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Family Life and The Role of Women
Some women, who lived on farms also worked on them during the week while husband's/father's were away at the mines,
whilst others were employed on the washing floors. At Rookhope women even drove the train. In many instances they
were also responsible for managing the household finances as well as ensuring that the family was washed fed and
clothed.
Large families of 5 or more children were not uncommon in the mining-farming communities. Women would often still be
bearing children well into their 40's depending on their circumstances.
Due to the early age at which many men succumbed to diseases and/or accidents as a result of working in the mines,
many women found themselves widowed. It was not unusual for a widow to continue to work the farm until the eldest
son was able to take it on. As a result, extended families could often be found living in groups, or even several
generations in the same house.
The miner-farmers diet was restricted to what they could produce or what they could afford to buy from the few shops
in the established villages. Bread, dumplings and potato were the main staples, which would be supplemented when
possible with meat (poultry or pig), and a few vegetables. However, the high lying farms were generally unable to
grow many vegetables, and those that were successful had to carefully guard their crops from looting sheep!
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