Blantyre and the blackness of darkness

THE LYRICS of the lament are agonisingly accurate. When the horror and the enormity of Scotland's worst mining disaster began to sink in to the relatives of those left behind in the dingy little town known as "Dirty Auld Blantyre", their cries of sorrow could be heard for many a mile. The hills around Blantyre truly echoed with their mourning.

It was October 1877 and the coal extracted from Scotland's pits went a long way to powering the country. The Industrial Revolution had given rebirth to dozens of little villages in Scotland's Central Belt. Along with shipbuilding, engineering and other forms of heavy industry, mining helped keep the economy of Scotland buoyant. More

Priory Pit

William Baird's Craighead Pit was opened in 1876, the Priory Pit (Bothwell Castle Nos.
3 & 4) also being owned by the Company and the rows (Baird's Rows) were built about the same time. More

Spittal Colliery, which is situated halway between Blantyre & Cambuslang. More

Spittal Pit

Dixon's Pit Illustration

In 1867 however, test borings revealed a number of seams of high quality coal in the Blantyre area. In 1871, the first two pits Blantyre Colliery.

Nos. 1 and 2 were sunk in High Blantyre by William Dixon Ltd., and the first coal drawn by 1873. No. 3 Pit was sunk about between 1873-75 and coal drawn in 1876 and No. 4 Pit was producing coal in 1878. Priestfield Colliery which opened in 1872 was another of Dixon's pits, and rows (houses) for the workers - Dixon's Rows, were built about 1871-72. Merry & Cunningham's Auchinraith Pit was sunk in 1872 and coal drawn 1875, with the first row (Merry's Rows) built in the period 1874-75 and the Long Rows in Stonefield about 1876.

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Notice the writing on the wall.

From the 17th century pit ponies were used on the surface for winding. As the depths of shafts became deeper during the 18th century, pit ponies were also used underground for haulage work. Before the 20th century there were few laws regarding the treatment of ponies but a veterinary surgeon would inspect them three times each year. More

Pit Pony

The mines brought Irish workers initially to the area and later on many Lithuanians both of whom the coalmasters exploited to full advantage, particularly in times of industrial unrest.

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The Miners Cage is ready to descend.

The 500ft. journey has taken them only a few seconds. Over 100 men are working on the night shift. As they leave the cage their places are taken by the stone-men who have been blasting away the stone so that the miners can get at the coal. Much More

A Day in a Miners Life

Working Conditions

Although the law relating to miners had been changed for the better at the turn of the century, life was still very harsh for miners & their families in the mid 1800's. Miners were expected to work at least a daily twelve hour shift on weekdays, reduced hours on Saturday, and Sunday being the day of rest. More

This image shows blacksmiths employed at one of Blantyre's pits. Blacksmiths or as they were known locally "smiddies" were employed to fabricate iron and steel brackets, clamps and other fixtures used throughout the mine. An obvious task (seen in the photo) they also worked on was the manufacture and fitting of horses and ponies shoes. More

Pit Blacksmiths

William Dixon

William Dixon (1753-1822), a Northumberland miner, became lessee of the Govan coalfields in 1770-1771; becoming a part owner in 1813 and the sole owner in 1819. He purchased the failed Calder Ironworks, Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, for £400 in 1801 and went into partnership with David Mushet, discoverer of the blackband ironstone, to run the works and exploit the Monkland coalfields. The partnership lasted only 2 years after which William Dixon bought the works again for £19,000.William Dixon died in 1822 and was succeeded in business by his youngest son, William Dixon (1788-1859). By this time the business was the second largest coal and iron concern in Scotland. More

The worst mining disaster in Scottish history took place in Blantyre in October 1877 when Dixon's Pit exploded killing over 200 men. It is thought that the tragedy occurred when a build-up of fire-damp (the equivalent to North Sea gas) was ignited by a naked flame on a miner's hat. High Blantyre was thrown into turmoil as thousands of goulish spectators joined the relatives crowding around the pit head as bodies were brought up over the following days. More

Miner's Wife 1907.

Blantyre Mining Disaster 1877

On 22 October the early shifts of more than 230 men had gone down the mine as usual at 5.30am. It was a gloomy start to the Monday and the villagers were beginning to go about their business when, at 8.45am, a huge underground explosion heard for miles around rocked Blantyre and sent flames from two of the five pits.

The continuous sounding of the pit horn signaled disaster underground.

The women waiting at home would hear the sound and there would begin a rush to the pit head, anguish etched on their faces.

They would have feared the worse for their Men and Boys, but nothing could have prepared them for the news that followed on that dark day. More

Dixon's Miners Wives Run To the Pithead

As the Pit Horn blasts out, the Miner's wives run to the Pithead in a panic.

The constant blast of the Pit Horn warned them them that there was trouble at the Mine.

