‘Thus the Colliers and their wives…’: migration, mate choice and population structure of some County Durham parishes in the mid-19th century

Abstract

Aim: Historical accounts of the mining population in County Durham, UK, offer two persistent representations of demographic behaviour–-substantial mobility and occupational endogamy–-which would influence the distribution of genes in the population. The aim of this paper is to test these predictions against 19th-century demographic data, comparing miners with other contemporary occupations.

Subjects and methods: Four parishes in County Durham yielded data on 3653 birthplace–residence distances, calculated from locations recorded in the 1851 census enumerators’ books, and on occupational endogamy and exogamy for 3784 marriages recorded in the Anglican registers, 1834–76. Endogamy was analysed by log–linear models and odds ratios.

Results: Median migration distances were similar in the miners and other occupations, though the proportion of migrants among the miners (99.7%) was higher than agricultural (87.0%) and general labourers (91%). Endogamy in the miners (76%) was higher than in other populations (maximum 39%), but further analysis showed that the miners’ tendency to marry women from the same occupational background was less than among agricultural labourers or professional men.

Conclusion: Predictions of high migration rate and endogamy among the mining populations were upheld, but there was little evidence that the behaviour of the miners differed from other occupational groups.