Hello to all, I am researching James Burt, a coal miner from Fife. He was born in 1807 in Abbotshall, Fife, Scotland and was married to Agnes Paterson. Both immigrated to Pennsylvania around 1851. Would enjoy sharing info with anyone researching this family. Thanks, Peggy

I am looking for information on the Pryde family, lately (1940/50) of Clydebank/Dumbarton area. Prior to that the father of the family, William Darley (sp?) Pryde was a miner from Midlothian area, as I believe his father might have been also. Laura San Diego

Hi I am new to the group. I am researching John WEIR born 1788 in Carmichael, Lanarkshire. Also his son John WEIR born 1813 in Carmichael. Both were colliery workers. Anyone have any connection? Betty

Hi Listers, Most of my ancestors worked in the Bothwell and Blantyre and Hamilton mines. My Grandfather Robert SINCLAIR around 1920. My Great Grandfather David NEIL around the 1860s My G.G.Grandfather Henry DICK was a Engine Keeper at Coalport Bothwell from 1841. His son John Lived at Ferniegair and was a coal miner around the 1860s. I know my Grandmother Martha NEIL used to say no sooner did she get her curtains up and they were moving again. The family lived at Haughead Colliery Row in the Parish in Hamilton. Allison NZ.

My ancestry includes GRAY"s and FORSYTH's who were involved in coal mining in the 1800s at Bargeddie - Coatbridge- Bailieston - Cuilhill. Any connections???? Bob Gray

Hi I have a John Leitch 3xGgfather. born about 1785 poss. Edinburgh died Dalkieth 1837 bur. Tranent. His daughter and grandson were gave his occupation as "clerk at coal pit" and "pit bottomer" in various certificates. His widow and daughter were both in Tranent in the 1841 census. From this I assume that her worked in a pit around there. Can anyone give me references for mining activities in the Tranent area as I would like to build up a picture of what their lives were like in those days. I have already searched the usual records for BMDs without much success. Presumably they were too poor to be baptised or married in the Kirk. Any ideas for further searches would be welcomed. Best wishes to all Doug Leitch Solihull UK

John FAIRGRAVE4 baptized in Gladsmuir Aug 1844, came to USA in 1863 and is my great-grandfather. Seeking more information about his parents, grandparents, etc, and the Penston, Gladsmuir area. His parents were Ann SMITH and John FEARGRIEVE3. This John is listed as a collier on their marriage record 12 Mar 1840 by Rev. John Ramsey. I believe John and Ann had eight children. I believe Janet JOHNSTON and John FEARGRIEVE2 were married 25 Nov 1816 in the same area, number of children unknown to me. I believe Margaret RANKIN married John FEARGRIEVE1 (born ca. 1770) in same area, number of children unknown to me. I am meeting a third cousin from the John FAIRGRAVE4 line the end of September for the first time and would like to connect with any other of the FAIRGRAVE/FEARGRIEVE family worldwide. Judy at <[email protected]>

Hullo Walter, Hamilton Home Farm Rows was not a village, Hamilton being one of the bigger towns in Lanarkshire. The population in 1856 was 9,620 but by 1891 this had rapidly increased to 24,863. Rows were just that, a long building usually built in parallel rows broken up into single or at most, two room units. Miners' Rows were almost always owned by the colliery & as such were tied housing, miners often moved from pit to pit & this would necessitate "flitting" (packing up their scanty belongings in handcarts & moving). One miner's wife when asked about the spartan look of her hoose & it's meagre contents, remarked "Och but it's easier tae flit when ye dinnae hae mony things!" I'm not sure of the exact location of Home Farm Rows, but there were substantial numbers of miners' rows spread across the whole area, the principle pits there being the Udston Colliery & the Bent Colliery. Other pits in the Hamilton area were, Allanshaw Colliery, Allanton Colliery, Eddlewood Colliery, Auchinraith Colliery, Barncluith Colliery, Clyde Colliery, Earnock Colliery, Ferniegair Colliery, Fairhill Colliery, Greenfield Colliery, Cadzow Colliery, Quarter Colliery, Ross Colliery, and a wee bit further afield the collieries of Blantyre, Bothwell & Motherwell, so as you can see, Hamilton probably wasn't quite a quaint wee mining community. I'm unaware of any records surviving from the mines in this area, but I'm aware of extensive company records belonging to William Baird & Company (Coalmaster) being held at the Glasgow City Archives. Perhaps any listmembers belonging to the Hamilton & District Family History Society might be better informed about surviving records. Cheers Jim Rouse Tasmania <>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<> Och, whit a fankled web we weave, when furst we practice tae conceive! <>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<> [email protected] my genealogy hamepage: http://homepages.go.com/~seimi/genes.html <>============================================================<>

John KING bap about 1768 Gladsmuir, parents probably John KING & Janet DUNCAN. John junior was a collier in Pencaitalnd after his children were Bap in Gladsmuir Children Margaret marr Robert Strathearn Marion marr 1 George Davidson 2 William Simpson Ann marr probably James Smith John marr Margaret Petticrue Janet did not marry, but had son George Pryde. Any info please connect with me Mary [email protected]

George DAVIDSON Collier, died age 38 in 1832 Pencaitland. He was probably the son of William DAVIDSON & Euphemia BLAKIE. George had a illeg. dau. with Isabella Strathearn, before his marr. to Marion KING. Do any of these names mean anyting to anyone else. My line is from Janet Davidson the eldest dau. of George & Marion. Janet born about 1823, Pencaitland

My G/Grandfather named and ran The Last Shift pub in Braehead (Carnwath)from 1900-1937 would anyone know what the nearest pit would have been as I know the miners all went in after there shift?Would it have been Forth? regards merrylee

Try this mining site http://www.tidza.demon.co.uk/page26.html

My GG Grandfather, Walter Kirkwood, was a coal miner in Hamilton. He died in 1889. His residence at the time of death was listed as Hamilton Home Farm Rows. I assume that this is a coal mining village. Many of the coal miner's housing projects were owned by the mines that they worked in. Does anyone know if there are records of these coal mining villages and the associated mines? Do any of them still exist? Walter Kirkwood in Alabama [email protected]

A couple of my ancestors lived at Reids Row, Baillieston during the 1880's through to 1905. Could anyone tell me which were the most likely mines that they would have been employed at? Would there be any employer records available to search at local records offices or similar? Many thanks in advance. Tracy Dunne researching: ADAMSON,FINLAY,GORDON,MCKAY,SMITH AND THOMSON.

