Coal Mining in the East Neuk of Fife

Neuauflage 2017
ISBN: 978-1-78046-072-7
Verlag: Dunedin Academic Press

Buch, Englisch, 200 Seiten, Hardback (BB), Format (B × H): 243 mm x 165 mm, Gewicht: 682 g

Coal mining in the East Neuk of Fife was the means of providing industrial development in this area from medieval times until the twentieth century. The understanding of the rocks, their origin and how to exploit them to advantage forms the basis for this text.In the early days of the industry, the coals were recovered on the shorelines or on the valley sides where their excavation was relatively simple. The mining of the coals gradually gave rise to the need to dig deeper into the ground and the need for knowledge of the rocks became essential, how and why they formed as they did and how to cope with the difficulties presented by the turbulent events experienced in past geological times. The welfare of the miners and their families also grew in importance as the industry grew and developed.John McManus surveys the geology and social history of the mines and the people who explored, owned and laboured under and above ground in an industry which began so many centuries ago, flourished all too briefly and ultimately declined in this area. With his lifelong interest and scholarly achievement in his chosen profession, John McManus takes the reader on a graphic and fascinating tour of the mining industry in this beautiful part of Fife shining a different light on aspects of its history which have, until now, remained less well known.

Autoren/Hrsg.

McManus, John

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Introduction; 2. Geological Setting of the East Neuk; 3. Scotland Rocks, Bends, Breaks and Migrates; 4. Life Emerges from the Seas and Invades the Land; 5. Coal Formation; 6. Historical Framework for Mining in Fife; 7. On-Land Transport of the Coals: The Road Systems, The Railways of Fife, Round the East Neuk; 8. The Main Methods of Coal Extraction; 9. The Geology of the Coal-Bearing Successions: The Upper Devonian Deposits, The Strathclyde Group, The Lower Limestone Formation, The Limestone Coal Formation, The Upper Limestone Formation; 10. The Coal Seams and Mines of the East Neuk: Witch Lake and Castle Cliff, St Andrews, East of East Sands, St Andrews, Pittenweem Formation, Sandy Craig Formation, Inland Coals of the East Neuk, The Kellie Coals, The Pittenweem-St Monans Coalfield, Pathhead to Earlsferry, Earlsferry and Grange, Coalfields of the the Largoward District, Structures of the Broader Largoward Area; 11. The Coalfield Surveys by Dott and Forbes: The Rires-Balcarres Coalfield, Between the Radernie and Lathones Faults, Between the Lathones and Cassingray Faults, Collieries of the Largoward District, Lathallan, Gilston and New Gilston; 12. The Coals of the Limestone Formation: Falfield, Small Workings North-West of Lathallan, Cairn, The Appleton Basin, The Bonnyton Basin, Teasses Common, The Newbigging of Craighall Coalfield; 13. Closing Thoughts. Glossary. Bibliography. Index.

Über Autor(innen)

John McManus BSc, PhD, DSc, FRSE, graduated from the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College, University of London. He lectured, first in the University of Dundee, later in the University of St Andrews, where he was appointed Professor in 1993. John McManus has published more than 200 scientific papers and an earlier book on mining in Fife, Mining between Ceres and St Andrews (Windfall Books, 2010), he continues to research the history of the mining industry in East Fife.