Update History

18 Aug 15 - General updates
28 Feb 15 - General updates
2 Jan 15 - General updates
24 Dec 14 - General updates
10 Aug 14 - General updates
15 Jun 14 - General updates
7 Jun 14 - General updates
31 May 14 - General updates
12 Mar 14 - General updates
1 Jan 14 - General updates.

16 Dec 13 - General updates.  Scottish Mining Website would like to recommend the film The Happy Lands, by Theatre Workshop Scotland, directed by Robert Rae.

The film tells the story of the 1926 strike in a Fife mining community. Although fiction, it is inspired by true stories from local families in Fife and should be of interest to anyone who wants to learn more about Scottish mining and social history. The film is currently available on BBC iplayer (until 22 Dec) and also via the website link above.

15 Dec 13 - General updates. Information on accident at Kennox Colliery, Douglas, 30 May 1943

25 Nov 13 - General updates.

7 Nov 13 - General updates.

2 Nov 13 - General updates.

7 Apr 13 - 1922-1924 request link restored after report it was non-functional.  1910 Housing update: Plans and/or photos of areas including Tarbrax; Douglas Water; Bardykes; MacNeill St. Cherryhill View, Woodside Place, Hareleeshill, Larkhall; Overtown Old Rows

24 Mar 13 - General updates.

9 Mar 13 - General updates.

5 Feb 13 - General updates. New design template implemented

3 Jan 13 - General updates.

1 Jan 13 - General updates.

5 Dec 12 - General updates.

23 Nov 12 - Contact form added to request transcriptions from 1922-1924  Inspector of Mines reports.  1922-1924 pages have been updated to include all names listed in the  Inspector of Mines reports

20 Nov 12 - General updates.

18 Nov 12 - General updates.

17 Nov 12 - General updates.

15 Nov 12 - History of the Coalfields: Lanarkshire from Coal, November 1948

10 Nov 12 - General updates.

9 Nov 12 - General updates.  Reports on cholera in Tranent, Musselburgh and surrounding area, 1832. Report on the Tranent Massacre 1797.

21 Oct 12 - General updates.  Interesting article from "Coal" magazine on Andrew Houston, Knockshinnoch.  Portrait of Whitehill, 1953

13 Oct 12 - General updates. 1928 newspaper account of memories of William King, 77 year old Cowdenbeath/Fordell miner.  1928 newspaper account of John King, centenarian.

30 Sept 12 - General updates.

29 Sept 12 - General updates.

23 Sept 12 - The Mining Folk of Fife, David Rorie M.D., published 1914.  Transcription completed.  Chapters on Iron Industries & Mining, from “The History of Stirlingshire”, 1880. By William Nimmo

18 Sept 12 - The Mining Folk of Fife, David Rorie M.D., published 1914.  David Rorie was a doctor who lived in Fife for 12 years from 1894, including 10 years in Auchterderran Parish.  This account covers folklore and customs of the community including sections on marriage, birth & childhood and health, death and proverbs.  First part uploaded

8 Sept 12 - General updates.

9 Aug 12 - General updates.

20 Jul 12 - General updates.

14 Jul 12 - General updates.  Review of 1846 book on escape of entombed miners, Edmonstone 1839 - Light in Darkness; or, the Collier’s Tale. A true History. Edited by James Bridges, Esq. Edinburgh: John Johnstone. London: R. Groombridge and Sons. 1846.   Includes extract from book.   Note on extent of post 1914 accident coverage - Based on a sample of 16 years between 1915 and 1938 for which we know the total Scottish fatalities, the site contains approximately 74% of fatalities (1738 of 2342 fatalities).  Coverage varies between different years and work is ongoing to identify additional names.

