title: Inez McCormack

abstract: Inez McCormack was a Northern Irish trade union leader and human rights activist. She was the first female president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, representing the UNISON union. She also successfully campaigned for the inclusion of strong equality and human rights provisions in the Good Friday Agreement, and was a signatory to the MacBride Principles for fair employment. In 2002 she was described as "probably the best known and most experienced human rights campaigner in this country." McCormack founded Participation and the Practice of Rights, a human rights organisation supporting disadvantaged groups based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, which she continued to advise until her death. Throughout her career, she crossed sectarian lines and national boundaries to fight for those who have faced, in her words, "the humiliation of exclusion," particularly women. McCormack was named by the American publication Newsweek in 2011 as one of "150 women who shake the world", and her life and work have been portrayed by Meryl Streep in the documentary play SEVEN.

text:
# Inez McCormack

**Inez McCormack** (née Murphy; 28 September 1943 – 21 January 2013) was a Northern Irish trade union leader and human rights activist. She was the first female president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (1999 to 2001), representing the UNISON union. She also successfully campaigned for the inclusion of strong equality and human rights provisions in the Good Friday Agreement, and was a signatory to the MacBride Principles for fair employment. In 2002 she was described as "probably the best known and most experienced human rights campaigner in this country."

McCormack founded Participation and the Practice of Rights, a human rights organisation supporting disadvantaged groups based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, which she continued to advise until her death. Throughout her career, she crossed sectarian lines and national boundaries to fight for those who have faced, in her words, "the humiliation of exclusion," particularly women.

McCormack was named by the American publication *Newsweek* in 2011 as one of "150 women who shake the world", and her life and work have been portrayed by Meryl Streep in the documentary play SEVEN.

## Early years

Born Inez Murphy into an Ulster Protestant family in Cultra, County Down, she attended Glenlola Collegiate School until taking up a position as a junior clerk in the Northern Ireland Civil Service at the age of 17, studying at night for her A-levels. Of her sheltered unionist background, McCormack recalled: "I was a puzzled young Prod – until I was 17 I hadn't knowingly met a Catholic. I was a young Protestant girl who didn't understand that there were grave issues of inequality, injustice and division in our society". A restless spirit, she was twice beaten up at protests, once at a Northern Ireland civil rights march and once at an anti-Vietnam war demonstration in London's Grosvenor Square.

McCormack attended Magee College in Derry between 1964 and 1966 at the time of the controversial decision to locate Northern Ireland's second university in Coleraine: her "first taste of street politics, and a lesson in the nature of exclusion and abuse of power". She then attended Trinity College, Dublin from 1966 to 1968, and met Vincent McCormack – a founding member of the Derry Labour Party and former Bogside resident – in London shortly after her graduation. The pair married within three months of meeting. Her parents opposed her marriage to Vincent: "Mixed marriages weren't exactly popular or acceptable and there was a lot of reaction," she recalled. "Over the years they came round, more or less, but they were never comfortable with it."

## Activism

McCormack returned to Northern Ireland in late 1968 to find a burgeoning civil rights movement in the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association, describing the experience years later as "living through a historical defining moment". McCormack became active in the civil rights marches alongside her husband, and was at the People's Democracy march in 1969 that was famously attacked by Ulster loyalists, including off-duty police, in the Burntollet bridge incident.

McCormack began a Diploma in Social Studies in 1969, commencing employment as a social worker in the Ballymurphy office of West Belfast Social Services in 1972. When armed conflict broke out there in the late 1960s, McCormack became deeply aware of the effect of deprivation and inequality on women and their families. Wracked by the Troubles, Ballymurphy at the time was "extraordinarily poor" and McCormack carried out her duties amid gunfights and extreme deprivation. An attempt was made to close down the Ballymurphy office, and the social workers based there were instructed to transfer to a different area. Realising they were needed in Ballymurphy, they refused to leave and were advised to join a trade union to help withstand the pressure to transfer. McCormack made contact with the National Union of Public Employees and they were subsequently accepted into the union with McCormack acting as shop steward. The transfer was eventually squashed, and McCormack began working part-time for the union in 1974.

