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 […]
One of my favourite poems by the late Blantyre historian, James Cornfield is a rather well written poem called “The Rapper up Man”. Written in 2003, it goes as follows: In days gone by in the Miners Rows, there lived a man who always rose At an early hour from slumber deep, to waken miners […]
The date of this photo is 6th January 1947. The occasion is the day the mines were nationalised by the Coal Board. The venue is Priestfield Colliery 1 (Dixons Pit 1) and this plaque was erected on the same day the NCB flag was hoisted above the pit offices. Andra McAnulty was guest of honour […]
“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 […]
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 […]
On 26th August 1955, Patrick Docherty, a labourer of Hut 6, New Dechmont Camp and a 13-year old boy pleaded guilty to stealing coal with 2 other people unknown, from the refuse bing at Bardykes Colliery on 2nd August. Docherty was 21 years old. During a patrol, 2 police offers saw 3 men and […]
You’ll notice I say “row” and not “rows” here. Unlike most other miners rows houses in Blantyre, Auchinraith Row was a single row of miners homes. Built in 1874 by Messrs Merry and Cunningham these homes remained the property of the colliery which was sited nearby. The row sat to the East of the modern […]