Staffordshire Working Lives
Mining activities in Staffordshire.
Detail of a plan and section of a coal working near Wednesbury, 1806. Here we see a picture of "The Whimsey, or Engine, raising the Coal from the Bottom of the Pit".
(© Staffordshire Record Office: D3186/8/7/9)

Introduction: past working lives in Staffordshire

This website illustrates the working lives of the people of Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent, through a sample of documents which shows them at work in a variety of occupations. The records come from the extensive collections of the Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service, whose role is to locate, collect and preserve documentary evidence of the past and present life and work of the county of Staffordshire and City of Stoke on Trent, and to make it available for research. Working Lives is divided into different themes or types of work, each with an introductory section. This is a developing site and further examples of different types of work will be added over time.
Introduction continued..

The images within this exhibition are made available for private study and educational use only. Any other use or reuse of these resources is prohibited. For further information you should contact:
staffordshire.record.office@staffordshire.gov.uk
   
Agriculture Agriculture and Rural Lives - farming was a major source of employment in Staffordshire.
Mining Mining, Quarrying & Mineral Extraction - Staffordshire was a centre for coalmining, sandstone and limestone quarrying along with salt and gypsum extraction.
Carriers of Goods Carriers of Goods-Transport was vital to all parts of the economy, whether it was a wagon of hay driven to the next village, or the long-distance carriage of large or valuable cargoes.
Staffordshire Archives Service Logo
 
Domestic Service Domestic Service - most households, except the poorest, would have had at least one servant to carry out the heavier domestic chores.
Manufacturing - textiles Manufacturing - textiles - one of the localised specialities in Staffordshire was the textile industry.
Production of Metal Production of Metal-The metal industry Staffordshire was dominated by the production of iron in the south of the county, “the Black Country”.
 
Agriculture & Rural Lives Mining, Quarrying & Mineral Extraction Domestic Service Homepage Manufacturing - textiles