Women of the Durham Coalfield in the 19th Century: Hannah’s Story

The success of the Durham Coalfield and its important role in the Industrial Revolution is attributed to men of influence who owned the land and the pits, and men who worked in the coal-mining industry during the Victorian period. There has been very little written about the importance of the home life that supported the miners
their wives who through heroic efforts, did their best to provide attractive, healthy, happy homes for her husband, in appalling social conditions. To provide such a welcoming atmosphere at home demanded tremendous resources and commitment from the miners’ wives. Despite their many hardships these women put everyone in the family before themselves
they were selfless. They operated on less rest, less food at times of necessity and under a huge physical burden of work and emotional burden of worry concerning the safety of her husband at the pit and the mortality of her children. This book addresses the lack of information about women’s role at the Durham coalfield, engagingly explored through one woman’s experience.