The Last Women of the Durham Coalfield Hannah's Granddaughter

by Hedley, Margaret; Clinton, Hillary Rodham

• ISBN13: 9781803994192
• ISBN10: 1803994193
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2024-10-08
• Publisher: The History Press

Summary

'As this book shows, the women of the Durham coalfield played an equal role in shaping daily life and trajectories of history in the region, just as women today are building their own futures in communities around the world.' - Hillary Rodham Clinton

The final book in a series charting the true family history of a Durham coal-mining family, which started in the 1830s

The Second World War took its toll on all sections of society. The appeal for women to work outside of the home in the many ammunition factories to support the war effort was taken up by many women from the colliery villages. They worked for eight hours at the factory, taking up their care-giving roles and all that involved, when they returned  home.  Their days continued to be long and strenuous.

After the war the government introduced a series of initiatives intended to improve the lives of the nation. A reformed education system was introduced in 1944, nationalization in 1947 and a national health service in 1948.  At last things were looking up for coal-mining families.

With this bright new horizon, little did the women in Hannah’s family realize that they would represent the last generation of  women of the Durham Coalfield.

Author Biography

Margaret has an MA in History and taught at secondary school. She is now a family history researcher in East Durham. Margaret is passionate about Duram's coal-mining history, and much of her research is related to this. She is the author of the first two volumes of Women of the Durham Coalfield, published by The History Press.