1920’s Miners at High Blantyre

Here’s a fantastic previously unseen photo of miners at Dixons Pits, High Blantyre. Believed to be the 1920s, the blue cross marks at least one known person, John ‘Jock’ Deccs.

These eleven hard working men pose for the camera, some with the tools of their trade, depicting their particular job within the mining industry. Each man carrying a lamp. The lack of any pick or shovel perhaps pointing that they had other roles than simply digging for coal. I see drilling and engineering in this amazing photo.

The other photo is likely slightly older. Again from Blantyre, the man sitting is known to be Thomas Cavanagh,,

Courtesy: Thomas McGrail Ward

Featuring Blantyre Project Social Media with permission. Strictly not for use by others on or offline, our visitors said:

Deborah Slivinski Lovely photos. When looking at it you realize that some of the men aren’t that young. Poor souls gave their lives digging coal. On the bottom photo man on bottom right holding the drill looks just like my great grandfather Antanas Slivinski. I only have one photo of him but looks very much like him.
Nan Burrows Lovely photos
Helen Lawson Taylor Great photo s ,the miners were hard working men and there was always danger everyday they were working .x
Marian Maguire God help them, an early grave at the hands of the coal owners. No safety equipment etc.
Mary Kane Great photos. We owe them so much.
Patty Smith My ancestors worked in those mines, and some died there. Their last name was Ward…God bless these men
Stephen Kelly My great grandfather Geordie Gillan was a coalminer in the 20s
Margaret Mary OSullivan How hard did these men work! If their sons had the opportunity to continue with education, they often made them work down the mines during their holidays in order to encourage them to stick in at university or college . Miners were desperate to give their children an opportunity to rise out of poverty and fulfill their potential – opportunities they were denied. Great, inspirational men!
Andy Callaghan A 60 hour week was the norm for miners in the 1920s. Hard men and a hard life.
Lon McIlwraith Tackety Boots!
Mary Bell My dad worked in dixons pit at that time before we moved to Fife his name was Hugh Murphy
Andrew Mclinden Real Men !
Jane Scobbie My Grandad Thomas Cowan worked at Dixon pit
Jim Cochrane you can thank the miners for the current working conditions and terms of employment we now have . it was hard fought for so never give it up easy.