Hi Tom, In the 1861 census, John BROWN and his family, including my great grandfather Alexander BROWN lived in district 1 house 70 Draffan Cottage, Lesmahagow parish. In 1865 John died in Southfield, Lesmahagow,where he was still mining. For all I know, Southfield and Draffan may be the same place. In 1854, John and his wife's (Frances JOHNSTON) sixth child, Frances was born in Lesmahagow parish and in 1856 their seventh and presumably last child, Alexander was born in Kirkmuirhill, Lesmahagow parish. Their older children were born in New and Old Monklands. John's widow, Frances died in Southfield, Lesmahagow in 1881. John's father, Hugh BROWN, was also a miner at Faskine (?) mine, probably in Old Monkland. More probably about my family than you wanted to know, but that's all I have on Draffan. I wonder if Southfield is a house or farm? Russ in Vermont ----- Original Message ----- From: "Thomas W. Brown" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2001 9:03 AM Subject: Re: [McPitz] Re: Draffan Gas Coal Pit > Russell Brown wrote, on 17 March 2001: > > Subject: [McPitz] Re: Draffan Gas Coal Pit > > > > Does anyone know of information on the Draffan (?) gas coal pit? My > > GGGrandfather, John Brown, was "oversman" at that mine in 1861. My best > > guess is that it was in the Lesmahagow area. Only four years later he > died > > from complications due to a mining accident. Thanks > > Russell Brown > > Russell, my GF, Thomas WILLIAMSON, was born at Draffan in Lanarkshire in > 1878, he migrated with his family to the USA in 1880 or 1881, and he died in > Alabama in 1929 as a result of a mine accident. My wife and I visited > Scotland in 1995 and went to both Lesmahagow and Draffan. Draffan is shown > on our Granada AA road atlas of Britain: it is about four miles N-NW of the > village of Lesmahagow and about one mile east of the M74 highway. It is not > really even a community now, being only about four buildings, two of which > are on one farm. We also visited the Craignethan Castle about 1-1/2 miles > east of Draffan: a very interesting castle. The attendant fellow at the > castle shop told us that he had heard of two mines in the area, the Draffan > and the Fense, but he did not know the exact locations. We did do some > research at the local library in Lesmahagow, but did not succeed in finding > out anything about mines in the area. The library at the town of Lanark is > well equipped with a history and genealogy section, but on two visits there > so far we have not found out much about the mines in the area, which however > may be more our own failing than the librarians'. > > I would appreciate learning anything you may find out about the Draffan > mine/mines, as I am sure that my GGF (Robert, father of Thomas) worked > there: he was of a long line of miners in Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. I have > considerable information on this line, and want to post some queries about > them on the appropriate lists, but just have had insufficient time to > compose proper queries. Please share with me and/or the list what you learn > about the Draffan mine. I will try to share anything more I may learn, as > well. > > Tom Brown in Virginia, USA > > > ==== SCOTTISH-MINING Mailing List ==== > Visit the Scottish Mining Museum > http://www.scottishminingmuseum.com/ > <================================================> > > ============================== > Search over 900 million names at Ancestry.com! > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist1.asp > >

Russ, glad to read about your Draffan connections. I have checked with the best printed source I have, "The Gazeteer of Scotland", by Rev. John Wilson, reprint 1996, originally publ'd in 1882. There are two Draffans listed, one in Fife, the other one described as "place in Lesmahagow parish, Lanarkshire. It has a public school with about 112 scholars." I can tell you that the "place" sure has dwindled in 119 years! The gazeteer lists several "Southfields", but the one apparently of interest to you is described as "village in Lesmahagow parish, Lanarkshire. Pop. 467." I checked with my AA road atlas of GB, and could not find any "Southfield" in the vacinity of Lesmahagow, though as I said in my earlier message, Draffan *is* shown on the map, despite the fact to which I can testify, that it consists of four buildings total. Amazingly, there *is* a small road sign directing one to Draffan, which suggests to me that the village may have had a few more structures not too long ago. As for Southfield, I believe there are more gazeteers and/or maps available that could help pinpoint it. I will do a little checking next time I am at our local LDS Family History Center, which I expect will be on 5 April. If you haven't heard from me by about 8 April, email me about it. I sometimes get distracted with other matters. Cheers, Tom Brown ----- Original Message ----- From: THEDALE-BROWNS To: Thomas W. Brown <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2001 12:52 AM Subject: Re: [McPitz] Re: Draffan Gas Coal Pit > Hi Tom, > In the 1861 census, John BROWN and his family, including my great > grandfather Alexander BROWN lived in district 1 house 70 Draffan Cottage, > Lesmahagow parish. In 1865 John died in Southfield, Lesmahagow,where he was > still mining. For all I know, Southfield and Draffan may be the same place. > In 1854, John and his wife's (Frances JOHNSTON) sixth child, Frances was > born in Lesmahagow parish and in 1856 their seventh and presumably last > child, Alexander was born in Kirkmuirhill, Lesmahagow parish. Their older > children were born in New and Old Monklands. John's widow, Frances died in > Southfield, Lesmahagow in 1881. John's father, Hugh BROWN, was also a miner > at Faskine (?) mine, probably in Old Monkland. More probably about my > family than you wanted to know, but that's all I have on Draffan. I wonder > if Southfield is a house or farm? > Russ in Vermont >

