ITS USE IN SCOTLAND

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 22, 26 January 1929, Page 18

ITS USE IN SCOTLAND

FOR MORE THAN 400 YEARS

Recently there was published in these columns an article headed "The Age of Coal," which several correspondents have written ■ controverting, but each one has overlooked the fact that the article was only an American extract, and referred to the use of coal in tho United States only. The following was forwarded by a correspondent this week, and is taken from the "Fife Free Press," of 10th November,. 1928. .. '

"Mining has been carried on, with only occasional breaks, by the proprietors of Dunnikier or by lessees to tenants for more, than 400 years. As' far back as 1659, the Town Council of Kirkcaldy ordained that all ' coalholes' should bo filled up," says the "Fife Free Press.'' "At; that; time the. miners operated upon a thin seam of .coal which lay near the surface, and landslips must have been common ; through-'tiro 'coal heugh'! wastes fall-ing^ih;-1' ■■ ■ '■■-■' ■ ■ ''."'"•'■

•'" In ' Kirkcaldy Burgh ftec'ords,' Mr. .Macbean has the following entry :— .'.llth October, 1731.—The Council, considering the coal heugh is so near the town, and the way so good and easy, the present price of threepence for the cartload of coals is extravagant, and three halfpennies for the sack; therefore, they reduce tho price of the cartload to twopence, and of the sack load to two halfpennies, and ordains the carriers to serve at that price, and discharges any of the' burgesses to pay a greater sum, and ordains intimation to be made on Saturday next by the drum.' .

, ''What would the coal carters of the present day say if the Town Councils of Kirkcaldy and Dysart were to fix the carting rates? The Oswald family carried on the colliery for many years, and the late Major Oswald possessed a list of names of miners who as serfs were bound to the estate, and were liable to be sold with the colliery. •' .'/Writing in 1795 the minister of the parish tells us that the seams of coal iabovo the Bystem of drainage were exhausted, and the expense' of water pumping machinery was too great to be thought of. Kirkcaldy was then supplied with fuel. from Clunie and Dysart. At Dysart coals were sold at the rate of 2s per 9J cwts, and the cost of carriage was Is; the carriage from Oiunio was 2s. From Kirkeakly 600 tons of Oluiiie coals wore shipped aunually for Humburg ana Middleburg. "In 1840 a lease of Dunnikier Colliery ; was granted to. Mr. Patrick Knight,. and about 60 years ago the work was taken over, by Oardenden, and Mr. Walter Herd.. Messrs. Goodall and Herd worked the Begg 1 Colliery in conjunction with Dunnikier. In 1873-Mr. Herd acquired the collieries* and assuming Mr. Peter Herd, a son, as a partner, the firm name'of Herd and Son was adopted. The senior partner: died in 188G, and Mr. Peter Herd was joined by his brother, Mr. Thos. Herd. In J9OB the colliery was acquired by the Bowhill Coal Company, and two years later .the Bowhill was merged in the Fife Coal Company. At the pita developments iiave recently taken place both above and below ground. On the fringes of. the Forth at Seafield^ operations have been carried on. by the Fife Coal Company for some time, with a view, to working the Dunfermline splint and other seams which extend for miles' undeivthe estuary." •- : - ■ ■-.-.■ -■;