£15.99
David Joy (Signed Copy)
Publication Date: 2023
Format & Edition: Paperback, Second Edition
Pagination: 128 Pages, 71 Illustrations
Condition: New
Genre: Mining & Industrial Heritage
Status: In Stock
Men of Lead: Miners of the Yorkshire Dales by David Joy.
Miners gave their all in an age when lead was hard to find, dangerous to extract and yet capable of producing wealth beyond their wildest imagination. The mineral they sought may have been grey rather than glistening gold, but that mattered little in the pursuit of an elusive dream.
This much-needed book is a portrayal of miners rather than mining. It looks at a fascinating range of individuals from rich aristocrats to men who only ventured underground because they were utterly poverty-stricken. Their homes, health, religion and occasional leisure receive full coverage, as does the role of women and children. Emphasis is given to key mining communities – most villages in Swaledale as well as Greenhow, Grassington and Hebden in Upper Wharfedale. A ‘people index’ of some 200 names associated with lead mining makes this book especially valuable to those researching their family ancestry.