Photos next from September 1986 and to the north of Blantyre is Blantyreferme. This photos represent the reduction of the Colliery bings, a significant effort to restore the ground back closer to the existing field levels. The large remnants of the colliery bings removed and taken away, removing most of the signs of the former […]
Tag: coal
Fled leaving Coal behind, 1921
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 […]
Rajah ‘Smith’ fae High Blantir
Let’s travel across the other side of the world now to Malaysia and in particular to the former Empire colony of Labuan. During the 1920’s, there lived there a most interesting personality known as “Rajah” Smith, a businessman overseeing an extensive coal mining operation. Formerly a High Blantyre miner, the “Rajah” was then one of […]
Stealing Coal from Wagons
In September 1925, a serious situation arose in Blantyre when coal and mineral trains were continually being raided. In the dock in early October that year was James Cotter, miner, 52 Auchenraith Road, Blantyre, who was charged with stealing a quantity of coal from moving waggons at Auchinraith Road on the branch of the […]
Remembering Blantyre Disaster
Today, 22nd October 2016 is the 139th Anniversary of the Blantyre Pit Disaster at Dixon’s Colliery in High Blantyre . At 8.50am that morning in 1877, over 200 Blantyre men and boys were killed, sending shockwaves of grief through Blantyre. Today, via Blantyre Telegraph, I placed on behalf of us all a beautiful memorial wreath at the […]
The Rapper-Up Man by James Cornfield 2003
NCB Plaque 1947
One Ton of Coal Stolen
“Mr. Andrew Edgar a miner of 67 Auchenraith Road, Blantyre, was convicted on evidence, at Hamilton J.P. Court on Saturday 19th September 1931 of stealing, in concert with others unknown, one ton of coals from a mineral train at Strathaven Junction, on the L.M.S. Railway line between Blantyre and High Blantyre. The Justices found the charge […]
Robert McGuire – Boy Killed in Colliery 1883
A local news report on 14th April 1883, told of the tragic passing of a young local boy working in the mining profession that week. He had sustained crushing injuries which he could not recover from. “On Thursday, a sad accident happened in No. 2 Pit, Blantyre Collieries, belonging to William Dixon (Limited,) whereby Robert […]