The above is taken from the UK statute law database. The above is an act in force and as far as I know the civil administration of Cornwall was anexed to the Duchy, so there you go.
From memory, Wales was conquered 'privately' for the most part by feudal lords owing aliegence to the English king, but independent of the Kindom of England. This resulted in a chain of buffer states between the independent Welsh in the NW and England. Eventually the last independent Welsh were conquered by the king himself and occupied. It soon became apparent that this was a bit of a mess, so a measure was passed which tidied it all up making everything part of "England". (In the process the Welsh got civil rights, as 'Englishmen', and many came to England and made good). In particular, Wales was organised into counties on the English model and incorporated into the English legal system. Two new law circuits were created, and Monmouthshire was tacked onto an existing English circuit, hence the confusion over whether Gwent was part of England or part of Wales.
If Cornwall (in some senses part of 'Wales') was incorporated into England, then at some point in history a similar measure would need to have been enacted. Presumably Cornwall falls under the English legal and courts system. When and how did this begin, there must be records of this sort of thing. As long as the Duchy retained its status it would have appointed the local judges etc. and they would have dispensed justice (or injustice!) in the name of the Duke, not of the King of England. (This is quite apart from the stannaries, I think).
Sorry to hark back to an old posting but it is essential to correct a misconception.
Whilst re-named as 'The Charter of Creation' - for reasons best known to those that re-named it! - it was originally called 'The Great Charter'. It neither created a Duke, nor created the Duchy but refers to this as already having been created (some time within the previous month) by an Act of Parliament.
The Charter simply 'enumerates' what is to be held of the Duchy because previous severances and alienations from the Earldom made it necessary to 'remove any doubt'. Whilst a Duchy had been created (technically ) by this earlier Act, the reasons given for doing so suggests that it was, more accurately, 'a restoration'! Check it out on the TGG site.
Moonshine is quite right to point out, however, the bit that it is often - I would say always - overlooked as people choose not to read what the Charter states but negatively, or mischievously, prejudge its intentions.
edited 22:10 6th May to correct name in final statement.
edited by: TGG, May 06, 2008 - 10:12 PM
The existence of divergent views occur because the lies and deception have a more profoundly negative, and contrived, consequence for the Cornish people than for anyone else within this island.
Thanks GH and I do hope others take the time to study the issue here and on the TGG site and then send out their own or reformulated e-mail or letter asking for information under the FOI act.
Re: Request under the 2000 Freedom of Information Act: The Duchy of Cornwall
Thank you for your email of 5 May in which you specifically ask that we treat your correspondence as a Freedom of Information request. You have asked for the provision of information on the following questions;
1) At what point did the sheriff of the Duke cease to collect revenues from the Duchy institutions and people?
2) What mechanisms were used to transfer this right from the Duchy to the Crown (or Parliament)?
3) Why were these prerogative rights transferred to the Crown (or Parliament)?
4) Which Acts of Parliament relate specifically to this first point?
You have also requested information on questions in relation to medieval documents that you claim state Cornwall and England were distinct entities and that this is confirmed by one of the first charters of the first Duke of Cornwall. The particular questions raised include:
1) At what point did this particular distinction of Cornwall's integrity cease to exist?
2) Why did this particular distinction of Cornwall cease to exist if enshrined within the creation of the Duchy?
3) What mechanisms where used to remove this distinction?
4) Which Acts of Parliament relate specifically to this second point?
We have conducted a thorough internal electronic and paper file search on your specific information requests. Unfortunately we do not hold the information you are seeking.
As I have mentioned before there is information available on the Duchy of Cornwall’s website that you may wish to see at the following URL:
If you are unhappy with the result of your request for information, you may request an internal review within two calendar months of the date of this letter by writing to Access Rights Unit, Ministry of Justice, Selbourne House, 54 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6QW.
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
Following the advise of the 'Minsistry of Justice' I contacted both the Duchy and National Archives. The Duchy has yet to respond I don't expect them to.
The National Archives sent back the following:
Dear Fulup le Breton,
Thank you for your request on the Duchy of Cornwall. In order to answer your questions, we need some clarification. Our records are organised by government department and by government business. There is no one department dealing with the Duchy of Cornwall, and therefore we need some help from you in deciding which records may be relevant to answer your questions. Unfortunately, we cannot answer the questions, only provide you with copies of any documents which may contain these answers. We are unable to interpret records, only to provide access to them.
