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From the forthcoming definitive book about the 1877 mining disaster and Blantyre’s rich mining heritage, “Hollow Earth & Hardship” by Paul Veverka. All research in this section strictly copyrighted.
On the morning of 22nd October 1877, at Dixon’s Pit 3, High Blantyre a large explosion took the lives of 215 men and boys, remaining to this day as Scotland’s worst ever Pit Accident. Our list below updates the amount of 207 previously thought to have passed away. This unique archive is extensively researched for the events of that day.
Results: 20 articles
Key: 
Photos attached to Article 
Video 
Article in Blantyre Project Books
The Victim’s Personal Stories – List of the Dead
Blantyre Project exclusively has researched the stories of each and every one of the victims of the Blantyre 1877 Mining Disaster, something never previously attempted by others. Over the years, I’ve added a further 8 dead to the official previous list of 207, taking a new list of the dead to 215. I’ve sorted in alphabetical surname order. The personal stories and ancestry of each person is being researched by myself and each person ultimately will have a clickable link. This project is ongoing and added to significantly around the anniversary each October of the Pit Disaster.
This monumental effort will feature in a forthcoming Blantyre Project Book “Hollow Earth & Hardship” by Paul Veverka and as such is subject to copyright. Please be patient as this is hugely time consuming.
Victims Lives Explored so far: 38 of 215
The following is the subject of a forthcoming Blantyre Project book (c) and is strictly copyrighted. More detail on the list here
Name |
Surname |
Age |
Occupation |
Marital status |
|
1 |
James |
Allan
|
22 |
Coal miner |
Single |
2 |
Peter |
Anderson
|
15 |
Pony driver |
Single |
3 |
Thomas |
Baxter
|
21 |
Coal miner |
Single |
4 |
William |
Black
|
38 |
Fire inspector |
Married to Margaret Kirkland |
5 |
Thomas |
Bolton
|
15 |
Drawer |
Single |
6 |
James |
Bolton
|
17 |
Pit bottomer |
Single |
7 |
Thomas |
Bolton
|
16 |
Drawer |
Single |
8 |
William |
Bolton
|
13 |
(not given) |
Single |
9 |
William |
Boyle
|
49 |
Coal miner |
Married to Helen McDonagh |
10 |
Simon |
Boyle
|
15 |
Drawer |
Single |
11 |
Owen |
Brannaghan
|
19 |
Coal miner |
Single |
12 |
Michael |
Brannan
|
26 |
Coal miner |
Single |
13 |
James |
Brodie
|
25 |
Coal miner |
Married to Elizabeth Brown |
14 |
James |
Brown
|
43 |
Coal miner |
Married to Elizabeth Mackie |
15 |
John |
Brown
|
18 |
Coal miner |
Single |
16 |
James |
Brown
|
14 |
Coal miner |
Single |
17 |
John |
Burns |
33 |
Coal miner |
Married to Helen Cornfield |
18 |
Thomas |
Burns |
24 |
Coal miner |
Married to Jane Cornfield |
19 |
Peter |
Burns |
13 |
Coal miner |
Single |
20 |
Patrick |
Burns |
34 |
Coal miner |
Married to Mary Creely |
21 |
Andrew |
Burt |
24 |
Coal miner |
Single |
22 |
Michael |
Cairns |
29 |
Coal miner |
Married to Mary Murray |
23 |
John |
Campbell |
33 |
Coal miner |
Married to Mary Kelly |
24 |
William |
Campbell |
35 |
Coal miner |
Widower of Janet Park |
25 |
William |
Campbell |
14 |
Coal miner |
Single |
26 |
Peter |
Carlin |
34 |
Coal miner |
Married to Ann Moore |
27 |
Peter |
Carmichael
|
17 |
Coal miner |
Single |
28 |
John |
Cavanagh |
19 |
Coal miner |
Single |
29 |
James |
Cavanagh |
16 |
Colliery drawer |
Single |
30 |
John |
Cavanagh |
23 |
