Today, we remember the 215 Blantyre men and boys who lost their lives in the Blantyre Pit Disaster of 1877.
To this day, it remains Scotland’s largest mining accident. In one instant moment at 8.45am on 22nd October 1877, almost 6% of Blantyre’s entire population at the time was wiped out by an almighty explosion at Dixon’s Collieries 2 and 3 at High Blantyre.
Families and communities were ripped apart, the youngest victim only 12 years old. As the last 10 years, Blantyre Telegraph marks the event annually on behalf of all the Blantyre Community, this year placing a black wreath at the base of the memorial obelisk at High Blantyre Cemetery. The wreath looks like coal and is appropriately placed just fifty yards from where many of the miners are buried.
Over the last few years, our sister website, Blantyre Project has embarked on a mission to tell the life stories of every one of those men and boys, dozens of which have already been exclusively researched here: https://blantyreproject.com/blantyre-pit-disaster/ putting names and real life stories for each person who lost their lives.
On this day, the 144th Anniversary of the disaster, we remember those brave, hard working tragic souls. May they rest in peace.