8 Jul 12 - General updates.

23 Jun 12 - General updates.

17 Jun 12 - General updates. 

10 Jun 12 - General updates. 

9 Jun 12 - General updates.  Accounts of cases in the Court of Session related to bound coaliers, including some names of coaliers

3 Jun 12 - General updates.

2 Jun 12 - General updates.  An Investigation into the Nature of Black Phthisis; or Ulceration Induced by Carbonaceous Accumulation in Lungs of Coal Miners and Other Operatives. By Archibald Makellar, 1846

19 May 12 - General updates.

18 May 12 - General updates.

17 May 2012 - A General View of the Coal Trade of Scotland Chiefly that of the River Forth and Midlothian. To which is added an inquiry into the condition of the women who carry coals underground in Scotland, known by the name of bearers. By Robert Bald, Alloa, 1812

12 May 2012 - Extracts on mining from "Romantic Culross, Torryburn, Carnock, Cairneyhill, Saline and Pitfirrane" By Andrew S. Cunningham 1902

28 April - Added number of pre1800 accidents, unfortunately most without names.  Articles include one on previously unreported disaster at Lightburn in 1760 when 5 men and two boys suffocated.  Also identified date for disaster at Lochlibo as 29 March 1792

21 Apr 12 - General updates.

9 Apr 12 - General updates.

6 Apr 12 - General updates.

1 Apr 12 - General updates.  Added page on Fife memorials

25 Mar 12 - General updates

18 March 2012 - We are currently experiencing some problems with our contact forms and e-mail.  If you do not receive the confirmation screen, please resubmit.  We apologise for any inconvenience.

11 Mar 12 - General updates.

4 Mar 12 - General updates.

3 Mar 12 - General updates.

26 Feb 12 - General updates.

19 Feb 12 - General updates. 1871 Newspaper articles - Lochgelly – Its Rise and Progress

18 Feb 12  - Coal Produced Before 1800 – From Coal Commission Report 1871

12 Feb 12  - Extracts from the Coal Industry Commission 1919

11 Feb 12 - General updates.  Replacement of old Rootsweb site links

5 Feb 12 - General updates

1 Feb 12 - General updates

30 Jan 12 - General updates.  Reports on Typhoid Outbreak in Lochore - May to July 1903 

28 Jan 12 - General updates including additions from user contributions

22 Jan 12 - General updates

21 Jan 12 - General updates

15 Jan 12 - Submission form added. General updates

8 Jan 12 - General updates.

7 Jan 12 - The Milroy Lectures on The Hygienic Aspects of the Coal-Mining Industry In The United Kingdom. Delivered before the Royal College of Physicians of London. By Frank Shufflebotham, M.A., M.D. Cantab., J.P. Medical referee under the Workmen’s Compensation Act for the North Staffordshire District.

1 Jan 12 - General updates.

30 Dec 11 - General updates.

29 Dec 11 - General updates.  Article describing Lassodie and other mining villages in 1880. Article on conditions in Calderbank Square in 1924.  Collections of signed petitions by colliers asking for repeal or amendment of the 1842 Act to prohibit the Employment of Women and Girls in Mines and Collieries, and to request that methods are implemented for the weighing of output.

18 Dec 11 - General updates.

17 Dec 11 - Memorial For The Colliers of Scotland, July 23, 1762

10 Dec 11 - General updates.  Transcripts of 1941 accidents added

4 Dec 11 - New section on Trades' Unions & Strikes including Address to the Colliers of Ayrshire, 1824

26 Nov 11 - General updates.

23 Nov 11 - update to contact page

19 Nov 11 - General updates.

13 Nov 11 - General updates.

6 Nov 11 - General updates.  Letter from British Medical Journal in 1921 on poor nutrition during strikes.  1928 article on The Founding of Carron Ironworks,  Chapter on Mining from Borrowstounness and District - Being Historical Sketches of Kinneil, Carriden, and Bo’ness c1550-1850 - By Thomas James Salmon, 1913

5 Nov 11 - General updates.  Transcripts of Westwoods directory 1862

31 Aug 11 - General updates.  Transcripts of Westwoods directory 1862

7 Aug 11 - Reports on cholera in Scotland 1848-49

6 Aug 11 - New section started to contain contemporary reports on immigrants.  These views may seem controversial to a modern reader, but highlight the hostility faced by these families.