Coal miner |
Single |
31 |
James |
Clark |
19 |
Coal miner |
Single |
32 |
Turnbull |
Cleghorn |
20 |
Bottomer |
Single |
33 |
James |
Clyde
|
38 |
Coal miner |
Married to Agnes Cornfield |
34 |
James |
Clyde
|
12 |
Coal miner |
Single |
35 |
William |
Clyde
|
14 |
Pony driver |
Single |
36 |
John |
Conaghan |
20 |
Coal miner |
Single |
37 |
John |
Conlin |
14 |
Pony driver |
Single |
38 |
James |
Cosgrove |
14 |
Coal miner |
Single |
39 |
Francis |
Cosgrove |
15 |
Coal miner |
Single |
40 |
John |
Cox |
46 |
Coal miner |
Married to Margaret Kirkwood |
41 |
Andrew |
Cox |
16 |
Coal miner |
Single |
42 |
Charles |
Coyle |
21 |
Coal miner |
Single |
43 |
John |
Crawford |
24 |
Coal miner |
Married to Martha McCutcheon |
44 |
Charles |
Divers |
27 |
Coal miner |
Married to Bridget Divers |
45 |
John |
Dobie |
25 |
Coal miner |
Single |
46 |
Thomas |
Dobie |
27 |
Coal miner |
Married to Mary Jones |
47 |
Patrick |
Dolan |
22 |
Coal miner |
Single |
48 |
John |
Dolan |
19 |
Coal miner |
Single |
49 |
William Irons |
Dunstan |
24 |
Roadsman |
Single |
50 |
Robert |
Eadie |
50 |
Fire inspector |
Married to Margaret Drummond |
51 |
William |
Freckleton |
23 |
Coal miner |
Widower of Margaret Gemmell |
52 |
Charles |
Gainer |
23 |
Coal miner |
Single |
53 |
Samuel |
Gardener |
21 |
Coal miner |
Single |
54 |
William |
Gemmell |
19 |
Coal miner |
Single Info |
55 |
John |
Gemmell |
22 |
Coal miner |
Single Info |
56 |
Matthew |
Gemmell |
31 |
Coal miner |
Single Info |
57 |
Joseph |
Gilmour |
35 |
Underground manager |
Married to Martha Moffat |
58 |
Joseph |
Gilmour |
13 |
(not given) |
Single |
59 |
John |
Gold
|
28 |
Coal miner |
Married to Mary Roberts |
60 |
Benjamin |
Gold |
24 |
Coal miner |
Married to Isabella Crawford |
61 |
Andrew |
Gold |
22 |
Coal miner |
Single |
62 |
James |
Gold
|
33 |
Coal miner |
Married to Mary Lambie |
63 |
Thomas |
Gracie |
57 |
Coal miner |
Married to Jane Smellie |
64 |
William |
Graham |
13 |
Drawer |
Single |
65 |
Robert |
Halliday |
39 |
Coal miner |
Married to (1) Mary Hailstones (2) Agnes Strickland |
66 |
Thomas |
Halliday |
19 |
Soldier |
Single |
67 |
Matthew |
Halliday |
48 |
Coal miner |
Married to Janet Johnston |
68 |
Thomas |
Halliday |
22 |
Coal miner |
Single |
69 |
John |
Hamilton |
31 |
Coal miner |
Married to Elizabeth Nisbet |
70 |
William |
Hanlin |
23 |
Coal miner |
Single |
71 |
John |
Hastie |
16 |
Coal miner |
Single |
72 |
Thomas |
Hendry |
21 |
Coal miner |
Single |
73 |
James |
Hendry |
19 |
Coal miner |
Single |
74 |
John |
Hendry |
14 |
Pony driver |
Single |
75 |
Robert |
Hendry |
15 |
Pit bottomer |
Single |
76 |
James |
Irvine |
36 |
Coal miner |
Married to Bridget Keenan |
77 |
James |
Kelly |
16 |
Coal miner |
Single |
78 |
John |
Kelly |
23 |
Coal miner |
Single |
79 |
Patrick |
Kelly |
27 |
Coal miner |
Married to Margaret Graham |
80 |
James |
Kelly |
33 |
Coal miner |
Married to Mary Ann Lachlan |
81 |
James |
Kemp |
22 |
Coal miner |
Single |
82 |
John |
Kenny |
45 |
Coal miner |
Married to Margaret Kelly |
83 |
Robert Orr |
Kirkland |
20 |
Coal miner |
Single |
84 |
Nicol |
Kyle |
35 |
Coal miner |
Married to Agnes Welsh |
85 |
James |
Lang |
55 |
Coal miner |
Married to Martha Revie Laing |
86 |
Archibald |
Lang |
25 |
Coal miner |
Married to Helen Richardson |
87 |
Hugh |
Larkin |
24 |
Coal miner |
Married to Agnes Tonner |
88 |
James |
Lauder |
20 |
Coal miner |
Single |
89 |
George |
