A little post, if anything to document some early history about the former Priory Colliery. By August 1894, the new Colliery just north of the Railway line at Blantyre was being rapidly progressed. The Colliery officially called ‘Bothwell Castle Colliery’, built on the lands of Craigknowe Farm was one of two new collieries by Coalmasters Messrs Bairds.
At the start of August 1894, as the sinking of the first pit progressed, a new railway siding was begun when Messrs D.K &H Symington, contractors of Coatbridge had a squad of 30 men out to manually work on the cutting of the embankment for it.
By that same week, the sinking of the shafts was also well underway with different contractor Messrs Addie Brothers already down 90 fathoms. (About 164 metres!). 60 men were employed in that operation, the backbreaking work of pilot drillers and sinkers working in 3 shifts per day, so that the engines and what little mechanisation they had, at least was continually kept going.
The whole work being kept under the steady eye of Manager Mr James Thomas, of Bothwell.
These 2 collieries though noted correctly on maps, became more commonly known as Priory Colliery and in the year or two which followed these events had a row of terraced homes built nearby. Shown as attached 1898 map.
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