The Great Northern Miners

Authors: Jean & Ken Smith

Editors Review

If you have ancestors in the North East then it is most likely that you will have at least one ancestor who will have worked in the Lead or Coalmines.  The former has totally disappeared and towns like Allendale have reverted back to being rural villages:  very few signs of mining remain and the miners themselves have long since gone.  The Coal mines of Northumberland and Durham are now closed and it remains to be seen how much of the Mining culture will live on after the demise of the industry.

The miners made the North East.  Their contribution to the region's social and economic development was fundamental.  The Great Northern Miners tells the story of the men and boys who toiled underground beneath the streets and fields of Northumberland and County Durham to win the coal.  Daily they faced appalling hazards such as gas, flooding and roof falls.  Beginning with the early pits of the 13th Century and ending with the closure of the North East's last deep mine, Ellington, in 2005, it is a story of courage and unequalled comradeship, highlighting the grassroots of the region's people.  Jean and Ken Smith interviewed many former miners and their families who generously contributed their memories.  The book is generously illustrated with archive photographs and with new colour photography by Richard Smith and Tom Yellowley.  The striking photograph on the cover shows miners leaving Charlotte Pit, Benwell, in 1929.

Tyne Bridge Publishing is part of Newcastle Library service.  Its role is to publish books of local interest at affordable prices to those interested in the history of Newcastle and Tyneside in General.  The books can be purchased at the libraries in Newcastle or on-line.

For the catalogue of Tyne Bridge Publications http://www.tynebridgepublishing.co.uk/tbp.nsf/booksearchCMS?openview