Lauder |
16 |
Coal miner |
Single |
90 |
James |
Liddell |
41 |
Coal miner |
Married to Janet Bishop |
91 |
John |
Liddell |
12 |
Coal miner |
Single |
92 |
Thomas |
Lucas |
24 |
Coal miner |
Single |
93 |
Peter |
Mackie |
31 |
Coal miner |
Married to Janet Drummond |
94 |
James |
Marshall |
20 |
Coal miner |
Single |
95 |
Hugh |
Martin |
51 |
Coal miner |
Married to Isabella Burgess |
96 |
David |
Martin |
28 |
Coal miner |
Married to Martha Carson |
97 |
Robert |
McAdams |
28 |
Coal miner |
Married to Elizabeth Brown |
98 |
Peter |
McAnulty |
54 |
Coal miner |
Widower of Catherine McSorley |
99 |
Edward |
McCallum |
14 |
Coal miner |
Single |
100 |
Patrick |
McCue |
19 |
Coal miner |
Single |
101 |
John |
McCulloch |
44 |
Coal miner |
Married to Allison Marshall |
102 |
John |
McCulloch |
16 |
Coal miner |
Single |
103 |
Thomas |
McCulloch |
25 |
Coal miner |
Married to Mary Cleghorn |
104 |
James |
McCusker |
28 |
Coal miner |
Married to Ann Dolan |
105 |
Henry |
McCusker
|
30 |
Coal miner |
Married to Mary O’Neill |
106 |
Thomas |
McDonald |
29 |
Coal miner |
Married to Jane Hall |
107 |
James |
McFadzen |
21 |
Coal miner |
Married to Helen Buchan |
108 |
John |
McFadzen |
23 |
Coal miner |
Single |
109 |
John |
McFarlane |
31 |
Coal miner |
Married to Sarah McCutcheon |
110 |
James |
McGarry |
35 |
Coal miner |
Married to Margaret Bennett |
111 |
Abraham |
McGhee |
18 |
Coal miner |
Single |
112 |
John |
McGhee |
16 |
Coal miner |
Single |
113 |
William |
McGhee |
14 |
Coal miner |
Single |
114 |
James |
McGown |
24 |
Coal miner |
Married to Jessie Kerr |
115 |
Gilbert |
McIntyre |
47 |
Coal miner |
Married to Susan White |
116 |
William |
McKay |
48 |
Coal miner |
Married to Elizabeth Arbuckle |
117 |
John |
McKelvie |
19 |
Coal miner |
Single |
118 |
John |
McKillop |
14 |
Coal miner |
Single |
119 |
Archibald |
McKillop |
12 |
Coal miner |
Single |
120 |
James |
McKinnon |
32 |
Coal miner |
Married to Janet Hawthorn |
121 |
Moses |
McLachlan |
23 |
Roadsman |
Married to Margaret Muir |
122 |
Edward |
McLachlan |
15 |
Pony driver |
Single |
123 |
William |
McLachlan
|
13 |
Pony driver |
Single |
124 |
John |
McLaughlan |
23 |
Coal miner |
Married to Mary O’Neill |
125 |
Edward |
McLaughlan |
18 |
Coal miner |
Single |
126 |
Thomas |
McMeechan |
45 |
Coal miner |
Married to Janet Stewart |
127 |
James |
McMillan |
30 |
Stoker |
Married to Sarah Jane McGhee |
128 |
Robert |
McNaught |
26 |
Roadsman |
Married to Mary Russell |
129 |
Bernard |
McTavie |
56 |
Coal miner |
Married to Mary Ann Clark |
130 |
Thomas |
Meechan |
39 |
Coal miner |
Single |
131 |
Alexander |
Miller |
18 |
Assistant engine hand |
Single |
132 |
William |
Miller |
23 |
Coal miner |
Married to Sarah Graham |
133 |
Joseph |
Miller |
27 |
Coal miner |
Married to Elizabeth Hamill |
134 |
John |
Moir |
36 |
Coal miner |
Married to Christina Aitken |
135 |
Edward |
Moir |
16 |
Drawer |
Single |
136 |
Hugh |
Morgan |
37 |
Coal miner |
Married to Martha Crawford |
137 |
Andrew |
Morrison |
48 |
Coal miner |
Married to (1) Sarah Boyd (2) Elizabeth McFarlane |
138 |
William |
Muir |
21 |
Coal miner |
Single Info |
139 |
Thomas |
Murdoch |
17 |
Coal miner |
Single |
140 |
Francis |
Murphy |
25 |
Coal miner |
Married to Ann McGhee |
141 |
James |
Murphy |
20 |
Coal miner |
Single |
142 |
George |
Murphy |
13 |
Drawer |
Single |
143 |
Bernard |
Murray |
21 |
Coal miner |
Single |
144 |