## Career

Just two years later, in 1976 McCormack became the first female full-time official of the National Union of Public Employees (now UNISON) and was given the unprecedented task of recruiting 1000 members within her first five months of employment. Identifying that part-time women workers in the public sector were typically dismissed as 'too difficult to organise' and thus not unionised, McCormack embarked on the challenge of signing them up to the union, stating, "My whole mode of mobilising them was to make them see that their needs were real, that they were somebody". Her efforts were markedly successful, increasing union membership from 800 to 15000 by the time UNISON was formed in 1993. In the 1980s, McCormack was a signatory of the McBride Principles, a set of international ethical investment. She continues to work for ethical globalization to ensure that no one is left behind. She went on to become the first female regional secretary of UNISON, continuing to represent the low-paid women working as cleaners, home helps and nursing auxiliaries. McCormack continued her career in the trade union movement as the first woman to chair the Northern Ireland committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) (1984–1985), and served as the first female ICTU president (1999–2001).

Her success in a highly male-dominated environment in combination with her determination to champion the voices of the disadvantaged did not come without challenges, particularly from her male counterparts, recalling "At one meeting I was booed off the platform and called scum," adding, "I was talking about child care and was told that it shouldn't be on a trade union agenda". To those "inclined to take a stand against inequality or the abuse of human rights", McCormack asserted that "the fallout for the individual can sometimes be brutal, but it is emphatically worth it".

McCormack founded and led a broad coalition of groups who successfully argued for strong, inclusive equality and human rights provisions to be included in the Good Friday Agreement. She was also a signatory to the MacBride Principles for fair employment, and succeeded in galvanising Irish-American opinion to combat the early unpopular reception to the Principles in Northern Ireland. The MacBride Principles were signed into US law in 1998, and harnessed the power of US investment against the practice of religious discrimination in employment in Northern Ireland.

Her pivotal role in the Good Friday Agreement led McCormack to subsequently campaign for the implementation of those equality and human rights provisions as key to an understanding of conflict resolution based on the practice of justice. Concerned that the majority of communities most affected by the Troubles continued to be amongst the most socially deprived areas of Northern Ireland, McCormack led campaigns to assert the rights of the most socially excluded and enable them to challenge the problems they experienced, stating, "Our job is to put the areas and people who are excluded at the centre of our economic and social planning and show that we can actually tackle the unjust and unstable conditions. I argue that a lot of the social problems come because the economy is built in a way that excludes people rather than includes".

In 2006 McCormack founded Participation and Practice of Rights (PPR), a human rights organisation based in Belfast. PPR supports marginalised groups in using a practical and unique human rights-based approach to tackle the social and economic challenges they experience. Successes include the establishment of a new appointment system for mental health patients attending emergency departments across Northern Ireland, re-housing families from run-down tower blocks, and renegotiation of regeneration plans from which residents have been excluded. Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has described the work of the organisation as "groundbreaking," saying, "They are not just challenging what is wrong, they are creating an inclusive sense of rights and dignity, they are engaged in pioneering work which will command much interest and application elsewhere".

McCormack was a founding member of the Vital Voices Global Advisory Council, and honoured in 2002 at Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards in recognition of her contributions as a human rights advocate. The international organisation supports and invests in emerging women leaders in harnessing their potential to bring about peace and prosperity in their communities. McCormack was also appointed in 2010 by the Irish government as the independent chair of a consultative process to develop an Irish National Action Plan to meet government obligations under the UN Resolution on Women, Peace and Security.

McCormack received numerous awards, including an honorary doctorate from Queen's University Belfast in 2000 for her services to human rights and the community. She received the Eleanor Roosevelt Award from New York City in 1997, the Aisling Person of the Year Community Award in 2001, and the Irish Tatler Women of the Year Award in 2008. She received a posthumous LLD honorary doctorate from University of Ulster in 2013.

McCormack was a well-known writer and broadcaster, and her work has been featured in a number of television programmes and documentaries. Numerous op-eds and articles by McCormack on the theme of underpinning building peace and prosperity by inclusive socio-economic strategies have been published in recent years, and some of her work was included in the *Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing* (2002).

On 4 March 2019 Belfast's Crumlin Road was renamed Inez McCormack Road as part of International Women's Week celebrations.

