New book tells the story of miners and their fight for rights
A new book aims to tell the story of those who fought for workers rights in the Victorian era.
"The Black Country Miners: A Struggle for Justice 1850-1926" by author Keith Robinson tells the story of the struggles of the colliers across the area in their fight for better conditions and wages at the end of the 19th century and start of the early 20th century.
The book reveals the individual stories of hundreds of men from West Bromwich, Tipton, Oldbury, Coseley, Bilston, Darlaston, Kingswinford, Dudley and beyond.
Packed with information on local pits, it lays bare the injustices of the time and the lengths that the miners' leaders went to in an effort to change people's lives for the better.
Mr Robinson is a member of the Black Country Society and worked with members of the group to help develop the book, with Black Country Society chairman Malcolm Dick describing how the book came about.
He said: "This new publication was stimulated by Keith's fortuitous discovery of a the 1879 rule book of a miners' association based in West Bromwich, a local branch of the radical Amalgamated Association of Miners.
"It inspired a wider exploration of one of the most important group of workers in the region as books about coal miners are not new, but we know more about mine owners, mineral geology and individual mines than the experiences and impact of the men who worked underground.
"The accessible and informative chapters explore individual and family lives, what was achieved through union activity and the significance of major events such as mining disasters and strikes.
"This well-referenced publication is replete with primary material such as prints, photographs, poems, newspaper accounts and statistics which make it useful for teachers, schoolchildren and other students who are studying industrial or local history.
"The most striking features of the book, though are its human stories.
"The Black Country Miners' Struggle for Justice adds to our knowledge and understanding of the social history of an important region."
The 170-page book is available to buy for £9.99 and can be bought by contacting Keith at netcord9@hotmail.com or phone at 01743 873 348.
