History of coal mining in Cumnock

 Author unknown. Was on rootsweb in 2000

Cumnock's coal mining began when John Wilson (1787-1851) an Ironmaster from Coatbridge moved into the area. In 1843 his firm took over the old ironworks in Muirkirk. In 1846 they set up another ironworks this time in Auchinleck  (Lugar)just outside Cumnock. In the Old Statistical Account (1793) and the New Statistical Account (1837) it was noted how rich the local mineral resources were, although in 1837 coal workings in the area were minimal, by 1886 coal mining was Cumnock's staple industry.  

The first area to be mined extensively was around the town and near the railway line, which had been completed in 1850. 

“outcrops beside the Lugar water had been worked from the beginning of the 18th Century, if not before". 

The first sinking to be made was at Stepends in 1848 (at that time Stepends was in Auchinleck Parish). By 1853 Stepends pit was working minerals under 'the glebe' on the Cumnock side of the Lugar. Around this time sinkings were also made at Barrhill. The 1857 Ordinance Survey Map shows Stepends pit and three coal and ironstone pits on Barrhill. South of the town at Shankston, ironstone was being mined from 1850. The map shows two pits at Shankston, there was also remote small coal pits at Garrallan and at Garlaff. The pits around the town were further developed in the 1860's. 

Around 1866 the new Lugar Works opened and production expanded. Glengyron was now also in production.  It would seem that coal mining in the area was 'intensively exploited' around this time and in fact as the 'seams' became exhausted the mines closed down. The Barrhill pits were abandoned before 1875; the Townhead pit followed in 1884, the first of the Shankston pits closed in 1875; the Stepends pit closed in 1892. 

Other areas of the town were being developed for coal mining, Glengyron pit was sunk in 1865 and Miners Rows built beside the railway line. 

At Garallan, pits were opened after 1875 with a total of eight sinkings in this area, with more Miners Rows. Knockterra pit was opened about 1880. 

Further away a pit was operating at Dykes from about 1865 to 1894. Around 1870 at Skares a mining village was established to house miners at Dykes, Hindsward (1880) and Whitehill (1897).  

At the end of the century there were five pits working in the Parish, all those near the town were now closed. Glengyron, Garallan, Knockterra, Hindsward and Whitehill were together producing 141,000 tons of coal a year. Ironstone was no longer worked, Barrhill, Townhead, Shankston and Stepends which had supplied it were closed and Glengyron was the only coal producing pit after 1878. There were in the Parish ,just over 400 miners, 350 working underground and 60 above. Only a few lived in Cumnock itself, most lived in the mining rows at Skares and Garallan.  

In the second half of the 19th Century the landward part of Cumnock Parish had grown streadily in population with Miners coming from other parts of Scotland and abroad to find work in the new pits. The Population was 

1,138(1871) to 1,515(1881) 1,608(1891) rising to 2,056 by 1901.  

In the 1830s coal miners were being paid between 3 to 4 shillings a day. Women and children were still employed underground until the 1842 Mines Act. By 1840's wages had gone down to 2 shillings per day. The first Ayrshire coal strike failed to make any improvement in conditions. Later strikes led to eviction of strikers from tied houses (most probably if they lived in one of the Miners Rows) In 1857 Miners were petitioning for an 8 hour day, and ventilation systems. There was also unfair fluctuation in wages, in 1872 wages peaked at 10 shillings a day but three years later it had dropped to 4 shillings. In 1887 Miners were being paid between 2/6 to 4 shillings a day, sometimes their weekly take home earnings would only be 12 shillings a week. Also in 1887 an improvement in conditions was made by prohibiting boys under the age of 12 to be employed underground.