1851: Mansfield (2)

 1851 November 21 |Mansfield Colliery

  • John Campbell | fall to bottom of the shaft

  • George Houston (47) |fall to bottom of the shaft

Fatal Colliery Accident at Mansfield Colliery, New Cumnock on Friday last. Two workmen being hauled up the shaft when half way up a rock fell from above causing them to fall to the bottom of the shaft killing both George Houston and a John Campbell. Houston left a wife and family. Campbell was unmarried                             [Ayr Advertiser Newspaper dated Thursday 27th Nov., 1851]

map_mansfield_colliery_1860

John Campbell

I have been unable to identify John Campbell from the Census Records etc. There is a John Campbell, aged 14, coalminer, Mansfield Cottage in the 1851 Census Record but he also reappears in the 1861 records at the same address.

George Houston (1804-1851)

George Houston was born in 1804 at Skerrington, Old Cumnock the son of George Houston and Jean Campbell. In 1829 while living at Abbey Green, Lesmahagow he married Jean Gilchrist and that year a son George was born at Mutton Hole. Two years later a daughter, Margaret,  was born before the family moved to New Cumnock where they settled at Mossback, a steading near to the farm of High Polquheys and just over a mile south-west of Mansfield Colliery. Here they had two other daughters  Helen and Nicholas followed by five sons George (first son George had died in infancy), James, John, Alex and David.

GeorgeHouston_Mossback

Mossback ruins with High Polquheys in the distance (Robert Guthrie)

His son George, erected a headstone in the Auld Kirkyard, New Cumnock im memory of his father George aged 47-year-old and his sister Nicholas who died three years later, aged 12 years old.

headstone_georgehouston_00

Headstone of George Houston (Robert Guthrie)

Acknowledgements

National Library of Scotland

Scotland’s People

British Newspaper Archive

Scottish Mining Web-site

References

[1] J.L.Carvel, The New Cumnock Coal-field (1946)