Margaret Hedley
(she/her)Writer and Genealogist
In my books, women stand at the heart of every struggle and every hope. They work tirelessly to protect their families, stretching scarce resources with courage and determination. Each day brings new choices—some heavy, some hopeful—but always shaped by love, resilience. Their stories honour the quiet strength and unwavering spirit that carry them forward, even in the hardest moments.
Margaret Hedley is a family history researcher and author from County Durham, whose work shines a light on the lives of women often left out of the historical record. After retiring from teaching in 2010, she began helping clients around the world uncover their ancestral stories, which led her to explore the untold experiences of women married to coal miners in the 1800s.
Her first book Women of the Durham Coalfield in the 19th Century introduced readers to Hannah, a symbolic figure representing the many invisible women who shaped mining communities. Due to popular demand, Margaret followed Hannah’s family into the next century with Women of the Durham Coalfield in the 20th Century – Hannah’s Daughter, offering a vivid portrait of changing roles and resilience.
Her third book brings the story full circle, ending in 1968 with the closure of the coal industry in her region. In the foreword to this final volume, Hillary Rodham Clinton wrote: “The women of the Durham coalfield played an equal role in shaping daily life in the history of the region, just as women today are building their own futures in communities around the world.” Margaret’s work continues to give voice to those who were historically overlooked, reminding us that personal stories are powerful tools for reclaiming and reshaping our understanding of the past.