October 16, 2025Open Access

THE PLACE OF REGIONS IN TRANSNATIONAL CONNECTIONS: CUMBERLAND MINERS IN NORTHERN ENGLAND AND THE WITWATERSRAND, 1880S-1920s

Key Points

This research reveals how long-distance labour migration influenced mining regions, particularly in Cumberland and Witwatersrand.
Key findings indicate the historical significance of the mining industry, especially regarding global labor movements in the 1880s-1920s.
Using an interdisciplinary approach, this analysis examines both socio-economic factors and regional histories of the mining industry.
Understanding these transnational connections may highlight the legacy of migration patterns in shaping contemporary mining regions.

Abstract

I have been interested in long-distance labour migration and the mining industry for a long time. Over a decade ago, when I began my doctoral work about Zambia's Copperbelt, I met with a South African historian who kindly agreed to offer some advice, having done similar research. They asked me why I was interested in the topic and I responded with what is now a well-worn explanation: I had grown up in Cumberland, a former mining region in northern England. The remains of this industrial past have fascinated me my whole life. 'Well, why not study that?' came the reply.

THE PLACE OF REGIONS IN TRANSNATIONAL CONNECTIONS: CUMBERLAND MINERS IN NORTHERN ENGLAND AND THE WITWATERSRAND, 1880S-1920s

Key Points

Abstract

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