Oral Histories

The Archive

Miner’s wives hop-picking c.1940s.

The archive contains over 200 hours of life histories collected from those who were involved in the coalfield communities of Kent. The majority of these histories were collected from those born within the first three decades of the twentieth century. Their first hand accounts provide an insight into the everyday lives of these communities as they experienced the growth and decline of the Kent coalfields during the twentieth century.

Many of those interviewed originated from other coalmining areas and because of this diversity of backgrounds their life histories are a resource for social/local history researchers and family historians with ancestors engaged in coalmining beyond Kent.

Accessing the Archive

Betteshanger First-Aid Team with Winner’s Cup c.1960s.

Dover Museum hold copies of all oral history recordings collected by the CHIK Oral Historian, Dr. Lynda Pearce. Further recordings relating to the individual pits will be added to the collection by the individual project groups. A central database containing brief descriptions of the topics covered by interviewees can be accessed at Dover Museum accessed at Dover Museum and recordings (no transcriptions) are accessible by appointment only, through the museum library.

The interviews are only accessible as sound recordings there are no transcriptions available.

All interviewees are identified by accession number. Please note that names, addresses or any other personal details of individual interviewees cannot be released by the museum.