## Recognition

McCormack's career was featured in the 2010 American documentary play *Seven*. The play, developed by Vital Voices, spotlights seven women from across the world that have overcame obstacles to bring major changes in their home countries. Meryl Streep portrayed McCormack. When the women portrayed were asked to come on stage and stand beside their onstage likenesses, Streep stated that she "felt slight" while standing beside McCormack, adding, "I'm an actress and she is the real deal."

In 2011, *Newsweek* named McCormack as one of its "150 women who shake the world," the only Northern Irish woman to be named as such.

The documentary, *Inez McCormack: A Challenging Woman*, produced and narrated by Susan McKay, won best short documentary award at the Galway Film Fleadh in 2014.

Among those who have paid tribute to her were the Irish president Michael D Higgins, the former president, Mary Robinson, and Hillary Clinton. Clinton said: "She travelled the world encouraging young women to be agents of change in their communities and countries. We have come so far in part because of her insistence on a seat at the table for women and others who have been marginalised."

## Personal life and death

McCormack had lived in Derry since 2001. On 21 January 2013 she died from cancer at the age of 69 in Foyle hospice. Shortly before her death, when asked why she did the work that she did, McCormack replied that: "...at the heart of everything, I desire to see the glint in a woman’s eye who thought she was nobody, when she realised she was somebody."

## InfoBox

| Inez McCormack | |
| --- | --- |
| Born | Inez Murphy
(1943-09-28)28 September 1943
Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Died | 21 January 2013(2013-01-21) (aged 69)
Derry, Northern Ireland |
| Known for | Trade union leader and human rights campaigner; first female president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (1999–2001) |
| Spouse | Vincent (1969 – 2013; her death) |
| Children | 1 |


title: Operation Bridger

abstract: Operation Bridger is a nationwide police protection security programme in the United Kingdom designed to offer Members of Parliament (MPs) access to extra security in their homes and constituency offices. It was established in 2016 in the wake of the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox, who was killed at a constituency surgery. In October 2021, following the murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess, the National Police Chiefs' Council confirmed that every MP in the UK would be contacted by the chief constable of their local police force to discuss security arrangements as part of a wider review of MPs security.

text:
# Operation Bridger

**Operation Bridger** is a nationwide police protection security programme in the United Kingdom designed to offer Members of Parliament (MPs) access to extra security in their homes and constituency offices. It was established in 2016 in the wake of the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox, who was killed at a constituency surgery.

In October 2021, following the murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess, the National Police Chiefs' Council confirmed that every MP in the UK would be contacted by the chief constable of their local police force to discuss security arrangements as part of a wider review of MPs security.


title: HMS Ashanti (F51)

abstract: HMS Ashanti was a Tribal-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. Following the style of her sister ships she was named for an ethnic group, in this case the Ashanti people of the Gold Coast in West Africa. She served in the Second World War and was broken up in 1949. She was the first of two Royal Navy ships to bear the name Ashanti.

text:
# HMS Ashanti (F51)

**HMS *Ashanti*** was a Tribal-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. Following the style of her sister ships she was named for an ethnic group, in this case the Ashanti people of the Gold Coast in West Africa. She served in the Second World War and was broken up in 1949. She was the first of two Royal Navy ships to bear the name *Ashanti*.

## Description

The Tribals were intended to counter the large destroyers being built abroad and to improve the firepower of the existing destroyer flotillas and were thus significantly larger and more heavily armed than the preceding I class. The ships displaced 1,891 long tons (1,921 ) at standard load and 2,519 long tons (2,559 t) at deep load. They had an overall length of 377 feet (114.9 m), a beam of 36 feet 6 inches (11.13 m) and a draught of 11 feet 3 inches (3.43 m). The destroyers were powered by two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam provided by three Admiralty three-drum boilers. The turbines developed a total of 44,000 shaft horsepower (33,000 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph). During her sea trials *Ashanti* made 37.4 knots (69.3 km/h; 43.0 mph) from 45,031 shp (33,580 kW) at a displacement of 2,020 long tons (2,050 t). The ships carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 5,700 nautical miles (10,600 km; 6,600 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). The ships' complement consisted of 190 officers and ratings, although the flotilla leaders carried an extra 20 officers and men consisting of the Captain (D) and his staff.

