A meeting of Blantyre miners was held the Public Park on Saturday 14th May 1921 to discuss the position of some miners who were working a number of outcrop seams in the vicinity and who were selling the coal and reaping good harvest.

Some miners had been working illegally at Auchentibber on an outcrop on private land, effectively stealing the minerals. Mr James Murdoch, miners’ agent, was the speaker, and told the gathered group of miners that this would not be tolerated. Later, around 150 men left to visit the outcrop seam at High Blantyre, but on their arrival the ‘Workers’ had fled, and left behind them 28 bags of coal weighing about 2 cwts each which were ready for sale.

The miners agent then promptly sent for for a motor lorry in Blantyre and commandeered the lot. He distributed all the coal among the Blantyre soup kitchen boilers for the poor and needy.

From the book, “Blantyre Explained” by Paul Veverka (c) 2019
Photo: Illustration only