Imagine the Fear and Panic as the Miner's wives instantly stopped what they were doing, dropped everything and ran through the Raw's to the Pithead, fearing for their Husband's and Son's lives... The news that followed was worse than anyone could ever imagine. More

On this frightful day, some 216 miners lost their lives either immediately or soon after, due to their injuries.

The frightening thing is the ages of some of those miners. Some as young as fourteen. Also, the number of family members lost on this dreadful day, brothers, fathers, cousins, adopted sons... See list of Dead Here

Reading List of the Dead

Volunteers of the 1877 Disaster

Still, no matter the danger, there were no lack of volunteers, many of them wildly demanding to be lower down, until at last, when the short winters day was drawing to a close, imperative orders were issued that no more lives were to be risked. Then hope fled; and the agonised crowd were left in the darkness and pitiless rain to face the terribleness of its magnitude that not one of the 200 miners and more, that were entombed beneath us, would ever see the light. Nor did they. More

The Rescuers of the 1877 Disaster are photographed here with their Bibles which were given as presents and thanks for their heroism.

I have tried to research their names with no luck, unless of course, you know! More

Rescuers of the 1877 Disaster

The Ejection of the Blantyre Widows

Six months after the explosion, thirty-four widows, whose husbands had been killed in the disaster, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court. They had previously received letters from the colliery owners informing them that they must leave their tied cottages. Having failed to do so, William Dixon Limited had raised summonses against them. When asked by the Sheriff why they had not vacated their homes, each widow stated that they did not have the means with which to pay a rent. The Sheriff asked, "Are you not getting enough money from the relief fund?" Each widow replied "I have not have the means to pay a rent with." More

Dixon's Miners 1880

This photo was taken after the 1877 Disaster, presumably as a PR exercise.

Note the "Davis Lamps" in front of the Miners. It was not unusual for these to be supplied for the photo and put back in the Company Store immediately afterwards. More

Dixon's Miners 1880

Housing Conditions of Miners

The parish contains 7 collieries, in which 3670 persons are employed. The total number of houses in the parish is 3193, while the number occupied by miners is 1874 – 58.69% of the total. Of these houses, 568 have been provided by mine owners, 1289 are rented by miners and 17 are owned by miners. The rented houses have been provided mostly by speculative builders. They are mostly 2 storey tenement properties. The houses owned by miners are cottage properties, mostly situated in Auchenraith Rd More

Andrew McAnulty

Champion of the working class and one who spent a lifetime fighting for better conditions for the mining industry, Mr. Andrew McAnulty, died on Saturday night at the home of a married daughter, Mrs George Paterson, at 105 Parkville Drive, Springwells, Blantyre, Lanarkshire. More

Andrew McAnulty Banner

Davy Safety Lamp

Miners used candles to light their way. However because of the ever present threat of methane gas and the possibility of an explosion this was a very dangerous method. In 1816 Davy presented to the Royal Society an invention for a safety lamp.

The idea was to have the flame covered by wire gauze of precise measurements. It was fitted with a cover of wire mesh containing 625 apertures to the square inch with the wire being 1/70 inch thick. Davy did not patent his invention, he wrote that "...my sole object was to serve the cause of humanity and if I have succeeded I am rewarded in the gratifying of having done so". More

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Collection of Miners Lamps

Miners Piece Box

This pressed steel piece box is shaped like traditional pan bread and has a close fitting lid and a loop on the back for hooking onto a miner's belt.The small Brass Box is for sugar and tea.

As Miners were not allowed to smoke at the Pit, they took to Chewing Tobacco or if they could afford it, Snuff. More

One of the few pleasures a Miner had was his smoke from a Clay Pipe when he could find the time to relax.

Clay had always been found with coal and iron. Making clay pipes began, probably as a sideline to mining after Sir Walter Raleigh introduced tobacco into Britain at the end of the sixteenth century. More

Miners Clay Pipe

1877 Disaster Memorial Service

1877 Disaster Memorial Plaque

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Saltcoats Miners Home was a refuge for miners who suffered from accidents or chest disorders. They would be sent here for care and recuperation.

Of course, it wasn't unusual for miners to fake illness so that they could have a rest at the Home, as this is the only holiday they would ever get. More

Merry's Rows, Blantyre

This is a shot of the Salvation Army doing their thing.

We visited these two rows of miners' houses on 24th March 1913. They are situated near to the Glasgow Road, in the Parish of Blantyre, and are owned by Merry & Cunninghame, coalmasters.
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Merry's Rows

Priory Rows

Priory Rows with the Priory Bing at the back.

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Priestfield Rows

Dixon's Rows

This is the last five houses in the Row which served as a Chapel to the Catholic Mining Community.

As more and more immigrants from Ireland arrived in Blantyre to work in the Pits, they wanted a place of Worship, because at that time there was no Catholic Church.

They approached the Pit Owners, Messrs William Dixon and asked, if not, petitioned, for a place of Worship. More