Wheal Jane was probably seriously worked for
tin from the mid-18th century. Given the complexity of
ore formation near
granitic emplacements, amounts of
arsenic,
copper,
silver and
zinc were also worked at some time. In around 1885, most of the nearby mines became uneconomic. Wheal Jane was able to struggle on for a few years, principally due to its arsenic revenue, but it too succumbed in around 1895. It re-opened in 1906 as part of Falmouth Consolidated, with a modernisation and cost reducing agenda, but it was to close again within a decade. Work recommenced at low intensity in the run up to
World War II but interest was turning to more modern processing techniques to recover more tin from what was already available and the old mine spoil was re-worked until 1946. It was re-opened again in 1969 and much development work was done underground and in improving the surface processing facilities and ownership eventually passed to
Rio Tinto Zinc. Like the remainder of Cornwall's tin mines (
Geevor, Pendarves and
South Crofty), it was dealt a body blow by the end of the
International Tin Agreement in 1985 and the subsequent collapse of the world tin price. It never really recovered and the pumps were finally switched off in early January 1992. ==Aftermath==