CAVANAGH, John 1
- Born: 6 April 1859, Bothwell parish, Lanarkshire, Scotland 1
- Baptised: 1 May 1859, St Patrick's RC parish, Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, Scotland 1
- Died: 22 October 1877 at 8.45 am, Dixon's Colliery No 3 Pit, Blantyre, Lanarkshire, Scotland 2
Cause of his death was fire damp explosion.
General Notes:
John Cavanagh was baptised in 1859 by Father John O'Dwyer. His sponsors were James and Catharine Donelly.
The 1871 census recorded John living in Rosehall, in the parish of Old Monkland with his family. He was 12 years old and worked as a collier. He had been born in Bothwell parish.
John Cavanagh was a coal miner and died at the age of 19 years, unmarried, in an explosion in a coal mine in Blantyre that killed over two hundred people. His usual residence was 5 Calder Street Blantyre. An account of the Blantyre Mining Disaster and of the life of the miners of that time and place can be found in
A Blast From The Past by Andrew Paterson pub 2005 ISBN 0-9550000-0-9 1 3
Research Notes:
BLANTYRE EXPLOSION OF 1877
The explosion that took place at 8.45 am at Dixon's Pit in Blantyre, Lanarkshire, on Monday 22 October 1877, is sometimes called the Blantyre Disaster or even the Blantyre Calamity.
233 men and boys went down the pit that morning at about 5.30 am to start their day shift. Only 24 or them survived the firedamp explosion. It was caused by a lethal build up of firedamp and fine coal dust which could be as explosive as dynamite in certain circumstances. The disaster was the biggest colliery disaster in Scotland.
The site of the explosion is to be found in the present day layout of Blantyre on the Hillhouse Road halfway between the roundabouts at Douglas Street and the Industrial Estate.
Medical Notes:
No doctor's certificate was given.
John's mother, remarried and now named Martha Morgan, informed George Harris the registrar at Blantyre on 31 October 1877 of her son's death. She made her X mark. 2
|
