THERE is a well known saying in Cornwall that 'a mine is a hole anywhere in the world with at least one Cornishman at the bottom of it!'

Perhaps that phrase was never more true when around 20% of the Cornish male population, most of them miners, migrated abroad — it is estimated that 250,000 emigrated between 1841 and 1901.

These 'Cousin Jacks', as they came affectionately to be known, were mainly driven to emigration by economic conditions due to the decline of Cornish mining and found work in gold, silver tin and copper mines all over the world, especially in Australia, South Africa and the Americas.

The fascinating tale of some of the lives of these miners and their families is being collated for the the Tamar Valley Mining Heritage project 'Migration, Emigration and Transhumance.' Researchers Vanni Cook and Joanna Lewis for the TVMH, which is based at Gunnislake, have been gathering information about the movement of miners, and their families since the Tamar Valley was recognised as a World Heritage Site in 2006.

Vanni told the Times: 'When collated it will be used for such purposes as education in local schools and to inform visitors to the area and through IPod and mobile phone downloads, leaflets websites etc.'

'The real human stories of the miners, their families and the entrepreneurs who provided them with work are an important element of this research. When the Tamar Valley 'Klondyke-style' mining boom was at its height, families such as the Gills, and the Rundles and John Taylor, were at the forefront of the industry.

'They were the entrepreneurs of their age, and provided work for miners, their families and all those associated with mining, such as blacksmiths and carpenters.'

Vanni added that, however, when slumps occurred in demand for tin, copper etc, for example after the War with America (The War of 1812) and the Napoleonic War (1799-1815), or richer seams were discovered elsewhere, miners were forced to travel in search of work, but there were also other motivating factors.

During the first half of the 19th century miners were induced to migrate by contracts involving much higher wages and later in the century by assisted passages.

From the second half of the 19th century onwards miners had little choice but to migrate, and transhumance became a part of the working pattern of very many miners' lives. They were travelling backwards and forwards across the world to work from all corners of the Tamar Valley and West Devon.

One such miner, James Osborne, was recorded as living at 17, Ford Street, Tavistock in the 1860s. James' son, also James, was even sent out to South Africa to bring back his father who had been hurt in a mining accident. Then James Osborne (son) had to return to South Africa to complete his father's contract with the mining company.

In 1878, Thomas Richard Sleeman, who was born in Tavistock, by the age of 21, was listed as a miner living in Calstock. He went to work at South Crofty mine after returning from a period working in Colombia in South America.

A letter of reference from the underground manger of the Marmato Mine, Colombia describes Mr Sleeman as 'honest, trustworthy and understands his work in charge of the drills. I am sorry to loose (lose) him'.

'Research has also unearthed miners from Tavistock migrating backwards and forwards from the Kolar goldfields in India and from America, Canada, Mexico and Australia.

'Captain' Hancock (Henry Richard Hancock) who is associated with creating 'Little Cornwall' in Moonta, South Australia, was in fact a Devon man. He was born in 1836 in Horrabridge and migrated to Australia when he was 23. He returned to the Tavistock area when he retired — coincidently, to live in John Taylor's former home at Holwell House at Whitchurch Down — with the intention of settling back here, but then went back to Australia, and settled in Adelaide because he reputedly found the society too formal after his years in Australia.

Some mining families like the Gundry clan settled in the countries that they went to work in. The miners were recruited by mining and emigration agents such as JB Wilcocks of Plymouth.

The TVMHP found that miners were being recruited to work abroad much earlier. The firm of J and JH Gill of Tavistock, associated with the firm of Gill, Rundle and Bray who had negotiated a lease on Morwellham Quay in 1787, were recruiting miners as early as 1825 on behalf of the Chilian (sic) and Peruvian Mining Company. However, so far the TVMHP has not been able to track down anyone from West Devon or the Tamar Valley who took advantage of this opportunity and went to work in either Chile or Peru.

Vanni is appealing to Times readers for further information: 'If anyone has any information that could help us make the link between our area and these fields we'd be very pleased to hear from you. Please leave a message on 01822 615610 or email [email protected]">[email protected] and we will get back to you. We are also always keen to receive information about miners who migrated to Moonta in South Australia and the Okiep Mining District in Namaqualand, South Africa.'