Can you be specific about a time scale for your questions? For instance, are we looking at fifteenth century records, or fourteenth, or thirteenth? If we are having to look at more than a few years, the cost will be prohibitive. We charge £60 an hour, but we need to know more before we can send you a fees notice.
We may hold records which deal with departmental dealings covered by parliamentary acts, but you need to identify the acts of parliament before we can help. We are not the place to ask about acts of parliament, as there is a separate Parliamentary Archives, for which the address is
Parliamentary Archives, Houses of Parliament, London SW1A 0PW, 020 7219 3074
When you have supplied us with a time scale and some idea of which government departments may be involved, we can send you an estimate for search.
You do have other options, one of which is to come and search the records for yourself. I enclose a link to our website which gives details of visiting www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
You will find further details of our paid search services on this website, with details of independent researchers who you can employ
We look forward to hearing further from you
Yours sincerely
edited by: Fulub-le-Breton, May 31, 2008 - 11:34 AM
Our medieval specialists have advised me that this could take several weeks to research. We would be happy to quote a very large fee for doing this, but we do not have the resources to carry out such a large piece of research, which could form the basis of a post graduate doctoral thesis. They recommend that you start with published histories of the Duchy which may have identified answers already. Many records are held elsewhere, for instance in the Cornwall Record Office, and in the offices of the Duke of Cornwall. It is quite possible that one of these may be able to provide you with your answers. It is likely that the office of the Duke of Cornwall will have needed to know the answers to the questions you pose.
Unfortunately, our objective is to provide access to records, not to interpret them or to answer legislative and administrative questions.
I am sorry that we are unable to help further. You may wish to get a quote from an independent researcher, who would be very happy to carry out such a lengthy search.
Thank you for your recent enquiry. We hold the records of Parliament, that is records created by the departments and offices of the House of Lords and House of Commons, or records which are laid on the table or result from the work done by the chambers of those Houses. You can find some description of the records we hold on our website here: http://www.parl...holdings.cfm
We can provide general advice and searches on the records we hold or topics you are interested in, as far as they relate to our collections, but we do not have the staff resources to do detailed or lengthy research for you, so I am afraid I am unable to answer most of your questions.
I have done a search of our online catalogue, Portcullis (link below) for you, for Acts of Parliament we hold which relate to the Duchy of Cornwall and I attach a word document of the list of results to this email. If there are any Acts which you would like to come into our search room to view, or request copies of, do send another email our general enquiries email address (also below). You can find more information about our opening hours, search room and enquiry services on our website (link below). I should also point out that Acts of Parliament are printed and are often available bound in volumes in good reference libraries, so you may be able to access copies nearer you.
I’ve also done a Google search and found that the Duchy of Cornwall has its own Archive Office – contact and other information about them is available on this web page: http://www.nati....asp?LR=1486
I hope this is helpful to you, good luck with your research!
Yours sincerely
Parliamentary Archives
Houses of Parliament
London
SW1A 0PW
United Kingdom
HL/PO/PU/1/1623/21J1n29
Public Act, 21 James I, c. 29
1623
An Act to enable the most excellent Prince Charles, to make Leases of Lands, Parcel of his Highness Duchy of Cornwall, or annexed to the same.
HL/PO/PU/1/1625/1C1n2
Public Act, 1 Charles I, c. 2
1625
An Act to enable the King to make Leases of Lands, Parcel of His Highness Duchy of Cornwall, or annexed to the same.
HL/PO/PU/1/1661/13C2s2n37
Public Act, 13 Charles II Statute 2, c. 4
1661
An Act to enable the King's Majesty to make Leases, Grants and Copies of Offices, Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments, Parcel of His Highness Duchy of Cornwall or annexed to the same; and for Confirmation of Leases and Grants already made.
HL/PO/PU/1/1670/22C2n6
Public Act, 22 Charles II, c. 7
1670
An Act to enable the King's Majesty to make Leases, Grants and Copies of Offices, Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments, Parcel of His Highness Duchy of Cornwall, or annexed to the same.
HL/PO/PU/1/1672/25C2n3
Public Act, 25 Charles II, c. 3
1672
An Act for enabling His Majesty to make Leases of His Lands belonging to the Duchy of Cornwall.