1 Aug 11 - Various papers on Black lung including details of more than 30 miners with the disease between years 1826 and 1835.  Note these include post-mortem details.  Page with 1860 report on Trade Unions

26 Jun 11 - Falkirk added to 1843 districts

12 Jun 11 - added transcription of the 1904 book "Among the Fife Miners" by Kellogg Durland.  While we already had a transcription of two 1902 magazine articles detailing the authors experience in Kelty, this 200 page book contains greater detail of miners' life and working practices, from an outsiders viewpoint.

11 Jun 11 - Dalry and Stevenston added to 1843 districts

5 Jun 11 - added to 1843 districts

4 Jun 11 - new project to transcribe minutes of evidence from the 1843 Poor Law Commission.  The project will concentrate on those areas with a connection to mining, either in 1843 or later.

29 May 11 - New broken link form.  It has come to our attention that many of our links to newspaper reports in the Google archive are broken - please use the form provided to report any broken links

29 May 11 -  Official report into Lindsay Colliery disaster

29 May 11 - General updates.  The site now contains more than 19,000 names of those involved in the Scottish Mining industry

15 Apr 11 - Added links to newspaper reports on Knockshinnoch disaster. General updates

19 Mar 11 - General updates

8 Jan 11 - 1940 deaths transcribed

2 Dec 10 - General updates

2 Oct 10 - Transcription of report into Auchengeich disaster

12 Sept 10 - Added 2 contemporary newspaper accounts covering the first days after the Blantyre disaster

11 Sept 10 - General updates, update to Heroism Award pages. Transcription of Dalbeth cemetery burials after 1877 Blantyre disaster

14 Aug 10 - General updates

11 June 10 - Fascinating 1898 article giving names of 49 men with long service in pits.  These men were born in the 1820s-1840s.  On the Expectoration of Black matter from the Lungs By George Steele, Esq., Surgeon, Musselburgh, 1837

30 Mar 10 - Chapter on housing from Mining In Mid and East Lothian, by And. S. Cunningham, 1925 (includes photographs of housing)

12 Feb 10 - general updates

13 Jan 10 - Due to other commitments, we are currently unable to respond to queries.  Apologies to everyone who has sent a request for information over the last month - we will respond, or add details to the website as soon as possible

20 Dec 09 - Newspaper transcripts of 1939 deaths and update to Valleyfield 1939 page

7 Nov 09 - General updates. New illustrations on Blantyre disaster page.

1 Nov 09 - List of collieries 1944 with maps

24 Oct 09 - new contact form added.  This form will make it easier for us to research entries and to integrate information into our existing records

12 Oct 09 - General updates

21 Sept 09 - General updates.  Official report into Cadder disaster

20 Sept 09 - added transcription of report by Inspector of Mines into Donibristle Disaster

5 Sept 09 - General updates.  New articles on Nitshill Disaster. Articles on Sanitary Condition and General Economy of the Town of Tranent, and the Neighbouring District in Haddingtonshire 1840, Miners & Weavers in Airdrie 1850, Phthisis in Coal Miners 1892

23 Aug 09 - Article on the Health of Old Colliers, by J.S. Haldane and Mining Mortality by James Barrowman

22 Aug 09 - General updates. Two fascinating articles by James Barrowman on "Slavery in the Coal Mines of Scotland" and "The Health Conditions of Coal Mining"

15 Aug 09 - General updates. 1910 housing reports for Douglas and Lesmahagow parishes

20 Jun 09 - General updates

24 May 09 - Knockshinnoch 1950 Disaster - Official report added. Polmaise 1934 Disaster report added

17 May 09 - Transcribed list of plans of Abandoned Mines, 1889

4 May 09 - Burngrange 1947 - Inspector of Mines report added. Among Scottish Miners by Kellogg Durland and reports on action for slander against Durland, raised by Helen McKechie

19 Apr 09 - The Miners of Scotland by Robert Haddow.  An account from 1888 which reveals how miners, particularly the Irish, were viewed at that time, with accounts relating to work, homes, and pass-times.