James |
Murray |
50 |
Pit bottomer |
Married to Elizabeth McSorley |
145 |
George |
Nisbet |
27 |
Coal miner |
Married to Euphemia Fleming |
146 |
John |
O’Brien |
24 |
Coal miner |
Married to Mary Tonner |
147 |
Peter |
O’Brien |
21 |
Coal miner |
Single |
148 |
John |
O’Donnell |
26 |
Coal miner |
Married to Ann Hunter |
149 |
John |
O’Donnell |
23 |
Coal miner |
Single |
150 |
Robert |
Ovens |
21 |
Coal miner |
Single |
151 |
John |
Park |
34 |
Coal miner |
Single |
152 |
William |
Primrose |
17 |
Coal miner |
Single |
153 |
James |
Rae |
Between 35 and 40 |
(supposed name) |
– |
154 |
Thomas |
Ramsay |
25 |
Coal miner |
Widower of Sarah Agnew |
155 |
William |
Reid |
27 |
Coal miner |
Married to Agnes Gemmell Info |
156 |
James |
Reid |
13 |
Drawer |
Single Info |
157 |
George |
Renwick
|
48 |
Coal miner |
Married to Margaret Kerr |
158 |
John |
Revie
|
59 |
Coal miner |
Married to Jane Scobbie |
159 |
Alexander |
Revie |
19 |
Coal miner |
Single |
160 |
William |
Richardson |
17 |
Coal miner |
Single |
161 |
William |
Roberts |
24 |
Coal miner |
Married to Margaret Forsyth |
162 |
Thomas |
Roberts |
20 |
Coal miner |
Single |
163 |
Moses |
Roberts |
17 |
Coal miner |
Single |
164 |
Samuel |
Roberts |
14 |
Coal miner |
Single |
165 |
Richard |
Ross |
30 |
Coal miner |
Single |
166 |
John |
Russell |
20 |
Coal miner |
Single |
167 |
George |
Sawers |
24 |
Coal miner |
Married to Martha Lang |
168 |
George |
Semple |
32 |
Coal miner |
Married to Marion Nimmo |
169 |
William |
Sharp |
63 |
Coal miner |
Married to Elizabeth Burns |
170 |
James |
Sharp |
40 |
Coal miner |
Single |
171 |
James |
Simpson |
24 |
Coal miner |
Single |
172 |
Robert |
Simpson |
60 |
Roadsman |
Widower of Agnes Buchanan |
173 |
Patrick |
Smith |
40 |
Coal miner |
Married to Mary Ann Connolly |
174 |
Edward |
Smith |
22 |
Coal miner |
Single |
175 |
James |
Smith |
35 |
Coal miner |
Married to Catherine Richards |
176 |
James |
Sneddon |
39 |
Coal miner |
Married to Elizabeth Archibald |
177 |
James |
Sneddon |
16 |
Coal miner |
Single |
178 |
John |
Sneddon |
19 |
Coal miner |
Single |
179 |
George |
Speirs |
16 |
Coal miner |
Single |
180 |
John |
Speirs |
15 |
Pony driver |
Single |
181 |
William |
Speirs |
28 |
Coal miner |
Married to Magdaline Wright |
182 |
John |
Speirs |
13 |
Coal miner |
Single |
183 |
John |
Stark |
29 |
Coal miner |
Married to Mary Anderson |
184 |
James |
Steel |
36 |
Coal miner |
Married to Elizabeth Steel |
185 |
Robert |
Steel |
13 |
Coal miner |
Single |
186 |
Alexander |
Stevenson |
42 |
Coal miner |
Married to Margaret Porter |
187 |
John |
Stevenson |
19 |
Coal miner |
Single |
188 |
William |
Stevenson |
14 |
Coal miner |
Single |
189 |
James |
Stewart |
19 |
Coal miner |
Single |
190 |
Robert |
Stewart |
17 |
Coal miner |
Single |
191 |
Malcolm |
Stewart |
15 |
Coal miner |
Single |
192 |
John |
Thomson |
17 |
Colliery hostler |
Single |
193 |
George |
Todd |
43 |
Colliery hostler |
Married to Margaret Mann |
194 |
Hugh |
Tonner |
48 |
Coal miner |
Married to Margaret McIntyre |
195 |
Charles |
Tonner |
15 |
Colliery drawer |
Single |
196 |
John |
Trainer
|
15 |
Pony driver |
Single |
197 |
James |
Valleley |
22 |
Coal miner |
Married to Sarah Crosbie |
198 |
Neil |
Ward
|
51 newspapers corrected to 57 as death cert |
Coal miner |
Widower of Ann McAulay |
199 |
Robert |
Wardrop |
37 |
Pit bottomer |
Married to Margaret Hamilton |
200 |
Alexander |