The primary armament of the Tribal-class destroyers was eight quick-firing (QF) 4.7-inch (120 mm) Mark XII guns in four superfiring twin-gun mounts, one pair each fore and aft of the superstructure, designated 'A', 'B', 'X', and 'Y' from front to rear. The mounts had a maximum elevation of 40°. For anti-aircraft (AA) defence, they carried a single quadruple mount for the 40-millimetre (1.6 in) QF two-pounder Mk II "pom-pom" gun and two quadruple mounts for the 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) Mark III machine gun. Low-angle fire for the main guns was controlled by the director-control tower (DCT) on the bridge roof that fed data acquired by it and the 12-foot (3.7 m) rangefinder on the Mk II Rangefinder/Director directly aft of the DCT to an analogue mechanical computer, the Mk I Admiralty Fire Control Clock. Anti-aircraft fire for the main guns was controlled by the Rangefinder/Director which sent data to the mechanical Fuze Keeping Clock.

The ships were fitted with a single above-water quadruple mount for 21-inch (533 mm) torpedoes. The Tribals were not intended as anti-submarine ships, but they were provided with ASDIC, one depth charge rack and two throwers for self-defence, although the throwers were not mounted in all ships; Twenty depth charges was the peacetime allotment, but this increased to 30 during wartime.

### Wartime modifications

Heavy losses to German air attack during the Norwegian Campaign demonstrated the ineffectiveness of the Tribals' anti-aircraft suite and the RN decided in May 1940 to replace 'X' mount with two QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mark XVI dual-purpose guns in a twin-gun mount. To better control the guns, the existing rangefinder/director was modified to accept a Type 285 gunnery radar as they became available. The number of depth charges was increased to 46 early in the war, and still more were added later. To increase the firing arcs of the AA guns, the rear funnel was shortened and the mainmast was reduced to a short pole mast.

## Construction and career

Authorized as one of nine Tribal-class destroyers under the 1936 Naval Estimates, *Ashanti* was the first ship of her name to serve in the Royal Navy. The ship was ordered on 19 June 1936 from William Denny and was laid down on 23 November at the company's Dumbarton shipyard. Launched on 5 November 1937, *Ashanti* was commissioned on 21 December 1938 at a cost of 340,770 which excluded weapons and communications outfits furnished by the Admiralty. The ship's completion was delayed by the late delivery of her gun mounts.

### Pre-war

Although it was initially intended for all Tribal-class destroyers to visit the land of the people after whom they were named, *Ashanti* was one of the few to actually do this. She sailed to Takoradi, Gold Coast, on 27 February 1939. During the visit, the ship's company was presented with a silver bell and a gold shield by the Asantehene, the ceremonial leader of the Ashanti, then the Chief Osei Tutu Agyeman Prempeh II. The ship also accepted visitors from the tribe, many of whom presented good-luck charms and symbols of valour and survival to the ship.

In May 1939, the ship went to France on a good-will visit as part of the 6th Destroyer Flotilla, the Tribal-equipped flotilla of the Home Fleet. It was in preparation for the threat of war in Europe and for British seamen to make friends with their future allies of the French Navy. The following month, *Ashanti*, as part of the 6th Destroyer Flotilla, attempted to rescue the stricken submarine *Thetis*. Although the submarine was found still intact, salvage attempts failed and only four men were saved when the ship sank with the remaining 99 trapped within.

### Second World War

On 3 September 1939, at the outbreak of the Second World War, *Ashanti* and the 6th Flotilla was escorting an Anglo-French squadron of battlecruisers, but *Ashanti* spent the rest of the month having damage to her turbine blades repaired. The 6th Flotilla combined operations with the Home Fleet with convoy escort duties, escorting Convoy HX 1, consisting of the troopships *Aquitania*, *Empress of Britain*, *Empress of Australia*, *Duchess of Richmond* and *Monarch of Bermuda*, carrying troops of the 1st Canadian Division to Britain. She was forced back to port in March 1940 after seawater leaked in and mixed with the boiler feedwater.