18 Apr 09 - General updates.  List of prosecutions for 1890 & 1891

5 April 09 - For some years, the Inspector's reports published names of miners involved in non-fatal accident, or prosecutions.  These are gradually being transcribed and added to the Accidents page.  Please note the lists are transcribed in the original format used by the inspectors but will be added to the general alphabetical indexes to aid searching.  The first list in this new project is now available:  1889 Eastern District - Non-Fatal Accidents

4 Apr 09 - Chapters 19 to 24  of The Rise And Progress Of Coatbridge And Surrounding Neighbourhood. Andrew Miller, Dundyvan Iron Works, Glasgow 1864.

29 Mar 09 - General updates

23 Feb 09 - General updates

24 Jan 09 - General updates, mainly 1938 accidents

10 Jan 09 - More 1938 deaths added.  New articles on Dumbreck 1938 disaster added

3 Jan 09 - Transcriptions of newspaper reports from 1938 added

9 Dec 08 - General updates and chapters 16 to 18, and 25,  of The Rise And Progress Of Coatbridge And Surrounding Neighbourhood. Andrew Miller, Dundyvan Iron Works, Glasgow 1864.

5 Dec 08 - General updates

8 Nov 08 - Chapters 9 to 15 of The Rise And Progress Of Coatbridge And Surrounding Neighbourhood. Andrew Miller, Dundyvan Iron Works, Glasgow 1864.  New contact facilities added.

3 Nov 2008 - Unfortunately, we have had to revise our contact facility options while we consider whether or not to continue to offer a look-up service in the future. It has become clear that a small but very vocal minority of correspondents do not appreciate that this site is a voluntary effort, and that there are practical and financial limits to the level of help we can offer.  All existing look-ups or requests for further information will continue to be processed as normal but no new requests will be accepted.

31 Oct 08 - Completion of Notes on Miners' Houses by the addition of part XIII on Slammanan and Airdrie. First 8 chapters in our latest project - a transcription of The Rise And Progress Of Coatbridge And Surrounding Neighbourhood. Andrew Miller, Dundyvan Iron Works, Glasgow 1864

30 Oct 08 - General updates to accident lists

26 Oct 08 - Report on explosion at Springhill Colliery and Notes on Miners' Houses - Parts XI and XII

19 Oct 08 - General Updates and Notes on Miners' Houses - Part VIII

18 Oct 08 - Notes on Miners' Houses - Part VII

13 Sept 08  - Notes on Miners' Houses - Parts IX and XIV

1 Sept 08  - Notes on Miners' Houses - Part X

24 Aug 08 - The site is currently undegoing major revisions.  The main change is our move to a new domain name www.scottishmining.co.uk This has been done for several reasons but mainly because we felt this domain better reflects the focus of the site.

16 Aug 08 - General updates.  Article on disaster at Grange Colliery in 1810 in which 17 men and women were suffocated after an explosion.

14 Aug 08 - 1866 List of collieries in Scotland

10 Aug 08 - General updates.  1860 List of collieries in Scotland

9 Aug 08  - Notes on Miners' Houses - Parts V and VI

3 Aug 08  - Notes on Miners' Houses - Parts III and IV

2 Aug 08  - Notes on Miners' Houses - Parts I and II of a series of articles published in the Glasgow Herald, 1875

26 Jul 08 - The Industries of Scotland: Their Rise, Progress and Present Condition by David Bremner. This interesting book on the key industries of Scotland was published in 1869. We have transcribed the chapter on Coal Mining, Ironstone Manufacture and Mineral Oil and Paraffin Manufacture. This last chapter provides an interesting overview of the development of the shale industry in West Lothian.