Hi Fellow Listers I have a twig in my family tree which shows that the above family were coal miners. Known details are: Francis NOWERY/NOWRIE born abt 1845 in Ireland was shown in the 1881 census at 89 Commercial Road, Govan as being a Coal Miner. By the 1891 Census he was a widow living in Springbank Row, Shotts and again was shown as a coal miner. Francis died on 26 March 1904 in Salsburgh, Shotts, occupation coal miner. Francis had 2 known sons - Francis born abt 1878 and Robert born abt 1882 both births in Govanhill. Francis NOWRIE at age 14 was shown as a coal miner in the 1891 census in Shotts. He married an Elgin POODLE in 1902, Middle District, Shotts and was again shown as a Coal Miner. On Robert's marriage in 1905 he is shown as a coal miner living at 121 Common Dyke, Lugar and at the births of 3 of his children (I have not found the other 4 yet) in the period 1906 - 1913 he is living in Springfield, Shotts and is a coal miner. Of these 3 found children I have the following "mining connections" with 2 of them: Thomas Kennedy NOWRIE is shown on his marriage to Isabella Gilles TAYLOR in 1938 as a Colliery Fireman again in Salsburgh, Shotts. Isabella's father William is shown as a Colliery Surface Worker. The TAYLOR family also seem connected with the mining industry with William TAYLOR's father being a Pitheadman. Further back I also have a connection with the STANNERS family who also seem to have been coal miners. Janet Paterson NOWRIE married a Daniel WILSON in 1938, Shotts. Daniel was a coal miner whose father George was also a coal miner. Based on the above, where do I look for further information on where they may have worked etc ? Hoping someone can point me in the right direction. Marion Ellis Caboolture, Queensland, Australia

Hello mining list, I have Scottish miners in my line re the subject line. SNEDDAN/SNEDDON/SNEDDEN Thank you Annie Stuart [email protected]

Jim, Thanks for taking on the task of looking after all of us with SCOTTISH mining roots. I have to agree that the Coalminers-l list is a bit too vague for anyone searching outwith the USA. I would like to start by listing some of my coalming names and see if anyone has a connection. CURRIE - Inveresk, Midlothian SWAN - Tranent, East Lothian / Inveresk, Midlothian COULTER - Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire / Liberton, Midlothian LOWE - Inveresk, Midlothian / Tranent, East Lothian JAMIESON - Inveresk, Midlothian BELL - Newbattle, Midlothian ARCHIBALD - Fife PRYDE - Inveresk, Midlothian / Prestonpans, East Lothian These are just some of the miners/colliers found in my family tree so far. I also have a book which may be of interest to anyone searching for miners in the Lothian area of Scotland. It is called SCOTTISH COAL MINING ANCESTORS, by Lindsay S. Reeks. It contains research done by the author on his ancestry, and covers mainly Newton Parish & Inveresk Parish in Midlothian. If anyone has any names they would like looked up, please contact me off list. Regards Tom Currie Aberdeen Scotland <<For those members researching ancestors who mined in Scotland. I'd like to notify them of a new list I've started: I did this even though I'm subscribed to the COALMINERS-L list. That list seemed to have increasingly more & more that wasn't of much interest to me & others researching Scottish mining ancestors This list is very new & since I was astounded at how quickly it took to set up, it caught me unawares in that I've been unable to promote it as yet. To subscribe to the list simply email [email protected] with the word subscribe in the message body. I'd like to put together an online database of list members' interest areas & names, even pits worked in etc, so if you could post these to the list I'll start setting it up. Please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions for getting our information together. Regards Jim Rouse TASMANIA -- www.tasmail.com>> ______________________________

Hello List members I have a William Donald who was a furnaceman and two of his sons were miners. William Donald (his son) was 17, John Donald 15 yrs address 21 Dairy Row Calderbank/OldMonkland Info from the 1861 Census. Was this a coal mine and where. Thanks Agnes NZ.

Hello list members: My great-grandfather, John SIMPSON, was a coalminer and his father James SIMPSON was a colliery fireman. John SIMPSON worked in the Clyde mine and possibly others I am not sure.He was from Hamilton, Lanarkshire. Sincerely, Mike Higney

More of my mining ancestors. My g-gf Peter CAIRNS b 31.3.1865 in OAKLEY,FIFE a coal miner. My gg g-f DAVID CAIRNS b 12.6.1836 in ANSTRUTHER,FIFE My ggg g-f DAVID CAIRNS b 15.7.1804 in WEMYSS,FIFE My g-gf THOMAS BEVERIDGE b.5.5.1860 in BEATH, FIFE a coal miner My gg g-f THOMAS BEVERIDGE b 1817 in DUNFERMLINE, FIFE I'm not sure if the older generations were miners but I know the more recent ones worked in and around OAKLEY, SALINE, DUNFERMLINE regards, Tom