In April, after repairs were completed, she was deployed in the North Sea to support operations in Norway. She achieved little in this capacity, apart from being the target for numerous air attacks by German planes. One attack knocked out her main turbo-generator and the ship's power failed. She managed to zigzag her way out of the fjord and escape the attackers, and by June she was again in her role of escort and anti-submarine duties. On 10 August, she helped other naval vessels and trawlers rescue more than 300 survivors from the armed merchant cruiser HMS *Transylvania* which had been sunk earlier that day by the German submarine *U-56* some 40 miles to the north of the Ulster coast.

When the new battleship *King George V* was completed, *Ashanti* formed part of her escort to Scapa Flow. The main threat was mines and *Ashanti*, together with four other destroyers, took the lead in a secret, suicidal attempt to detonate any mines that might be in the area. In the darkness, *Fame* ran aground while at high speed in a murky drizzle. *Ashanti* was right behind her and although only doing six knots, struck her, damaging fuel lines on both ships and then *Fame* caught fire. The Tribal-class destroyer *Maori* also ran aground, destroying her ASDIC dome. Feelings were running high on board as no-one knew the objective of the operation. Matters were compounded as the tide was receding and the destroyers were left beached waiting for high-tide. When high-tide came, the destroyers were swung round onto rocks and damaged even more; *Ashanti* was so badly damaged by the rocks, that Vickers-Armstrongs sent out a repair crew. It took two weeks to refloat *Ashanti* and move it to Newcastle for extensive repairs and hull stiffening. It was almost a year before the ship was ready for action again.

Her next major deployment was with other Tribal-class destroyers in Operation Archery in the Lofoten Islands in Norway in December 1941. They cleared out the Germans in Vågsøy and used the islands as a base from which they attacked German shipping. Shore targets were hit and small German boats were damaged but the operation was abandoned on 28 December after German air attacks on the island's harbour increased. After the raid, Hitler was convinced that the British were preparing an invasion of Norway, and diverted many precious resources there in preparation for an attack.

The Tribal-class vessels were still together and after escorting Arctic convoys to Murmansk, they were sent to be part of a huge relief effort to Malta. They were then sent back to the Arctic to escort more Russian convoys. She, along with the other Tribal-class destroyers, were later re-equipped for this role, with insulation around vital areas to prevent cold weather damage.

*Ashanti* was an escort for the Arctic convoy PQ 18 to the Soviet Union which was attacked by numerous U-boats and German aircraft. Forty-two *Luftwaffe* Heinkel He 111 torpedo bombers and thirty-five Junkers Ju 88 dive bombers simultaneously attacked the convoy, swamping the defenders. U-boats began shadowing the convoy and some were sunk; *U-88* was sunk by the destroyer *Faulknor*, *U-457* by *Impulsive* and *U-589* by *Onslow* and aircraft from the escort carrier *Avenger*. Eight ships were sunk on 12 September, on 13 September, the Germans lost five Heinkels to Hurricane fighters. The tanker SS *Atheltemplar* was another casualty, being torpedoed on 14 September and abandoned. Later attacks were beaten off at the cost to the Germans of a further twenty aircraft shot down. Two more merchantmen were sunk by air attack in Murmansk harbour. In total, thirteen merchant ships were lost from the convoy.

The return convoy QP-14 was not spared German attack either, it came under attack by *U-703*. *Ashanti* and *Somali* worked together in hunting the U-boat, an operation which was hindered by lack of fuel. *Somali*, just after replacing *Ashanti*'s position, was torpedoed by the submarine and severely damaged. Most of her crew were evacuated but of the eighty who stayed aboard to save the ship, most were lost when it eventually sank. Five other ships were sunk in the same day, four by *U-435*, including the minesweeper HMS *Leda*.

Her next deployment was for Operation Torch, in which she escorted capital ships in preparation for the invasion of North Africa. Once the invasion had started on 8 November, she was deployed to prevent any interference from Axis ships in the Mediterranean. She remained in the Mediterranean Sea until June 1943, when more problems with her feedwater tanks required a major re-fit in the Thames commercial shipyard in the United Kingdom.

