charters were issued from 1201 to 1508. Having been incorporated into the Kingdom of England late in the Anglo-Saxon period, the constitutional status was unlike that of the rest of England in the Middle Ages, rather like a County Palatine

County palatine

A county palatine or palatinate is an area ruled by an hereditary nobleman possessing special authority and autonomy from the rest of a kingdom or empire. The name derives from the Latin adjective palatinus, "relating to the palace", from the noun palatium, "palace"...

 but not designated as such. The charters below relate either to the tin mines of Cornwall and Devon or to the Earldom or Duchy of Cornwall. The stannary charters are dated between 1201 and 1508, the others between 1231 and 1338.

Until the early Tudor period Cornwall existed on maps of Great Britain as a separate and distinct country from England. Royalty referred to themselves as being 'rulers of England and Cornwall' (in Latin "Anglia et Cornubia"). A Greek traveller in 300 BC recorded that the people of Cornwall were an evolved and civilized tin mining community trading tin with other countries, 800 years before the Anglo-Saxons first set foot in Britain. In the 9th and 10th centuries, the kings of Wessex became the rulers of Cornwall, and after a period of independence during the wars with the Danes this rule by the kings of England became permanent (see History of Cornwall

History of Cornwall

The history of Cornwall begins with the pre-Roman inhabitants, including speakers of a Celtic language that would develop into Brythonic and Cornish. Cornwall was part of the territory of the tribe of the Dumnonii. After a period of Roman rule, Cornwall reverted to rule by independent...

).

In 1337, the earldom of Cornwall was made into a royal Duchy

Duchy of Cornwall

The Duchy of Cornwall is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch inherits the duchy and title of Duke of Cornwall at the time of his birth, or of his parent's succession to the throne. If the monarch has no son, the...

 to support the heir to the throne, Cornwall became an extraterritorial region of England ruled by the Dukes of Cornwall. Centralisation in the reign of Henry VIII meant that Cornwall's distinct status

Constitutional status of Cornwall

Cornwall is currently administered as a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England.However, a number of organisations and individuals question the constitutional basis for the administration of Cornwall as part of England, arguing that the Duchy Charters of 1337 place the governance of...

 was no longer recognised in royal documents; though unlike the situation for Wales, no legislation was enacted to formalise this. The rights of the Duke of Cornwall

Duke of Cornwall

The Duchy of Cornwall was the first duchy created in the peerage of England.The present Duke of Cornwall is The Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning British monarch .-History:...

 still rely on medieval legislation. When no one is duke of Cornwall, the lands and rights of the Duchy are exercised by the Crown since the heir apparent may not always inherit the Duchy.

List

The legal materials are as follows:

• Charters relating to the Stannaries

1. Charter of Liberties to the Tinners of Cornwall and Devon (1201)
2. Charter of Liberties to the Tinners of Cornwall (1305)
3. Charter of Confirmation to the Tinners of Cornwall (1402)
4. Grant of Pardon to the Tinners of Cornwall (1508)

• Charters relating to the Earldom
  Earl of Cornwall
  The title of Earl of Cornwall was created several times in the Peerage of England before 1337, when it was superseded by the title Duke of Cornwall, which became attached to heirs-apparent to the throne.-Earl of Cornwall:...
  
  and Duchy of Cornwall

1. Charter of Henry III (1231) - Richard, Earl of Cornwall
2. Charter of Edward II (1307) - Piers de Gaveston, Earl of Cornwall
3. Charter of Edward II (1318) - Isabella, Queen of England
4. Charter of Edward III (1331) - John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall
5. Charter of Edward III (1332) - John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall
6. Charter of Edward III (17 March 1337) - The Duchy of Cornwall (The Great Charter)
7. Charter of Edward III (18 March 1337)
8. Charter of Edward III (3 January 1338)

Sources

Materials in Cornish law