Hi Shale mining (as well as other types of mining) was a big industry in the area. If you do a Google search on John Young aka Paraffin Young you should find quite a lot about it. He was the first to discover how to extract oil from coal and, slightly later, shale. He built the country's earliest oil refinery in nearby Bathgate. Probably the most prominent evidence of the slag heaps or shale bings is the 5 sisters just outside West Calder. If this link works you should be able to see some pictures. http://www.henniker.org.uk/html/w_lothian.htm Janice Aitkens <aitkens64@msn.com> wrote: Many Thanks Regards Janice >From: "jmercer" >Reply-To: MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com >To: MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: Re: [MLN] What is a Shale Miner >Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2005 17:25:56 -0500 > >Hi Janice, >Shale contains oil and was dug from the ground and used to make oil >products. There were mines in the area and even today the huge red slag >heaps are still to be seen. >Cheers, >Jim Mercer. >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Janice Aitkens" >To: >Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2005 4:30 PM >Subject: [MLN] What is a Shale Miner > > > > Hello Everyone > > Could someone tell me what a Shale Miner is as i have a Alexander Aitken >in > > Wallace Row West Calder on the 1881 census giving this as his occupation >so > > what is it & where would he do this was there mines in this area i don't > > know the area just know a little of Edinburgh from when i had visited >the > > wonderful city on a few occasions > > Regards Janice > > > > > > Researching in & Around Kettle Fife & West Calder Edingburgh Scotland: > > Aiken/Aitken > > Forrester > > Geddie > > Haxton > > Hugh > > > > > > Researching in & Around Kettle Fife & West Calder Edingburgh Scotland: Aiken/Aitken Forrester Geddie Haxton Hugh --------------------------------- ALL-NEW Yahoo! Messenger - all new features - even more fun!

and let's not forget the detrimental effect on the environment and the health dangers to the miners and families living in the area. I attended West Calder High School when they were stil mining and I suffered tremendously from headaches associated with sinusitis which I attribute to the air pollution. I was lucky as I lived in Currie (which at that time was not part of Edinburgh and did not have a High School) so I was only affected during my time at West Calder. We should not forget the abominable working conditions of the miners, - moira in sunny Florida > >

Many Thanks for this Regards Janice >From: jeanette <jeahof01@yahoo.co.uk> >Reply-To: MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com >To: MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: Re: [MLN] What is a Shale Miner >Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2005 10:52:40 +0000 (GMT) > >Hi > >Shale mining (as well as other types of mining) was a big industry in the >area. If you do a Google search on John Young aka Paraffin Young you should >find quite a lot about it. He was the first to discover how to extract oil >from coal and, slightly later, shale. He built the country's earliest oil >refinery in nearby Bathgate. > >Probably the most prominent evidence of the slag heaps or shale bings is >the 5 sisters just outside West Calder. > >If this link works you should be able to see some pictures. > >http://www.henniker.org.uk/html/w_lothian.htm > > >Janice Aitkens <aitkens64@msn.com> wrote: >Many Thanks >Regards Janice > > >From: "jmercer" > >Reply-To: MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com > >To: MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com > >Subject: Re: [MLN] What is a Shale Miner > >Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2005 17:25:56 -0500 > > > >Hi Janice, > >Shale contains oil and was dug from the ground and used to make oil > >products. There were mines in the area and even today the huge red slag > >heaps are still to be seen. > >Cheers, > >Jim Mercer. > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: "Janice Aitkens" > >To: > >Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2005 4:30 PM > >Subject: [MLN] What is a Shale Miner > > > > > > > Hello Everyone > > > Could someone tell me what a Shale Miner is as i have a Alexander >Aitken > >in > > > Wallace Row West Calder on the 1881 census giving this as his >occupation > >so > > > what is it & where would he do this was there mines in this area i >don't > > > know the area just know a little of Edinburgh from when i had visited > >the > > > wonderful city on a few occasions > > > Regards Janice > > > > > > > > > Researching in & Around Kettle Fife & West Calder Edingburgh Scotland: > > > Aiken/Aitken > > > Forrester > > > Geddie > > > Haxton > > > Hugh > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Researching in & Around Kettle Fife & West Calder Edingburgh Scotland: >Aiken/Aitken >Forrester >Geddie >Haxton >Hugh > > > > > >--------------------------------- > ALL-NEW Yahoo! Messenger - all new features - even more fun! > Researching in & Around Kettle Fife & West Calder Edingburgh Scotland: Aiken/Aitken Forrester Geddie Haxton Hugh

You're very welcome but there is one correction - its James Young not John Young - sorry, my mistake!! Janice Aitkens <aitkens64@msn.com> wrote:Many Thanks for this Regards Janice >From: jeanette >Reply-To: MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com >To: MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: Re: [MLN] What is a Shale Miner >Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2005 10:52:40 +0000 (GMT) > >Hi > >Shale mining (as well as other types of mining) was a big industry in the >area. If you do a Google search on John Young aka Paraffin Young you should >find quite a lot about it. He was the first to discover how to extract oil >from coal and, slightly later, shale. He built the country's earliest oil >refinery in nearby Bathgate. > >Probably the most prominent evidence of the slag heaps or shale bings is >the 5 sisters just outside West Calder. > >If this link works you should be able to see some pictures. > >http://www.henniker.org.uk/html/w_lothian.htm > > >Janice Aitkens wrote: >Many Thanks >Regards Janice > > >From: "jmercer" > >Reply-To: MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com > >To: MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com > >Subject: Re: [MLN] What is a Shale Miner > >Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2005 17:25:56 -0500 > > > >Hi Janice, > >Shale contains oil and was dug from the ground and used to make oil > >products. There were mines in the area and even today the huge red slag > >heaps are still to be seen. > >Cheers, > >Jim Mercer. > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: "Janice Aitkens" > >To: > >Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2005 4:30 PM > >Subject: [MLN] What is a Shale Miner > > > > > > > Hello Everyone > > > Could someone tell me what a Shale Miner is as i have a Alexander >Aitken > >in > > > Wallace Row West Calder on the 1881 census giving this as his >occupation > >so > > > what is it & where would he do this was there mines in this area i >don't > > > know the area just know a little of Edinburgh from when i had visited > >the > > > wonderful city on a few occasions > > > Regards Janice > > > > > > > > > Researching in & Around Kettle Fife & West Calder Edingburgh Scotland: > > > Aiken/Aitken > > > Forrester > > > Geddie > > > Haxton > > > Hugh > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Researching in & Around Kettle Fife & West Calder Edingburgh Scotland: >Aiken/Aitken >Forrester >Geddie >Haxton >Hugh > > > > > >--------------------------------- > ALL-NEW Yahoo! Messenger - all new features - even more fun! > Researching in & Around Kettle Fife & West Calder Edingburgh Scotland: Aiken/Aitken Forrester Geddie Haxton Hugh --------------------------------- ALL-NEW Yahoo! Messenger - all new features - even more fun!