Coal Miner

[Dalriada6]

Hi Folks,

Can anyone help with some info regarding what coal pits would have been used in the 30's/40's in Glasgow and would I be able to trace my grandfather's name in any lists there may be for these places? he didn't die in one of these mines, his job at the time of his death at the Victoria Hospital in 1959 was as a nightwatchman, but no company named on the death certificate.

Many thanks
Dalriada

[The Egg Man]

The NUM/ NUM Scotland might be able to help.

[moonbeam]

Where did he live? Most coal miners lived in rows beside the coal mine.From that you can find the mine and pre 1948 miner owner.Records of accidents are on line at Scottish Mining. In the old days the pit villages were tied to the miner owner. If your grand father was down the pit then its likely his father was also a miner. Cardowan, Garscube,
Bedlay Torrance Blantyferme Bardykes -the first two in Glasgow- were active into the early 1960s and later and within travelling distance from Glasgow. By 1983 miners were being bussed to Bedlay etc. from quite some distances!

[cell]

I would agree if you can find out where he lived that will probably be close to where he worked

You can do a search for collierys on the Scotland Places website http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/search/index.php?action=do_search&p_type=free_text_search&p_name=colliery the results can then be viewed on a map or downloaded as as a KML file for use with Google earth. It will not have every mine but it should be quite good for the date range you are after. There is also an excellent RCAHMS publication which lists all the collierys that were still in production at the time of nationalisation in 1948, a typical entry might be as follows, the info is also avalible by clicking through the entry on Scotlands Places

Organisation The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland
Alternative Name(s) NEWBATTLE COLLIERY; LINGERWOOD NO.1 (DICKSONS SHAFT); LINGERWOOD NO.2 (ENGINE PIT)
Canmore ID 132499
Site Type COLLIERY
County MIDLOTHIAN
Parish NEWBATTLE
Council MIDLOTHIAN
NGR NT 3370 6350
Latitude, Longitude 55.860103N, 3.060789W
Images 5
Archaeological Notes
NT36SW 43 3370 6350 Re-numbered. Originally mis-numbered as NT36SW 147.

(Location cited as NT 3365 6354). LINGERWOOD Colliery
Location: Newtongrange
Previous Owners: Lothian Coal Company
Types of Coal: Steam and House
Sinking/Production Commenced: 1798 (`Old Engine Pit¿)
Year Closed: 1967
Year Abandoned: 1982
Average Workforce: 727
Peak Workforce: 770
Peak Year: 1951
Shaft/Mine Details: 2 shafts, and one surface mine. No. 1 (Dickson¿s Shaft) 253m deep, 5.2m diameter and brick-lined, with electric winder, upcast for Lady Victoria. No. 2 (Engine Pit) downcast, 266m deep, rectangular shaft, with steam winder.
Details in 1948: Output 1,000 tons per day, 250,000 tons per annum. 603 employees. Coal washed and screened at Lady Victoria Colliery (NT36SW 22). First-aid room. Canteen at Lady Victoria. Electricity supplied from SE Scotland Electricity Board. Report dated 15-07-1948.
Other Details: Pneumatically-operated traversers and tipplers installed at surface for mine-car circuit in 1955. Re-organised in 1961. Baths for 798 men also served Lady Victoria. When Heriot Watt University¿s mining school was closed, its rescue station was first moved to Lingerwood, and eventually to its current location at Crossgates in Fife.
M K Oglethorpe 2006

[cell]

http://www.scottishmining.co.uk/index.html

This might also be of interest

"The Scottish Mining Website aims to assist family and local history researchers by providing information on Scottish miners and mining areas, compiled from old reports, gazetteers and newspaper articles.

The mining accident section covers fatal accidents for the whole of Scotland. Between 1852 and 1914, these are primarily sourced from the Annual Reports of the Inspector of Mines. For other years, lists of accidents have been compiled from newspaper articles, and other resources. The site currently contains more than 20,000 names of those involved in the mining industry in Scotland.

Other resources include information on miners housing, the 1842 Children's Employment Commission, lists of mines and collieries, a glossary of mining terms and a section on war memorials. "

[RDR]

My Uncle was a miner.
He lived in Viewpark.
I have never known what pit he worked in but I assume it would be nearby.
Both my mother amd her brothers are long dead, so I wish I had asked when they were alive.

[Josef]

My Uncle was a miner.
He lived in Viewpark.
I have never known what pit he worked in but I assume it would be nearby.
Both my mother amd her brothers are long dead, so I wish I had asked when they were alive.

I'd check out Cell's links, then. There weren't that many mines in Viewpark (or possibly Tannochside or Uddingston).

[moonbeam]

Lived in Uddingston in the late 1940s. Blantyreferme colliery (uddingston) hooter used to waken me at 6am. Coal pits I recall working. Blantyreferme, Hamilton Palace, Bothwell Castle, Tannochside, Bardykes all within travelling distance. The miners used to stop off at a wooden hut on the way to the pits. Anns pantry ? comes to mind down Sheepburn road way. I think the Priory pit had maybe closed by then.