LIFE IN THE MINE: A Pitkin Guide

Large-scale coal mining in Britain developed during the Industrial Revolution, providing energy for industry and transportation in industrial areas from the 18th century to the 1950s. This classic Pitkin guide provides a history of mining in Britain as well as of the hard lives of those who worked in them. Child labour was a normal part of Victorian life, so women and children were found in the dangerous deep pits until 1842, while male miners relied on safety lamps and canaries to avoid mining disasters. Whole villages grew up around mines with close comradeship and tightly knit mining communities emerging and here is the story of what life was like for so many until relatively recently. Chapters include Deep Pits, At the Coal Face, Mining Disasters, Tin and Copper, Masters and Men, Time Off and Changing Times. Includes a list of mines, museums and heritage centres to visit and a useful glossary. 32 page very well illustrated large softback.