26 Jul 08 - List of Mines in Scotland 1873

17 Jul 08 - Two articles on "Among the Fife Miners" by Kellogg Durland, 1902.  Durland was an American journalist and social reformer who spent 4 months living and working with the miners of Kelty

28 Jun 08 - General updates.  Newspaper article with detailed evidence from witnesses at trial of John & James Sneddon after Commonhead explosion 1850

27 Jun 08 - General updates.

15 Jun 08 - General updates.  Newspaper report on Furnacebank 1897 disaster

25 May 08 - General updates.

21 Apr 08 - General updates.  Newspaper report on Auchenharvie 1895 disaster.

19 Apr 08 - General updates

13 Apr 08 - General updates - mainly post 1937 names.

5 Apr 08 - General updates - mainly pre1855 accidents

24 Mar 08 - 1893 Inspectors reports completed with addition of all extra information from main body of reports

22 Mar 08 - General updates.  Addition of newspaper reports to Mauricewood page

21 Mar 08 - General updates.  New Contact form.  Regrettably due to ongoing problems caused by large volumes of spam, and issues associated with enquirers sending extremely large attachments, we have withdrawn open access to our contact e-mail.  Hopefully the new contact form will allow us to receive and respond to enquiries more efficiently.  E-mails sent to our old address by existing correspondents should be unaffected by this change.

8 Mar 08 - 1894 Inspectors reports completed with addition of all extra information from main body of reports

2 Mar 08 - General updates

28 Feb 08 - General updates

23 Feb 08 - General updates, mostly on Fife accidents

9 Feb 08 - General updates

27 Jan 08 - General updates

6 Jan 08 - pages of 1898 accidents at Montgomeryfield and Auldhouseburn added

5 Jan 08 - General updates

2 Jan 08 - List of collieries in Scotland in 1854

1 Jan 08 - Newspaper articles for 1937 accidents added.

26 Dec 07 - Full text of 1887 Coal Mines Act. 

20 Dec 07 - Links updated.

16 Dec 07 - General updates.

25 Nov 07 - Report on 1893 explosion at Herbertshire, Denny. Also general updates

18 Nov 07 - Report on 1910 housing in Carluke, Carmichael & Carnwath parishes

10 Nov 2007 - Full text of 1842 Act to prohibit the Employment of Women and Girls in Mines and Collieries, to regulate the Employment of Boys, and make Provisions for the Safety of Persons working therein.  East of Scotland evidence completed.

3 Nov 2007 - General updates.

27 Oct 2007 - General updates. New section containing obituaries of notable miners' leaders, inspectors and coal owners.

21 Oct 2007 - General updates.  The site now contains more than 18,000 names of those killed or injured in accidents or involved in the mining industry in Scotland.

8 Oct 2007 -  New section under construction on wages and cost of living

7 Oct 2007 - Report on Housing Condition of Miners in Stirlingshire and Dumbarton by John Christie M'Vail, 1911.

6 Oct 2007 - List of mines 1893 - now complete.  Illustrations of houses at Mavis Valley, Gartcosh Square & Bridgend added.

30 Sept 2007   - article on serious underground fire at Kirkwood Colliery supplied courtesy of Robert Murray

23 Sept 2007 - List of mines 1893

22 Sept 2007 - Pages on 1885 accident at Addiewell & 1898 Furnaceyard added

15 Sept 2007 - Reports on housing in 1910 in Barony, Cadder & Rutherglen parishes

2 Sept 2007 - new report on Burngrange fire in 1947 added

25/26 Aug 2007 - General updates

17 Aug 2007 - General updates

11 Aug 2007 - Pictures of Knockshinnoch and Kirkconnel Memorials added

4 Aug 2007 - General updates, 100 new accidents added.  New custom Google search engine added.

23 July 2007 - We will no longer be adding gazetteer descriptions to the site. Versions of both books we have can be found on-line at the Vision of Britain & British History On-line websites.  Consequently we will be concentrating our efforts on other resources

23 Jun 2007 - Report by Ralph Moore, HM Inspector of Mines on Udston disaster- includes list of dead with corresponding map showing location of bodies

3 Jun 2007  - Details of 150 accident added. Added page on Kames 1957 disaster

2 Jun 2007 - Details from Inspectors of Mines report added to 1932 index

20 May 2007 - Cowie & Fallin miners memorials added

12 May 2007 - approx 200 new accidents added

20 Apr 2007 - general updates

1, 2 & 14 Apr 2007 - general updates including approx 250 new newspaper reports

25 & 10 Feb 2007 - general updates

27 Jan 2007

• Approx 250 new accidents added - mainly post 1914

6 & 12  Jan 2007

• General updates
  

17 Dec 2006

• General updates

12 Dec 2006

• General updates and name index M to Z added
  

16 Nov 2006

• Site reorganised to include general pages on different areas of Scotland
• A simple surname index of people mentioned in the site, excluding known fatal accidents has been assembled and parts A to L uploaded.  This index contains approximately 2000 names. 
  

