The new series of Who Do You Think You Are? sees comedian and actor Emily Atack explore her mining roots, tracing her mining family back to Wakefield where this month’s first choice is based. Many people will find miners in their family tree as the industry employed almost 1.2 million in 1920 at its peak, but dwindled to just 2,000 by 2015.
The website of The National Archives (TNA) in Kew has. However, the material at TNA relates to government involvement in the industry, which began in 1842 with the Mines and Collieries Act. So while TNA’s holdings cover a variety of topics – nationalisation, working conditions and labour relations – they lack personnel records.
