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 address is: http://www.knockshinnoch.co.uk/knockshinnoch_mining_disaster/Welcome.html

Thank you

David

Can you help
I am the Grandson of James Houston who died in the pit Disaster and I have more Questions than answers. I have now read 2 books on the subject but the main reason is I am trying to find out what happened to the missing 13 men.

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
Pitreavie Business Park | Dunfermline, Fife| Scotland KY11 8UD

I was interested to find your site. My grandfather, James Shearer was part of the rescue team at Knockshinnoch (he was also a miner there) and his two brothers, Bert and Harrison were trapped. I have heard stories of the pit disaster since I was young (my grandfather pulled his brother out before he knew it was his brother). I know that the event was traumatic for him since he will talk about front line battle in WWII before the pit disaster. Knowing that this is part of my family history is astounding and I am trying to get as much information as possible from various websites as well as from my grandfather before he passes on (he is now in his late 80's and his brothers have since passed). Are there any websites that you can recommend or are there any mining employment lists from around 1950 that I would be able to access?

Thanks.
Jessica Shearer Healy
Methuen, MA, USA

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.
Thanks for your help.

Regards Bob at Kansas, USA

From: Robert Guthrie 16 September 2005 21:36 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.