Hello All, Does anyone know of databases, archives, or organizations specific to mining that might have records of mine workers in the 1840s through 1860s for the West Lothian region? I have looked at the Scottish Mining Museum website, but have not seen any collections mentioned. My g-grandfather was a Shale Miner and my gg-grandfather a Coal Miner. I am trying to find work records, particularly for my gg-grandfather James Ross born c. 1825 whose early whereabouts are not clearly known. Thanks very much, Allison Tampa, FL

Hi Alison, Try an email to the museum. They could tell you who owned the mines in your ancestor's area in those days and perhaps where their records are held. A quick look on the National Archives Scotland catalogue http://www.dswebhosting.info/NAS/ and I found 64 references to: shale west lothian (my key words) though admittedly not lists of the miners - and many more when I wrote 'coal' Do you know where he was living? Miners lived near the pit heads. There are mineworker union records from about 1890 at The National Library in Scottish Labour History Collections. You can search this site for specific places. http://www.nls.uk/collections/index.html Books about the miners and mining, -presumably with bibliographies. http://www.scottishbooksellers.com/index.html http://www.stenlake.co.uk/books/56.htm Mining The Lothians Author: Guthrie Hutton Price: £15.00 Published in association with the Scottish Mining Museum, Mining the Lothians features many photographs drawn from the museum's excellent collection. Like our other mining books, this one runs the gamut of mining life, featuring everything from colliery construction shots to the demolition by explosion of Monktonhall colliery's winding towers. Elsewhere there are mines rescue teams, colliery bands, miners' rows, aerial ropeways, football and cricket teams, pug locomotives, coal cutters and female coal pickers. Several pages are devoted to the West Lothian shale mining industry. Some of the sites featured are: Carriden, Kinneil colliery, Westrigg, Woodend pit, Easton pit, Riddochhill, Whitrigg pit, Polkemmet, Greenrigg colliery, East Benhar, Woodmuir, Longlea, Cuthill mine, Addiewell, Burngrange, Westwood, Seafield village, Roman Camp oilworks, Niddry Castle oilworks, Pumpherston, the Ramsay pit, Bilston Glen, Roslin, Rosewell, Lady Victoria colliery, Easthouses, Emily pit, Gore pit, Vogrie, Elphinstone, Macmerry, Prestonlinks, Prestongrange, Wallyford, Carberry, Smeaton, Gilmerton, Newcraighall, Woolmet and Monktonhall. I hope this helps a bit, Jane in Midlothian ----- Original Message ----- From: "Allison Vidal" <allswell58@hotmail.com> To: <MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2005 2:35 PM Subject: [MLN] Mine Worker Records > Hello All, > Does anyone know of databases, archives, or organizations specific to > mining that might have records of mine workers in the 1840s through 1860s > for the West Lothian region? I have looked at the Scottish Mining Museum > website, but have not seen any collections mentioned. > > My g-grandfather was a Shale Miner and my gg-grandfather a Coal Miner. I > am trying to find work records, particularly for my gg-grandfather James > Ross born c. 1825 whose early whereabouts are not clearly known. > > Thanks very much, > Allison > Tampa, FL > > >