In historic British mining districts, a farmer was an individual who leased the right to collect the lot and cope, which were traditional taxes on extracted ore. Instead of the Crown or landowner collecting these duties directly, the farmer paid a fixed sum for the lease and kept the collected royalties. This role was central to the administration of historic lead and silver fields.
Heard on the job
The barmaster ordered the miners to set aside every thirteenth dish of ore for the farmer.
Insider tip
This term stems from the old legal meaning of farming a tax or revenue stream, completely unrelated to agriculture.