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Scandals: The Victorians | 5. Corruption down the coalmines

Scandals: The Victorians | 5. Corruption down the coalmines

Professor Rosalind Crone and Ellie Cawthorne descend into the coalmines of Victorian Britain – and the shocking conditions they contained

Ellie Cawthorne

Published: January 7, 2025 at 7:00 AM

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In 1840, an investigation was launched to inspect conditions in Britain’s coalmines. But what the inspectors found down the mines would soon become a national scandal. In this first series of History’s Greatest Scandals, Professor Rosalind Crone and Ellie Cawthorne uncover some of the most infamous episodes of the Victorian age. In this episode, they descend into Britain’s dark and dangerous coalpits to explore what this case can reveal about dire working conditions and child labour in 19th-century Britain.

Authors

Ellie CawthorneHead of content (audio)

Ellie Cawthorne is head of content (audio) at HistoryExtra