My grandfather GAVIN MCLELLAND b.11.6.1892 @ Burnbank, LAN was a miner and fireman in the EARNOCH COLLIERY, Hamilton and probably other pits in the area. He moved to the FIFE coalfields in the 1930's and worked on the opening of COMRIE COLLIERY, OAKLEY, Fife. In 1938 he was given a letter/certificate of recommendation for his work as a fireman and "preparing explosive charges" from May 1937 until - Feb 1938. He later moved to the STIRLINGSHIRE coalfield and worked in PLEAN and other collieries. My father Gavin and me and my two brothers also worked in the Stirlingshire coal mines until they closed in the 1960's. Tom ( now in sunny Liverpool)

To all 4 of you new subscribers, just a word of welcome. My name is Jim Rouse & I'm the list administrator & responsible for setting it up. 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. I'd like to put together an online database of list members' interest areas & names, 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

Russ, I am interested if you have any information on the mines in Old Monkland area, around 1854, for James Galloway. Also for Charles and John Galloway, around 1870's. James and his son's were all 'colliers'. kathy

I have a friend who now resides in USA whose father fled Poland 1939 at start of WW2 and made his way via Spain to UK. He was engaged during the war by UK as a radar operator along the North Sea coast of Scotland. He married a Scots lass and remained in Scotland after the war as he did not wish to come under Russian rule. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Robert Davidson 3049 Preddy Creek Road Charlottesville, VA 22911, USA 804-975-1608 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MacDaid Bodhran http://www.bodhrandrums.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi, Looking to learn more about the Falkirk, Stirling, Scotland area. My great-grandfather (Robert Russell b 17 April 1879, m Elizabeth Aitken Gray/Hay 27 Dec 1901) was a miner and had a family there. Family stories say he saw advertisements for miners needed in the USA. Moved in Arizona, USA in 1903/1904. Hoping to finds others researching same families. Robert's parents were John Russell b 15 Jan 1841 in Falkirk, m 27 Dec 1862 in Falkirk to Isabella Evans b 1846 in Camelon, Falkirk. John's parents were James Russell b 1815 in Falkirk and Elizabeth Forsyth b abt 1819 in Falkirk. James Russell was born to Robert Russell and Agnes McGregor b 1795 in Scotland. Parents of Agnes are listed as John McGregor and Sarah Cameron. My great-grandmother, Elizabeth Aitken Gray/Hay (listed in 1at paragraph above) was born 06 Dec 1881 in Polmontside Square, Stirling, Scotland. Her parents seem to be an Alexander Gray and Marion Hay b 1841 in Polmont, Stirling, Scotland. Alexander Gray's parents maybe Alexander Gray b 1805 in Falkirk and Elizabeth McLean b 1809 in Falkirk. Family stories also say about the time my great-grandparents (Robert and Elizabeth - 1st paragraph above) went to the USA Robert had a brother that moved to theWestern end of Canada (have some info on them, meet a cousin and his wife in 1980/1981 when they were on vacation in Arizona, USA. They have a Canadian logging business.) Another of Robert's brother's went to Australia. Know nothing of them. Would love to know names of mines in and around Falkirk, Scotland. Are there company records that would tell more about these families? Are there still relatives there now? Thanks for any possible help. Redonna (Russell) Guthrie