People and communities at the mines and the railway

The investment in the West Somerset Mineral Railway provided a period of work and relative prosperity in a remote part of the county where agriculture was the predominant source of employment.   

Specialists like the engineers required to install and maintain pumping equipment were recruited from elsewhere but until the 1860s most miners were local former agricultural labourers attracted by the higher wages.  During the 1860s they were joined by experienced miners from Cornwall driven to move by the recession in copper.  

While the iron mines were worked villages like Withiel Florey gained 61 inhabitants in 1861, 110 in 1871 and a further 30 in 1881 but had lost 150 people in 1891 when the mines had closed down and agriculture had not recovered from the depression of the 1870ies.  Skilled miners that had come to the Brendons moved on to mines elsewhere.    

Brendon Hill

In 1881 the Census returns show that out of a total of 194 miners, 64 lived at Brendon Hill, 19 at Gupworthy and the rest at various places near the mines.  There were also 80 surface workers.