Sue Hainsworth writes, “Hello Paul, I am looking for any information there may be about my gt grandfather William McConnell. He was killed while on his way home from a pensioners Christmas meal in 1964. This was on Bardykes Road, not far from his home in Park Crescent. He had lived in Blantyre most of his […]
An accident, which happened on Monday 16th November 1925 at a Blantyre Colliery, owned by Wm. Baird and Sons, Ltd resulted in the death of David Walkinshaw of Hunthill Road and injuries to Alexander Lightbody of Halfway, Cambuslang. Both men were engaged on repairing work when a sharp fall of stones completely buried them. […]
Thank you to Andy Callaghan for sharing this touching poem he wrote, about his father, who was a miner and the importance of being outside in the fresh air. “THE RACE” Slight, but tough and strong as a pit-prop, My Dad cut coal in the dark all week. When loused he loved to walk for […]
On Wednesday 21st July 1926, a low Blantyre miner was caught killing an otter at the River Clyde at Blantyre Weir. The otter measured 3 foot and weighed 42 lbs. Police were called and the miner was later sentenced for poaching. Otters are known to frequent both the River Calder and Clyde. As pictured […]
Anthony Smith has kindly shared this photo of his grandfather, Nickodemus Kakta. It was taken in May 1941 on the family’s allotment at the bottom row of Bairds Raws, Low Blantyre. The corrugated sheeting was the fence around Blantyre Celtic football ground,near the stand. While numbers of allotments fell in the 1920s and 1930s, following an increase […]
This is John McGauley, a Blantyre man who left along with 16 other miners for Nova Scotia in 1927. However, he soon returned home with his young family, when he, and the other miners found that the conditions in the Nova Scotia mines, were much worse and more unsafe than conditions in Blantyre. On […]
On Wednesday 24th January 1900, an accident occurred in High Blantyre, which saw a miner terribly injured. However, it was not the kind of accident that we commonly know happened to men in such times. Mr. J.W Bathgate was the assistant engineer at Dixon’s Collieries at High Blantyre. On that day, he had finished […]