HL/PO/PU/1/1685/1J2n10
Public Act, 1 James II, c. 9
1685
An Act to enable His Majesty to make Grants, Leases and Copies of Offices, Lands and Hereditaments, Parcel of His Highness' Duchy of Cornwall, or annexed to the same, and for Confirmation of Leases and Grants already made.
HL/PO/PU/1/1694/5&6W&Mn41
Public Act, 5 & 6 William & Mary, c. 18
1694
An Act for the enabling Their Majesties to make Grants, Leases and Copies of Offices, Lands and Hereditaments, Parcel of Their Duchy of Cornwall, or annexed to the same; and for Confirmation of Leases and Grants already made.
HL/PO/PU/1/1700/13W3n44
Public Act, 12 & 13 William III, c. 13
1700
An Act to enable His Majesty to make Leases and Copies of Offices, Lands and Hereditaments, Parcel of His Duchy of Cornwall, or annexed to the same; and for Confirmation of Leases already made.
HL/PO/PU/1/1710/9&10An23
Public Act, 9 Anne, c. 24
1710
An Act to enable Her Majesty to grant the Site of the Castle of Exon [Exeter castle], (Parcel of Her Duchy of Cornwall) for ninety nine Years, for the Use and Benefit of the County of Devon.
HL/PO/PU/1/1759/33G2n33
Public Act, 33 George II, c. 10
1759
An Act to enable His Majesty to make Leases and Copies of Offices, Lands and Hereditaments, Parcel of his Duchy of Cornwall, or annexed to the same; and for other Purposes therein mentioned.
HL/PO/PU/1/1760/1G3n16
Public Act, 1 George III, c. 11
1760
An Act to enable His Majesty to make Leases, and Copies of Offices, Lands and Hereditaments, Parcel of His Duchy of Cornwall, or annexed to the same; and for other Purposes therein mentioned.
HL/PO/PU/1/1768/8G3n70
Public Act, 8 George III, c. 26
1768
An Act to enable His Majesty to make Leases, Copies and Grants of Offices, Lands and Hereditaments, Parcel of the Duchy of Cornwall, or annexed to the same; and for other Purposes therein mentioned.
HL/PO/PU/1/1793/33G3n241
Public Act, 33 George III, c. 78
1793
An Act to enable His Royal Highness George Prince of Wales to make Leases, Copies and Grants of Offices, Lands and Hereditaments, Parcel of His said Royal Highness's Duchy of Cornwall, or annexed to the same; and for the other Purposes therein mentioned.
HL/PO/PU/1/1803/43G3n28
Public General Act, 43 George III, c. 26
1803
An Act for enabling His Majesty to settle an Annuity on His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, to continue until the Fifth Day of July One thousand eight hundred and six; and for repealing so much of an Act, made in the Thirty fifth Year of the Reign of His Majesty, as directs the annual Payment of Thirteen thousand Pounds out of the Revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall to the Commissioners appointed by the said Act.
HL/PO/PU/1/1810/50G3n6
Public General Act, 50 George III, c. 6
1810
An Act to enable His Royal Highness George Prince of Wales, to grant Leases of certain Lands and Premises called Prince's Meadows, in the Parish of Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Parcel of His said Royal Highness's Duchy of Cornwall, for the Purpose of building thereon.
HL/PO/PU/1/1812/52G3n388
Public General Act, 52 George III, c. 123
1812
An Act for amending and enlarging the Powers of an Act passed in the Fiftieth Year of His present Majesty, to enable His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to grant Leases of certain Lands and Premises called Prince's Meadows, in the Parish of Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Parcel of His said Royal Highness's Duchy of Cornwall, for the Purpose of building thereon.
HL/PO/PU/1/1824/5G4n196
Public General Act, 5 George IV, c. 78
1824
An Act to amend an Act of the Third Year of His present Majesty, for enabling His Majesty to lease Lands belonging to the Duchy of Cornwall, and to authorize the Sale and Purchase of the Prisage and Butlerage of Wines in the Ports of the County of Cornwall, and in Plymouth.
HL/PO/PU/1/1831/1&2W4n9
Public General Act, 1 & 2 William IV, c. 5
1831
An Act to enable His Majesty to make Leases, Copies, and Grants of Offices, Lands, and Hereditaments, Parcel of the Duchy of Cornwall, or annexed to the same.
