In early June, Blantyre men Alex Rochead, Gordon Cook and I took a walk down to Priory, to visit the site of the old Priory Pit baths. The miner’s bathhouse dates from 1932 and are located almost immediately beside the railway, across from the Coatshill scheme, on the Priory playing fields side. Here are the […]
At the end of May 2015, I was contacted by Katarzyna Grzegorczyk of Blantyre, who sent me some photos of a mysterious little building hidden in the woods beyond the Priory Playing fields. Katarzyna asked what the building was. Actually what she had discovered, was a largely forgotten or unknown building. Nature had reclaimed it, […]
Much has been written about the men and boys who died in the Blantyre Pit Disaster, but what about those who survived? Those people who were working at the top of the shaft or manage to walk to safety awaiting rescue. Those who generally managed to escape the fireball and fire damp gasses. The following […]
In December 1935, Mr & Mrs John Hendry of 82 Morris Crescent, Blantyre enjoyed their Golden Wedding Anniversary. (pictured) Mr. Hendry with his father had acted as a rescuer in the terrible disaster on 22nd October 1877 when 222 men and boys lost their lives in the explosion which occurred in Blantyre Collieries belonging to […]
In November 2014, Betty McLean in Canada contacted me about finding a vent pipe in High Blantyre that was close to the site of the 1877 Pit explosion. The vent pipe was found in the verge , not far from the pavement on Hillhouse road, not too far from the old location of the BIG […]
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 […]
Below are the recollections of Mr Hugh Brown, penned in 1927, concerning Blantyre Colliery Disaster. This is of particular interest to me as he is also writing about my great, great grandfather Mr John Bowie. “For many years I have had a strong desire to put on record my experiences as an explorer in that […]