in around 1660 john tremenheere, in anticipation of penzance becoming a stannary town, set up a smelting works, just outside the borough of penzance's boundary at chyandour. in 1760 when thomas bolitho arrived in penzance from penryn, the smelting works at chyandour was run by the praed family. by the time tin production was at its maximum the business was run by the bolitho family who lived in coombe house, and in 1867 bought the estate at trengwainton, madron.