HL/PO/PU/1/1838/1&2V1n251
Public General Act, 1 & 2 Victoria I, c. 101
1838
An Act to revive and continue an Act of the First and Second Years of His late Majesty, to enable His Majesty to make Leases, Copies, and Grants of Offices, Lands, and Hereditaments Parcel of the Duchy of Cornwall or annexed to the same; and to make Provision for rendering to Parliament annual Accounts of the Receipts and Disbursements of the Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster.
HL/PO/PU/1/1842/5&6V1n2
Public General Act, 5 & 6 Victoria I, c. 2
1842
An Act to enable His Royal Highness Albert Edward Prince of Wales to make Leases and Grants of Land and Hereditaments, Parcel of His said Royal Highness' Duchy of Cornwall, or annexed to the same; and for the other Purposes therein mentioned.
HL/PO/PU/1/1844/7&8V1n198
Public General Act, 7 & 8 Victoria I, c. 65
1844
An Act to enable the Council of His Royal Highness Albert Edward Prince of Wales to sell and exchange Lands and enfranchise Copyholds, Parcel of the Possessions of the Duchy of Cornwall, to purchase other Lands; and for other Purposes.
HL/PO/PU/1/1844/7&8V1n237
Public General Act, 7 & 8 Victoria I, c. 105
1844
An Act to confirm and enfranchise the Estates of the Conventionary Tenants of the ancient Assessionable Manors of the Duchy of Cornwall, and to quiet Titles within the County of Cornwall as against the Duchy; and for other Purposes.
HL/PO/PU/1/1854/17&18V1n357
Public General Act, 17 & 18 Victoria I, c. 93
1854
An Act for the Exchange of the Office in Somerset House of the Duchy of Cornwall for an Office to be erected in Pimlico on the Hereditary Possessions of the Crown.
HL/PO/PU/1/1862/25&26V1n223
Public General Act, 25 & 26 Victoria I, c. 49
1862
An Act to authorize the Completion, after His Royal Highness Albert Edward Prince of Wales shall attain the Age of Twenty-one Years, of Arrangements commenced during His Minority, under the Provisions of an Act passed in the Session of Parliament held in the Seventh and Eighth Years of the Reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, intituled An Act to enable the Council of His Royal Highness Albert Edward Prince of Wales to sell and exchange Lands and enfranchise Copyholds Parcel of the Possessions of the Duchy of Cornwall, to purchase other Lands; and for other Purposes.
HL/PO/PU/1/1863/26&27V1n162
Public General Act, 26 & 27 Victoria I, c. 49
1863
An Act giving Power to sell and dispose of Lands, Parcel of the Possessions of the Duchy of Cornwall, and to purchase other Lands to be annexed thereto, and to regulate future Grants of Leases of the Possessions of the said Duchy; and for other Purposes.
HL/PO/PU/1/1868/31&32V1n69
Public General Act, 31 & 32 Victoria I, c. 35
1868
An Act to extend the Provision in The Duchy of Cornwall Management Act, 1863, relating to permanent Improvements.
HL/PO/PU/1/1893/56&57V1n91
Public General Act, 56 & 57 Victoria I, c. 20
1893
An Act to extend the Provisions of the Duchy of Cornwall Management Act, 1863, relating to the Powers of Sale and Enfranchisement, and for other purposes. (Duchy of Cornwall Management.)
HL/PO/PU/1/1982/c47
Duchy of Cornwall Management Act, c. 47
1982
Extra 'ingredient' in Cornish pie
A 21-year-old bites off more than he can chew when he discovers a whole snail is his Ginsters pasty.
Woman, 90, fulfils 'thong' wish
A 90-year-old has her fantasy fulfilled when she is served fish and chips by a waiter in a thong.
Man is murdered while walking dog
A murder inquiry is under way after the death of a man who was attacked while walking his dog.
Heating oil taken from home twice
A Cornish homeowner has hundreds of pounds worth of heating oil taken from his house in two separate thefts.
Rally called off over muddy field
One of the biggest steam rallies in the South West is called off after rain leaves the exhibition field too muddy.
Cinema on tour in Cornwall
Cinemagoers in Cornwall need no longer travel far to see great cinema.
Precious lives gets a wedding boost
Instead of the usual wedding gifts, a Lanner couple decided to ask for donations to charity.
Loads of fun in gardens
Gyllyngdune Gardens in Falmouth is piloting a host of activities and workshops over the summer.
I can actually visualise them sqirming 
