I was recently shown a nice little book dating from 1921 telling the story of the David Livingstone Memorial Church. Scanned kindly for me by Betty McLean, there is enough information within it to be posting for a long time. The book is also peppered with many little anecdotes and interesting snippets of information that serve to confirm certain dates from a time believed more reliable than trying to find those lost dates, now.
For example, one of the side notes when referring to the various Mining pits and Colliery rows of houses, was detailed enough to confirm dates of when each pit was formed, when coal was first extracted and when the associated miner’s rows houses were built.
This extract confirmed “Dixons pits 1 and 2 were sunk around 1870 and coal drawn in 1871 – 1872. No 3 pit sunk 1873-74 and coal drawn 1877. No 4 pit coal drawn 1878. Dixons rows built around 1871 – 1872. Merry and Cunningham’s Pits sunk in 1872 and coal drawn 1875. First row at pit built 1874-1875 and long rows in Stonefield built 1876. Baird’s Craighead Pit opened in 1876 and rows built just off Glasgow Road around the same time.”
Great info here, thanks. Could it be said that all the miners who lived in the same Row work in the same pit, and were the various Rows built by the owners’ built for the owners’ pits only? Which pit or pits did the miners in Waterloo Row work at? Thanks. Mike.