Southfield is the name of a farm just outside Lesmahagow (Lessmagou) I worked there about 30 years ago and lived in Southfield Cottages, a row of about 4 cottages (Might have originally been miner's rows) 3 of which had been converted to cattle shelters. Draffan Farm was about a mile away. Cheers Davy "Thomas W. Brown" wrote: > Russ, glad to read about your Draffan connections. I have checked with the > best printed source I have, "The Gazeteer of Scotland", by Rev. John Wilson, > reprint 1996, originally publ'd in 1882. There are two Draffans listed, one > in Fife, the other one described as "place in Lesmahagow parish, > Lanarkshire. It has a public school with about 112 scholars." I can tell > you that the "place" sure has dwindled in 119 years! The gazeteer lists > several "Southfields", but the one apparently of interest to you is > described as "village in Lesmahagow parish, Lanarkshire. Pop. 467." I > checked with my AA road atlas of GB, and could not find any "Southfield" in > the vacinity of Lesmahagow, though as I said in my earlier message, Draffan > *is* shown on the map, despite the fact to which I can testify, that it > consists of four buildings total. Amazingly, there *is* a small road sign > directing one to Draffan, which suggests to me that the village may have had > a few more structures not too long ago. As for Southfield, I believe there > are more gazeteers and/or maps available that could help pinpoint it. I > will do a little checking next time I am at our local LDS Family History > Center, which I expect will be on 5 April. If you haven't heard from me by > about 8 April, email me about it. I sometimes get distracted with other > matters. > Cheers, Tom Brown > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: THEDALE-BROWNS > To: Thomas W. Brown <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2001 12:52 AM > Subject: Re: [McPitz] Re: Draffan Gas Coal Pit > > > Hi Tom, > > In the 1861 census, John BROWN and his family, including my great > > grandfather Alexander BROWN lived in district 1 house 70 Draffan Cottage, > > Lesmahagow parish. In 1865 John died in Southfield, Lesmahagow,where he > was > > still mining. For all I know, Southfield and Draffan may be the same > place. > > In 1854, John and his wife's (Frances JOHNSTON) sixth child, Frances was > > born in Lesmahagow parish and in 1856 their seventh and presumably last > > child, Alexander was born in Kirkmuirhill, Lesmahagow parish. Their older > > children were born in New and Old Monklands. John's widow, Frances died > in > > Southfield, Lesmahagow in 1881. John's father, Hugh BROWN, was also a > miner > > at Faskine (?) mine, probably in Old Monkland. More probably about my > > family than you wanted to know, but that's all I have on Draffan. I > wonder > > if Southfield is a house or farm? > > Russ in Vermont > > > > ==== SCOTTISH-MINING Mailing List ==== > Visit the GENUKI Lanarkshire website > http://www.btinternet.com/~outreach/genuki/LKS/ > <================================================> > > ============================== > 9 Health Tips for Computer Genealogists > http://www.thirdage.com/features/tech/ouch/

I recieved such a good response from my Draffan query (thanks to all who contributed) that I thought I'd take a flyer on another alleged mine, namely FASKINE. In Jan. 1815, John BROWN was born in Old Monkland Parish to parents Hugh BROWN and Margaret MUNGLE. Hugh's occupation was entered as "coalier, Faskine mines" I had difficulty reading the Faskine and mines, though John's brother, James was listed as being born at Faskine, Old Monkland. Any information on Faskine or Faskine mine or any of the above people would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Russell Brown ----- Original Message ----- From: "Thomas W. Brown" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2001 5:49 PM Subject: Re: [McPitz] Re: Draffan Gas Coal Pit > Russ, glad to read about your Draffan connections. I have checked with the > best printed source I have, "The Gazeteer of Scotland", by Rev. John Wilson, > reprint 1996, originally publ'd in 1882. There are two Draffans listed, one > in Fife, the other one described as "place in Lesmahagow parish, > Lanarkshire. It has a public school with about 112 scholars." I can tell > you that the "place" sure has dwindled in 119 years! The gazeteer lists > several "Southfields", but the one apparently of interest to you is > described as "village in Lesmahagow parish, Lanarkshire. Pop. 467." I > checked with my AA road atlas of GB, and could not find any "Southfield" in > the vacinity of Lesmahagow, though as I said in my earlier message, Draffan > *is* shown on the map, despite the fact to which I can testify, that it > consists of four buildings total. Amazingly, there *is* a small road sign > directing one to Draffan, which suggests to me that the village may have had > a few more structures not too long ago. As for Southfield, I believe there > are more gazeteers and/or maps available that could help pinpoint it. I > will do a little checking next time I am at our local LDS Family History > Center, which I expect will be on 5 April. If you haven't heard from me by > about 8 April, email me about it. I sometimes get distracted with other > matters. > Cheers, Tom Brown > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: THEDALE-BROWNS > To: Thomas W. Brown <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2001 12:52 AM > Subject: Re: [McPitz] Re: Draffan Gas Coal Pit > > > > Hi Tom, > > In the 1861 census, John BROWN and his family, including my great > > grandfather Alexander BROWN lived in district 1 house 70 Draffan Cottage, > > Lesmahagow parish. In 1865 John died in Southfield, Lesmahagow,where he > was > > still mining. For all I know, Southfield and Draffan may be the same > place. > > In 1854, John and his wife's (Frances JOHNSTON) sixth child, Frances was > > born in Lesmahagow parish and in 1856 their seventh and presumably last > > child, Alexander was born in Kirkmuirhill, Lesmahagow parish. Their older > > children were born in New and Old Monklands. John's widow, Frances died > in > > Southfield, Lesmahagow in 1881. John's father, Hugh BROWN, was also a > miner > > at Faskine (?) mine, probably in Old Monkland. More probably about my > > family than you wanted to know, but that's all I have on Draffan. I > wonder > > if Southfield is a house or farm? > > Russ in Vermont > > > > > ==== SCOTTISH-MINING Mailing List ==== > Visit the GENUKI Lanarkshire website > http://www.btinternet.com/~outreach/genuki/LKS/ > <================================================> > > ============================== > 9 Health Tips for Computer Genealogists > http://www.thirdage.com/features/tech/ouch/ > >