An ancient English court or meeting dealing with mining disputes, particularly tin-mining regulations and conflicts in Cornwall and Devon.
Possibly from 'barm' (a meeting or hall) combined with Old English 'moot' (an assembly or court). The term appears in medieval Cornish mining documents and preserved legal texts.
Barmotes were specialized mining courts that functioned for over 800 years—tin miners had their own legal system separate from regular courts because their technical disputes were incomprehensible to ordinary judges.
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