After the re-fit, she operated from Scapa Flow escorting Arctic convoys through the long Arctic nights of late 1943. From 1944, she patrolled the English Channel in preparation for the Normandy Landings. In this capacity, she closely co-operated with the Canadian Tribal-class destroyers *Haida* and *Huron*. For the invasion, she patrolled the channel and guarded against German surface ships in the Southwest Approaches and the Bay of Biscay area. On 9 June, a German destroyer group was found off Brittany and engaged by *Ashanti*, *Huron*, *Haida*, as well as *Eskimo*, *Javelin*, and the Polish destroyers *Piorun* and *Błyskawica* in the Battle of Ushant. The *Kriegsmarine* ship *Z32* was driven ashore and wrecked, *Z24* was severely damaged and *ZH1*, the ex-Dutch destroyer *Gerard Callenburgh*, was sunk. Her last action in the war was prevention of the evacuation of German personnel from France. On 5 August 1944, she engaged a German convoy off the Île d'Yeu and sank two escort minesweepers and a Patrol Vessel. *Haida* was damaged in the engagement. *Ashanti* was then taken in for an extensive and expensive re-fit and played no further part in the fighting. Other Royal Navy Tribal-class destroyers were sent to Asia to fight against the Empire of Japan.

## Fate

*Ashanti* had survived North Atlantic gales, technical trouble, the Norwegian Campaign, running aground, Arctic convoys, the invasion of North Africa, U-boat attacks, aircraft attacks, and some of the toughest destroyer fighting of the Second World War. Yet by the end of the war it was clear that she had out-lived her usefulness. She was paid-off and went into reserve after VJ Day. In 1947, she was put on the disposal list and used for ship target trials. On 12 April 1948 she arrived at West of Scotland Shipbreakers for demolition.

* Brice, Martin H. (1971). *The Tribals*. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0245-2.
* English, John (2001). *Afridi to Nizam: British Fleet Destroyers 1937–43*. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-64-9.
* Clarke, Alexander (2021). *Tribals, Battles and Darings: The Genesis of the Modern Destroyer*. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5267-5226-0.
* Friedman, Norman (2006). *British Destroyers and Frigates, the Second World War and After*. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-86176-137-6.
* Haarr, Geirr H. (2010). *The Battle for Norway: April–June 1940*. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-051-1.
* Haarr, Geirr H. (2009). *The German Invasion of Norway, April 1940*. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-310-9.
* Hodges, Peter (1971). *Tribal Class Destroyers*. London: Almark. ISBN 0-85524-047-4.
* Lenton, H. T. (1998). *British & Empire Warships of the Second World War*. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-048-7.
* March, Edgar J. (1966). *British Destroyers: A History of Development, 1892–1953; Drawn by Admiralty Permission From Official Records & Returns, Ships' Covers & Building Plans*. London: Seeley Service. OCLC 164893555.
* Rohwer, Jürgen; Hümmelchen, Gerhard (1992). *Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945*. London: Greenhill Books. ISBN 1-85367-117-7.
* Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). *Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two* (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
* Whitley, M. J. (1988). *Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia*. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1.

## Further reading

* Whitby, Michael (2022). "The Challenges of Operation 'Tunnel', September 1943 — April 1944". In Jordan, John (ed.). *Warship 2022*. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. pp. 29–46. ISBN 978-1-4728-4781-2.

## InfoBox

| *Ashanti* departing Hvalfjörður, Iceland, 6 February 1942 | |
| --- | --- |
| History | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Name | *Ashanti* |
| Namesake | Ashanti people |
| Ordered | 19 June 1936 |
| Builder | William Denny, Dumbarton |
| Cost | 340,770 |
| Laid down | 23 November 1936 |
| Launched | 5 November 1937 |
| Commissioned | 21 December 1938 |
| Identification | Pennant numbers: L51, F51, G51 |
| Motto | * *Kum Apim Beba* * (Ashanti: "Kill a thousand and a thousand will come") * Also: *Wo kum apim a, apim bз ba* |
| Honours and
awards | 8 battle honours |
| Fate | Scrapped, 1949 |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Class and type | Tribal-class destroyer |
| Displacement |  |
| Length | 377 ft (114.9 m) (o/a) |
| Beam | 36 ft 6 in (11.13 m) |
| Draught | 11 ft 3 in (3.43 m) |
| Installed power |  |
| Propulsion | 2 × shafts; 2 × geared steam turbines |
| Speed | 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph) |
| Range | 5,700 nmi (10,600 km; 6,600 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Complement | 190 |
| Sensors and
processing systems | ASDIC |
| Armament |  |


title: Piz Nadéls

abstract: Piz Nadéls is a mountain of the Swiss Lepontine Alps, located south of Trun in the canton of Graubünden. It lies on the chain between the Val Sumvitg and Val Zavragia. Its steep western face overlooks the Val Nadéls.