8 Oct 2006

• General updates

4 Oct 2006

• General updates including updates to post 1914 accident pages and articles on Stanrigg Disaster from the Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser.
  

1 Oct 2006

• General updates

26 Sept 2006

• Part 2 of Fife Coal Co Veteran Employees added

25 Sept 2006

• Part 1 of Fife Coal Co Veteran Employees added

24 Sept 2006

• General updates and revised indices for post 1914 deaths

21 Sept 2006

• General updates

20 Sept 2006

• General updates including account of non-fatal accident at Edmonstone in 1839 when 13 mine workers were rescued after being entombed for 36 hours.  Also approx 200 new names of men killed in pre-1852 and post 1914 accidents
  

16 Sept 2006

• Chapter on “The Coalfields” from “Auchterderran, A Parish History”, 1924
  

15 Sept 2006

• General updates

2 Sept 2006

• General updates including new reports on Blantyre 1878 accident

30 Aug 2006

• General updates

27 Aug 2006

• FAQ section added and general updates

23 Aug 2006

• General updates

19 Aug 2006

• United Collieries Active Service Roll, section on names A to C updated and completed.  Many thanks to Robert Murray for generously supplying pages missing from our own copy of this book to allow us to complete this transcription.
  

12 Aug 2006

• Final set of names (S to Y) added to United Collieries Active Service Roll

31 Jul 2006

• General updates
• Names N to R added to United Collieries Active Service Roll

29 Jul 2006

• Names M added to United Collieries Active Service Roll
• Transcription of The Fife Coal Company Limited - The Jubilee Year 1872 - 1922 By And. S. Cunningham, September 1922
  

25 Jul 2006

• Names H to L added to United Collieries Active Service Roll
  

23 July 2006

• We are currently revising the page structure so that all places are arranged by parish.  If you find any broken links, we would be grateful if you could report them using the e-mail address on the home page.

22 July 2006

• We are currently transcribing names from the United Collieries Active Service Roll 1914-1919 which contains the names of over 2000 employees of that company who served in the First World War.  The first sections, covering names A to G have been uploaded.

15 Jul 2006

• Completion of our latest project - a complete transcription of "Glossary of Scotch Mining Terms" by James Barrowman.  Barrowman,  a mining engineer who was secretary of the Mining Institute of Scotland , and mineral factor on the Duke of Hamilton's estate compiled this 74 page glossary in 1886 and its definitions of occupations, words commonly used by miners and technical mining terms are invaluable to anyone using these pages.
• 1929 accidents

27 June 2006

• Page added on 1931 Auchengeich Disaster

9 June 2006

• General updates including page on 1921 Blantyre Ferme explosion and updates to Rosehall 1934

29 May 2006

• General updates including information on Starlaw shale pit disaster and new article on Greenfield Boiler Explosion
• Index added to post-1914 deaths on site

26 May 2006

• 1905 accidents updated to include both East and West Districts.  This addition completes the series of deaths reported in the Inspector of Mines reports from 1852 to 1914.  Some pages are still incomplete as extra information from the main body of the report is to be added - we are currently working on these.  The site currently contains the names of approximately 9000 men women and children killed in Scottish mines but we are continually adding more as these are located in newspapers.
• Index added to pre-1852 deaths on site

22 May 2006

• 1883 accidents added

21 May 2006

• New pages on Dalserf Parish in including Larkhall workmens Building Societies

19 May 2006

• 1881 accidents added

• Extracts from report on Stanrigg disaster

6 Dec 2005