Thanks, all, for the posts regarding the miners. The information that you all have provided has been very illuminating. I had no idea of the Acts in place and the idea of miner serfs/slaves. It's hard enough to imagine the work they did day to day; but to add a forced, bound nature to their lives. Ugh. So many of the men in my family are listed as Shale Miner or Coal Miner....so many. I am noticing they all have the same address Russels Row, Bathgate, part of the mine provided housing. I think I now appreciate a bit more about why folks left; although my family left much later than the worst of this era. Best wishes, Allison