There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily Add Free.

Listen with Wondry Plus in the Wondari app,

or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts at intohistory.com.

This digitally remastered from the original Analog Tapes episode of History Daily,

first aired on July 4th, 2022.

It's early morning on July 4th, 1838, in the village of Silxton, in northern England.

Six-year-old Joey Berkinshort, hurries along a dirt road, struggling to keep pace with his older

brother George and their father John. The cool of the morning makes a pleasant change from the hot

and humid weather of recent days. Still, Joey is sweating with the effort to keep up.

Joey stops to catch his breath. His ten-year-old brother George hisses at him.

Come on, hurry up! And as the Berkinshort has passed through the village,

more men, women, and children join them. They all walk in the same direction towards the mine.

Even this early in the morning, the pit is busy. A clutch of wooden and stone building

surround an eight-foot wide shaft. The steam-powered elevator hangs over the hole,

a little more than a large basket suspended on a chain. The Berkinshort get in line with the

other miners. And when it's their turn, George hops nimbly into the basket. Their father holds

a steady as Joey clamors in before he follows his young son on board. There is the clatter of

chains and a hiss from the boiler in the nearby engine house. The worker blows a whistle and pulls

a lever. And the basket lurches forward, swinging gently as it carries Joey, George and their father,

300 feet into the darkness below. Here in Silxton, mining is a family affair. Miners

are paid by weight. The more coal they extract, the more they get paid. They don't want to waste time

hauling coal out of the mine. So many use their children for the task. John Berkinshort takes his

...