Hi

My family are the Watsons – starting with Joseph Watson who moved there from England.

My dad tells the story of how Bert’s wife wanted to go down the mine to find her husband as she had the plan
of the mine in her head and Bert had told her where an accident was going to happen someday.

Do you know of the link between the Watsons and the Shearers?

Look forward to hearing from you.

Susan Ratcliffe

Hi
I discovered your website while carrying out research into the 1950 Knockshinnoch mine disaster.

I have recently built a website dedicated to the Knockshinnoch disaster which went live today, 4th August 2009.

I would be most grateful if you could inform visitors to your site about my new site/add to your links page, as I am certain they would find it of some interest.

The web site has moved.

Thank you

David

Can you help

According to all books and information the 13 men where entombed within the catacombs and there bodies where never found.

If this is the case who did my Gran and Mother Bury in 1950 and also the other 12 people, as I know from my family that we paid for the plot to bury him and if the case was that there were no bodies found then why did they pay for a funeral back in 1950?

Your Help in trying to clear this up or at least point me in the right direction would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Regards

Peter Cuthbertson
Planner
Wellhead Business Unit

Hi Fionn,
Reference the above film. The field where the moss collapse took place, the pit involved, nor any other true location was used in the making of the film.

Location shots were all made at a village not far outside Edinburgh called Whitehill in Midlothian. A friend of mine at university had a granddad and uncles who worked at Knockshinnoch at the time of the disaster. She always complained that no song had ever emerged about it...almost every other disaster but this one seemed to have been overlooked for some reason. The older disasters had broadsides in print about them within days but maybe modern sensibilities wouldn't allow it? She was really pleased to hear that a group from her area had finally created a song about the events.
regards
David

I am trying to find out if the 15 miners who were buried by the influx of peat and water were ever recovered. I have checked many sites but have come across nothing that says they are still in the nine or were recovered.

Regards Bob at Kansas, USA

From: Robert Guthrie Hello Fionn Yes all the 13 bodies were recovered. George Sanderson in his book 'New Cumnock Long Ago and Faraway' writes 'it was more than 3 months before the first bodies were brought out and July, ten months after the disaster when the last victim was found.