text:
# Piz Nadéls

**Piz Nadéls** is a mountain of the Swiss Lepontine Alps, located south of Trun in the canton of Graubünden. It lies on the chain between the Val Sumvitg and Val Zavragia.

Its steep western face overlooks the Val Nadéls.

## InfoBox

| Piz Nadéls | |
| --- | --- |
| Piz NadélsLocation in Switzerland | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,789 m (9,150 ft) |
| Prominence | 59 m (194 ft) |
| Parent peak | Piz Gren |
| Coordinates | 46°41′24.3″N 8°59′26.2″E / 46.690083°N 8.990611°E / 46.690083; 8.990611 |
| Geography | |
| Location | Graubünden, Switzerland |
| Parent range | Lepontine Alps |


title: Henry Deringer

abstract: Henry Deringer was an American gunsmith. He is best known for inventing and giving his name to the derringer pistol.

text:
# Henry Deringer

**Henry Deringer** (October 26, 1786 – February 28, 1868) was an American gunsmith. He is best known for inventing and giving his name to the derringer pistol.

## Early life

Deringer was born in Easton, Pennsylvania, on October 26, 1786, to colonial gunsmith Henry Deringer Sr. (1756–1833) and Catherine McQuety (1759–1829). The family moved to Philadelphia, where his father continued work on the Kentucky rifle, both an ornate sporting model and a basic version for the U.S. Army. He sent his son to Richmond to apprentice with another gunsmith there.

Henry Deringer moved back to Pennsylvania after serving his apprenticeship and set up shop in 1806 in Philadelphia, on Tamarind Street. He married Elizabeth Hollobush at the First Reformed Church in Philadelphia on April 5, 1810.

According to McElroy's directory in 1841 Deringer had a house/gun shop at 370 North Front Street, Northern Liberties, Pennsylvania.

## Work

Deringer's early efforts were for military contracts, producing military pistols, muskets and rifles. Among those he produced was the Model 1814 Common Rifle and the Model 1817 Common Rifle. He produced trade rifles, designated for the Native American tribes, to fulfill the U.S. treaty obligations. His specialties became fine sporting rifles and dueling pistols. He stopped pursuing government contracts by the mid-1840s.

In 1825 he designed the first of the large caliber, short barreled pistols that would lead to considerable wealth and fame for himself. Using the basic flintlock action in common usage at the time, the pistols were muzzle loading single shots, or in some cases, double barreled in an over-under manner.

Later models used the percussion cap action, although both actions were manufactured and sold for some time. For arms of his own design, he adopted the newer percussion cap technology, putting his pistol on the modern cutting edge. He was innovative; he perfected the percussion cap about 1820, and Deringer was marketing them by the 1830s, and possibly the mid-1820s.

## Name and trademark

Deringer never claimed a patent for his pistols and the public bought them as fast as he produced them. Further development and copying of his design resulted in the derringer (note the double-r) pistol that was generically manufactured widely by other companies.

There was widespread copying of his designs, including outright counterfeiting with his proofmarks being copied. One company even hired a tailor called "John" Deringer so that it could put the Deringer name on its firearms. Some of Deringer's workmen also left the company to set up their own duplicates, while others copied his pistols as closely as possible with some even putting on its Deringer name and trademark. Deringer fought these infringements for most of his business life. The *Deringer v. Plate* ruling, in which the California Supreme Court ruled in the company's favor, became a landmark in trademark law.

## Death

Deringer died in 1868 at the age of 81 and was buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.

