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Star Pit

Glenboig, N of Coatbridge, Lanarkshire.

Mine (fireclay), 19th & 20th Cents.

Accident reports involving this mine indicate that it was in use in 1879 & 1923. Now buried below residential area. Site on geol. map now occupied by a garage building at the E end of Belhaven Place, but no mine shown on MRA.

Alternative Names: Star Fireclay Works

Notes: Owned by Glenboig Union Fireclay Company Ltd.

"The use of gelignite, a type of explosive by shot firers in the clay mines brought its own risks. In 1909 four miners died after an underground roof fall in the Star Pit. A group of five miners were firing shots to remove a stoop and clay and after the blast they continued to prepare for further shot firing when the roof fell in trapping four of them. The fifth man was able to escape along with the pit pony. A further fall prevented any help being given to the four trapped men who were later found dead. These tragedies were common in small mining communities and had a huge impact on everyone for years to come.

A further tragedy occurred just a year later in 1910 when clay miner, Vinsus Potterie placed five pounds of gelignite on the hob of his fireplace at home to soften it. The gelignite exploded killing four people and injuring eight others as well as wrecking the houses next door.

Luckily Vinsus was unharmed. he was charged with culpable homicide but found not guilty on the grounds that it was normal practice to heat the explosive to soften it, although it was usually done in the workplace. The jury recommended that the Glenboig Union Fireclay Company enforce more strict control on handling explosives." [NLC]

Annotated on geol. survey map as Lower Fireclays at 17 fms [31m] / dolerite at 18 ft (i.e. fireclay layer below igneous sill).