In the 1920s there were over a million coalminers working in over 3000 collieries across Great Britain, and the industry was one of the most important and powerful in British history. It dominated the lives of generations of individuals, their families and communities, and its legacy is still with us today - many of us have a coalmining ancestor. Yet family historians often have problems in researching their mining forebears. Locating the relevant records, finding the sites of the pits, and understanding the work involved and its historical background can be perplexing. That is why Brian Elliott's concise, authoritative and practical handbook will be so useful, for it guides researchers through these obstacles and opens up the broad range of sources they can go to in order to get a vivid insight into the lives and experiences of coalminers in the past. His overview of the coalmining history - and the case studies and research tips he provides - will make his book rewarding reading for anyone looking for a general introduction to this major aspect of Britain's industrial heritage. His directory of regional and national sources and his commentary on them will make this guide an essential tool for family historians searching for an ancestor who worked in coalmining underground, on the pit top or just lived in a mining community. AUTHOR: Brian Elliott is a highly experienced local author and editor.

He was born in Royston, Barnsley, and spent most of his childhood in the nearby mining community of Carlton. His father was a miner, so were his uncles, paternal grandfather and great grandfather. In 1991, he was awarded a Master of Philosophy degree by the University of Sheffield for his research on Barnsley and its hinterland. His knowledge and enthusiasm for local and family history has encouraged contributors from a wide variety of backgrounds to write features for the Aspects Series, which has resulted in this unique, highly accessible range of books. Brain has now published more than twenty books on local history and after retiring from his post at Rother Valley College is now pursuing his career as a full-time editor and freelance writer, with a special interest in former coal mining communities. 40 illustrations.