Timothy Connel Johnstone Renfrewshire

[JustJean]

Hi Marguerite

It's wonderful to hear that you've made some good progress....especially with finding those places of birth in Ireland

Keep up the good work!

Best wishes
Jean

[m morgan]

Hi Russell

My GGgrandmother Catherine Connell married James Mclaren in Abbey Paisley 1852.They had a son James born 1855 Johnstone who married Elizabeth Gorman.Elizabeth and james son Samuel Gorman Mclaren born Lochwinoch 1880was my grandfather.I never knew till last year that my grandfather was born there.My mum was born Kilsyth Stirlingshire and i thought that was where my grandfather was born too.I knew my gran was from glasgow and found she was born in Elliot street Anderstone.Also found that my mums sister was born in Springfield street glasgow.

Catherine Connells husband James Maclaren was born Antrim Ireland but i cant seem to find any death certificate for him to find out who his parents were.I found Catherine Connells she died 1880 Harriet Street Pollockshaws.I know James died before 1878 as this was when his son married and it says he was deceased on the marriage certificate.Ihave searched Scotlandspeople for james mclarens death certificate withought any luck.Maybe some of you good people could put me on the right track.Thanks Marguerite

[joette]

[quote="Russell

so many of the Irish men turned to ironstone or coal mining. Dangerous work but it earned a wage. Later many moved into the outskirts of Paisley to find work in the weaving and thread mills.(Abbey covered Johnstone and Elderslie amongst other places).

Indeed Russell & my GGGreat-grandfather Hugh Kerr was one such who was killed in 1871 aged 71 by" an engine passing over his person" as a Pit Head Lab.His sons were employed as Ironstone Miners although they had moved to Kilsyth by then to perhaps?join a possible Uncle Cornelius Kerr.

[m morgan]

Hi Joette

Did your relations move to Kilsyth as well.I still wonder why my grandparents moved to Kilsyth.They lived in Cadder for a few years before going to Kilsyth.maybe to work in the pits or maybe they already had relations living there. Are your Kerrs buried in Kilsyth cemetery.Marguerite

[Russell]

Hi Marguerite

Miners moved quite frequently as coal and ironstone deposits were quite small. They only dug those deposits which were fairly close to the surface and when those were exhausted they moved on to another mine.
Mining was probably the most dangerous job they could have since they worked in conditions where there were no provisions for their safety. They worked in the light of naked flames with the attendant risk of fire damp explosion. Coal is found often in quite dangerous strata which meant that cave-ins were common (soft coal especially).
Ironstone was often found in deeper, but slightly more stable layers so the risk was perhaps less.
With the coming of the railways coal and ironbearing rock could be transported more cheaply and in greater quantities so they dug deeper mines which lasted longer before they ran out.
This is sounding like a history lesson so I'll stop.

Russell

[m morgan]

Hi Russell

Dont stop i love all this history stuff about the mines .My father born 1917 was also a miner. I was born in to the mining village of Croy near Cumbernauld and all my ancestors were miners . I also had a GGgrandfather Samuel Gorman who came from ireland and settled in Muirkirk two of his sons were killed in the mines ,one age 10 the other 17.The youngest was run over by a train in the ironworks.Marguerite

[Russell]

Hi again Marguerite

I too waqs born in a mining village - Ormiston in East Lothian. My father was engineer and ambulanceman for the local coal company. He saw the results of some of the accidents but none of our recent family was miner.
Earlier generations of my direct Young line were though in Ayrshire.

Have you looked at
http://www.mining-villages.co.uk/index.html
and
http://www.mcpitz.com/
This one
http://www.dmm.org.uk/educate/mineocc.htm
is about Durham mining so some of the job titles differ slightly but it gives some insights into all the varied tasks needed to howk out the black gold.

Russell