This is John McGauley, a Blantyre man who left along with 16 other miners for Nova Scotia in 1927.
However, he soon returned home with his young family, when he, and the other miners found that the conditions in the Nova Scotia mines, were much worse and more unsafe than conditions in Blantyre.
On social media:
Ann Crossar My great grandfathers brothers and their families left Blantyre in 1900’s and emigrated to Nova Scotia – in fact John Sim had a daughter born in Canada and called her Nova Scotia Sim. Here us picture if their headstone from Thorburn cemetery, Nova Scotia.
Jane Johnstone My grannie’s first husband and his brother lasted one month in Pittsburgh
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❓🚷Margaret Brown Burns My grandfather had a go in Canada but he too came home very disillusioned.
The Blantyre Project as did mine!
Mhairi McGaulley Is this McAuley or McGauley?
The Blantyre Project definitely McGauley.
Mhairi McGaulley Cornelius McGaulley Do you know anything about this?
Cornelius McGaulley Unfortunately not, worth having a look in to though.
Lorna MacKinnon Is he related to your Dad Mhairi?
Mhairi McGaulley I am not aware of any McGaulleys/McGauleys having gone to Canada in 1927 but any McGaulleys/McGauleys must’ve been some sort of connection I would think?
Betty Brown When the came from Ierland, people could not spell, so some spelt it with one l.
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👍👍👍👍Betty Brown That was in uk. They landed mostly Scotland.
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❤Joy McLennan This is so true..my gramps and family first went to Cape Breton Is…Nova Scotia. They couldn’t believe it. Rough men, horrid conditions….went back to Blantyre. Then the WHOLE family came to Vancouver Island….WAY BETTER! …Around 1912!
This is a photo of my Granda with my mother Catherine Mc Auley who lived in Dixons rows then at 34 Stonefield Rd he had three daughters Sarah Emmie and Catherine
Hi Paul. I am aware of Lanarkshire miners and others being “lured” by the promise of work in mines in Canada by “agents” for mining companies. I am aware of miners paying “deposits” in the 1920s when there was loads of unemployment to go to Canada etc. Some of these “agents” were rather dubious! To say the least. A bit like the “land agents” who conned my own family into renting 10,000 acres of worthless scrub land in Hays County Texas in the late 1880s! I knew an old miner when came back from Canada to work at the Priory. Now that “wisnae a very guid pit” in his words but better than Nova Scotia.
Do you have any other info on Mr. McAuley? Many McAuley’s came from the same area of County Cavan, Ireland as my Grandpa Tom Dolan. I have some on my father’s side from the Cavan villages of Glangevlin and Blacklion.