I’ve been up at the cemetery often this week for research and impressed by how the memorial for the Blantyre Disaster looks.
Last year the conifers were cut back once again putting focus on the memorial itself. Paths in look established and well kept.
With the anniversary coming up next month, I’ll once again be hosting a week long remembrance for the miners here on Blantyre Project. This year, not just each day telling the detailed story of the disaster, but also, for the first time exploring many of the personal lives of some of the youngest boys who died in that tragedy.
Looking at lost lives of ones so young, its been tough and at times, emotional. I hope you find their stories interesting.
Featuring Blantyre Project Social Media with permission. Strictly not for use by others on or offline, our visitors said:
John Dunsmore I’ll be there 22nd. October as per. Paul
Blantyre Project Me too John. I placed a lump of coal there each year as pictured. This will be the 4th year for me at that location on 22nd. I strangely feel a bind to some of the miners, perhaps from writing about them. As well as 5 visits for research last week, I’ve had another THREE meetings in the last month in this cemetery with visitors from abroad and fellow history colleagues. We have some plans to help this area be remembered more. More on that soon.
Marie Mariah McCutcheon lots of my Ancestors were killed that day
Betty McLean How lovely
Elaine Baillie I think i will research this and see if any my ancestors were involved such a tragedy
Jean Boyd Look forward to reading the mining stories, it really would have been emotional researching these young boys and men who lost their lives on that fateful day
Eddie Campaigne i did a paper at Uni on this…one particularly touching story was …it was discovered that a protestant miner killed had been buried with the catholic miners in the mass grave at the catholic cemetery in glasgow his parents said …leave him where he is he is with his friends for eternity now…..this was a pretty controversial viewpoint as blantyre in the 19 century was a very sectarian village with one of the highest concentrations of orange lodges per head of protestant population….there was a huge increase due to the influx of irish immigrants fleeing the famine a few years previous
Elaine Ward Truesdale Do we know the names of those who died in the disaster I would love to know if any of my relatives fell
Blantyre Project 215 of them are listed here, slowly but surely with Blantyre Project links to their stories. https://blantyreproject.com/blantyre-pit-disaster/
Anne Grogan Looking lovely.
Archie Peat My Great-great Uncle was killed then ( William Miller ). I still have a large bible (18 x 12 ) given by the Scottish Missionary Society to relatives of the victims and inscribed accordingly
Mary Crowe What a difference, looks lovely, must go up and pay a visit. I lost 2 relatives in the explosion, my great uncle John Trainor and his cousin James Clarke
Jessie Caldow It looks beautiful! a fitting Memorial to these miners
Cllr Maureen Chalmers SNP Ward 15 Blantyre Huge thank you to James and the team at South Lanarkshire Council land services who cleared and replanted the area around the memorial.
Mary Mcguire Glad the memorial can now be seen
Sheena Mason Your doing a great job keeping our history alive. I look forward to reading about it. Thank you so much and, well done!
Blantyre Project Me too John. I placed a lump of coal there each year as pictured. This will be the 4th year for me at that location on 22nd. I strangely feel a bind to some of the miners, perhaps from writing about them. As well as 5 visits for research last week, I’ve had another THREE meetings in the last month in this cemetery with visitors from abroad and fellow history colleagues. We have some plans to help this area be remembered more. More on that soon.
Marie Mariah McCutcheon lots of my Ancestors were killed that day
Betty McLean How lovely
Elaine Baillie I think i will research this and see if any my ancestors were involved such a tragedy
Jean Boyd Look forward to reading the mining stories, it really would have been emotional researching these young boys and men who lost their lives on that fateful day
Eddie Campaigne i did a paper at Uni on this…one particularly touching story was …it was discovered that a protestant miner killed had been buried with the catholic miners in the mass grave at the catholic cemetery in glasgow his parents said …leave him where he is he is with his friends for eternity now…..this was a pretty controversial viewpoint as blantyre in the 19 century was a very sectarian village with one of the highest concentrations of orange lodges per head of protestant population….there was a huge increase due to the influx of irish immigrants fleeing the famine a few years previous
Elaine Ward Truesdale Do we know the names of those who died in the disaster I would love to know if any of my relatives fell
Blantyre Project 215 of them are listed here, slowly but surely with Blantyre Project links to their stories. https://blantyreproject.com/blantyre-pit-disaster/
Anne Grogan Looking lovely.
Archie Peat My Great-great Uncle was killed then ( William Miller ). I still have a large bible (18 x 12 ) given by the Scottish Missionary Society to relatives of the victims and inscribed accordingly
Mary Crowe What a difference, looks lovely, must go up and pay a visit. I lost 2 relatives in the explosion, my great uncle John Trainor and his cousin James Clarke
Jessie Caldow It looks beautiful! a fitting Memorial to these miners
Cllr Maureen Chalmers SNP Ward 15 Blantyre Huge thank you to James and the team at South Lanarkshire Council land services who cleared and replanted the area around the memorial.
Mary Mcguire Glad the memorial can now be seen
Sheena Mason Your doing a great job keeping our history alive. I look forward to reading about it. Thank you so much and, well done!