Watt |
28 |
Fire inspector |
Married to Janet Hamilton |
201 |
John Young |
Welsh
|
22 |
Coal miner |
Single |
202 |
Francis |
Welsh
|
23 |
Coal miner |
Single |
203 |
James |
Welsh
|
15 |
Coal miner |
Single |
204 |
Andrew |
Whiteside |
37 |
Coal miner |
Married to Elizabeth Chalmers |
205 |
Thomas |
Whiteside |
13 |
Coal miner |
Single |
206 |
Robert |
White
|
16 |
Pony driver |
Single |
207 |
Thomas |
Wilson |
45 |
Coal miner |
Married to Rebecca Welsh |
208 |
James |
Wilson |
17 |
Coal miner |
Single |
209 |
Thomas |
Wilson |
21 |
Coal miner |
Single |
210 |
Hugh |
Wilson |
36 |
Coal miner |
Married to Mary Burns |
211 |
William |
Wilson |
17 |
Coal miner |
Single |
212 |
James |
Wilson |
14 |
Drawer |
Single |
213 |
William |
Wood |
51 |
Coal miner |
Married to Angeline Connell |
214 |
James |
Wright |
49 |
Fire inspector |
Married to Jane Marshall |
215 |
John McEwan |
Wright |
17 |
Pony driver |
Single |
1877 Disaster News Breaks – Telegrams
Details Filter Through – 1st Day
Scotsman Reports Disaster – Part 1
Scotsman Reports Disaster – Part 2
Scotsman Reports Disaster – Part 3
Scotsman Reports Disaster – Part 4
Scotsman Reports Disaster – Part 5
Scotsman Reports Disaster – Part 6
Scotsman Reports Disaster – Part 7
Scotsman Reports Disaster – Part 8
Scotsman Reports Disaster – Part 9
The Demon Drink – 1879
The Disaster Pithead
Together in Life and Death
The Doctors Arrive
That First Night – rescues
The Pony Drivers – Blantyre
Families gather at the pits – crowds
Fear and Grief – mourners
State of things – in Blantyre
Disaster – map and transcript
Disaster Volunteers – photo
Blantyre Accident Funds – 1915
Tale of the Explosion by Keir Hardie -Part 1
Tale of the Explosion by Keir Hardie – Part 2
Tale of the Explosion by Keir Hardie – Part 3
Breach of Eight Hours, 1909
Old Joe Davidson – died 1908
Rescued from Pit 2 – out safe 1877
Glasgow Herald Reports, Day 1 Part 1 of 3
Glasgow Herald Reports, Day 1 Part 2 of 3
Glasgow Herald Reports, Day 1 Part 3 of 3
Recalling the Disaster – Rev William MacDougall
The Blantyre Explosion – Song from 1951
Pit Disaster Inquiry – 1877
Blantyre Accident Funds – 1877 – 1930
Dangerous Warning Signs – 1877
Dalbeth 3D scan – memorial
Dalbeth Memorial – Clyde Anomalies
Blantyre Colliery Explosion Inquiry Report, 1877
Report on the Blantyre Colliery Explosion – Intro
The Colliery & Chief Staff – inquiry
Ventilation – inquiry
Lighting and Blasting – inquiry
Firedamp – inquiry
The Explosion – inquiry
Causes Surmised – inquiry
Contributing Causes – inquiry
Firemen’s Examination – inquiry
Exploration – inquiry
Source of the Gas & ignition – inquiry
Discipline, Skill & Care – inquiry
Mines Regulation and Inspection – inquiry
Summary – inquiry
Explosion of Fire-Damp at Blantyre Colliery [Page A]
Explosion of Fire-Damp at Blantyre Colliery [Page A/A1]
Explosion of Fire-Damp at Blantyre Colliery [Page A1/A2]
Explosion of Fire-Damp at Blantyre Colliery [Page A2/A3]
Explosion of Fire-Damp at Blantyre Colliery [Page A3]
Explosion of Fire-Damp at Blantyre Colliery [Page A3/A4]
Copyright notice: All articles may be printed off for offline for presentations. Where any of these images or words are intended to be published online or in books, please strictly contact me first for permission. These are Blantyre Project words and are reserved for my own book, “Hollow Earth and Hardship“. They will not appear on other sites or books. Thanks.