Author: Peter Witham

Miners’ life 4

Overcrowding led to sleeping arrangements which would be totally unsatisfactory. Occasionally mining families would be subject to this sorry state of affairs.

When Pits closed or industrial strikes lasted for long periods or when workers were ejected from their homes they were often forced to seek relief from the parish authorities and this invariably meant the workhouse. In this drawing families are waiting at the workhouse to be placed on relief.

In contrast this early photograph from the 1880s shows the drawing room of a rich person, who judging by the library of books must have been well educated.