Fatal Colliery Accident

Andrew Cairns Muir was the adopted son of my first cousin three times removed, Nathaniel Muir and his wife, Ann "Annie" Hutton. Adnrew's birth parents were Andrew and Elizabeth (Cameron) Cairns. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on 2 March 1902.

When the 1911 census was enumerated, he was living with his adopted parents at 44 High Street, Bathgate. He became a coal miner like his adopted father and married Isabella Henry Adams on 31 December 1926 at the church manse in Bathgate. Andrew and Isabella had two daughters in 1932 and 1935.

Snippet from the Register of Corrected Entries regarding
Andrew Cairns Muir's death; personal collection

About 5:00 a.m. on 24 November 1936, Andrew was working at Easton Colliery when a "quantity of material fell from the roof of his working place upon him. He died of asphyxia. The jury at the inquest into his death ruled it accidental according to the Register of Corrected Entries filed at the parish registrar's office on 5 January 1937. He was buried at Bathgate Cemetery. He was 34 years old at the time of his death.

Nathaniel and Annie (Hutton) Muir memori monument;
photo courtesy BillionGraves.com

The inscription reads:

Created by Nathaniel and Annie Muir in loving memory of their sons
Nathaniel who died 19th March 1908 aged 13 years
Andrew husband of Isabella Adams accidentally killed 24th Nov 1936 aged 44 years
Annie Hutton Muir died 24th Nov 1935 aged 63 years
Also the above Isabelle Adams died 18th Jul 1984 aged 81 years