1845-Apr-18: North Boig Pit

No.	Name	Age	Cause
1	David Shannon	36	Fell down Shaft

The marriage record of David Shannon and Margaret McAdam, then residing in the parish of New Cumnock reads

At Kilmaurs on August 27^th 1837

‘This day David Shannon in the parish and Margaret McAdam in the parish of New Cumnock gave in their names to be proclaimed to married. 2 days’

The couple settled at New Cumnock where the eldest son James (March 1839) and daughter Isabella (December 1840) were born. In the 1841 Census the family is living at Afton Bridgend along with another child David Walker (aged 5); Margaret’s illegitimate son. Living next door was Isabella McAdam (60), probably Margaret’s mother Isabella Paterson.

David found work at North Boig Pit, which was situated just off the farm road from the Boig Road to North Boig farm, owned by the Gemmell family at the time.

It was here in April 1845, that 28-year-old David fell to his death. The newspaper report [1] reads –

‘On Friday the 18^th instant, whilst David Shannon, one of the workmen, was ascending the coal-pit at North Boig, New Cumnock, a piece of wood fell from the side and struck him on the head. He tumbled from the creel to the bottom of the pit, and immediately expired. Deceased has left a wife and four children to lament his loss.’
[Glasgow Herald, Friday 25^th April 1845]

There are no records of David’s burial in the Auld Kirkyard. His son James settled in Kilmarnock where he worked as a coal miner and his widow Margaret passed away at Maryhill, Glasgow in 1882, aged 70 years old.