Hi I am a new subscriber, I am researching the Lillie/Lilly line in Shotts, Bothwell & Holytown. Adam Lilly born 1840 bothwell was a coalminer he & his sons worked in Holytown, does anyone know what mines were in the area of Holytown? Adam according to family lore was a CONTRACTOR in the mine, does anyone know what this means? Also according to family lore the mine he & his sons worked in was subject to some kind of accident or disaster between 1877 & 1880 something to do with a flood? The story goes that Adam was a very strong swimmer & managed to rescue his sons. Adam & sons left the pits after the accident & Adam became a spirit merchant in Bellshill the sons all found work in other occupations, as Adam had vowed no one of his would ever go down the pit again. I have proof that up to 1877 Adam was coalminer & lived in Holytown[birth certificates of his children] & that in 1880 he was listed as Spirit merchant living in Bellshill. I find this strange as a coalminer in this time would not I would have thought amassed sufficient money to purchase a spirit merchants especially as at this point Adam had 9 children. His father before him was also a coalminer who had 14 children. Anyone got any thoughts on this? Betty Cairns