1. Peterson, Harold L. (1971). *The Great Guns*. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, Inc. pp. 176–185. ISBN 978-0-448-02069-3.
2. "Chapel", Charles Edward (2002). "6". *Guns of the Old West*. Courier Dover Publications. p. 102. ISBN 978-0-486-42161-2.
3. A. McElroy & Co; Orrin Rogers (Firm); E.C. & J. Biddle (Firm) (1837). *McElroy's Philadelphia city directory*. Library Philadelphia Museum of Art. Philadelphia : A. McElroy & Co.
4. The American Rifle Shop, Inc. "1814 Common Rifle (516 A)". Retrieved 2011-12-19.
5. Robert P. Broadwater. "A Most Uncommon Rifle, The Model 1817 U.S. Flintlock". Retrieved 2011-12-20.
6. Flayderman, Norm (2007). "Percussion Deringers". *Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms and Their Values* (9 ed.). Iola, Wisconsin: F+W Media, Inc. p. 406. ISBN 978-0-89689-455-6.

## InfoBox

| Henry Deringer, Jr. | |
| --- | --- |
| The Henry Deringer pistol used by John Wilkes Booth | |
| Born | Henry Deringer
(1786-10-26)October 26, 1786
Easton, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Died | February 28, 1868(1868-02-28) (aged 81)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Inventor, gunsmith, businessman |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Hollobush |
| Children | Theophilus T. Deringer (1811–1874), Bronaugh McClain Deringer (1819−1868), Calhoun Mason Deringer (1824−1907), Eliza Deringer (1831–1907) |


title: Venantino Venantini

abstract: Venantino Venantini was an Italian film actor. He was the father of Victoria Venantini and Luca Venantini and appeared in more than 140 films between 1954 and 2018. He made his debut in the cinema with an appearance in Un giorno in pretura under the direction of Steno and he had his first important role in Odissea Nuda (1961), directed by Franco Rossi. Among the almost 150 films he performed in, some became cult favorites such as Les Tontons flingueurs, Amore libero - Free Love, Black Emanuelle and City of the Living Dead. He acted with actors such as Lino Ventura, Yves Montand, Alain Delon and Gérard Depardieu and for directors such as Ettore Scola, Luciano Salce and Dino Risi and for French film directors such as Georges Lautner, Gérard Oury and Claude Lelouch.

text:
# Venantino Venantini

**Venantino Venantini** (17 April 1930  9 October 2018) was an Italian film actor. He was the father of Victoria Venantini and Luca Venantini and appeared in more than 140 films between 1954 and 2018.

He made his debut in the cinema with an appearance in *Un giorno in pretura* under the direction of Steno and he had his first important role in *Odissea Nuda* (1961), directed by Franco Rossi. Among the almost 150 films he performed in, some became cult favorites such as *Les Tontons flingueurs*, *Amore libero - Free Love*, *Black Emanuelle* and *City of the Living Dead*.

He acted with actors such as Lino Ventura, Yves Montand, Alain Delon and Gérard Depardieu and for directors such as Ettore Scola, Luciano Salce and Dino Risi and for French film directors such as Georges Lautner, Gérard Oury and Claude Lelouch.

## Selected filmography

## InfoBox

| Venantino Venantini | |
| --- | --- |
| Venantini in 1966 | |
| Born | (1930-04-17)17 April 1930
Fabriano, Italy |
| Died | 9 October 2018(2018-10-09) (aged 88)
Viterbo, Italy |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1954–2018 |


title: ISO 3166-2:BF

abstract:
ISO 3166-2:BF is the entry for Burkina Faso in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1. Currently for Burkina Faso, ISO 3166-2 codes are defined for two levels of subdivisions:
  - 13 regions
  - 45 provinces Each code consists of two parts, separated by a hyphen. The first part is BF, the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code of Burkina Faso. The second part is either of the following:
  - two digits (01–13): regions
  - three letters: provinces

text:
# ISO 3166-2:BF

**ISO 3166-2:BF** is the entry for Burkina Faso in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions (e.g., provinces or states) of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1.

Currently for Burkina Faso, ISO 3166-2 codes are defined for two levels of subdivisions:

Each code consists of two parts, separated by a hyphen. The first part is BF, the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code of Burkina Faso. The second part is either of the following:

* two digits (0113): regions
* three letters: provinces

## Current codes

Subdivision names are listed as in the ISO 3166-2 standard published by the ISO 3166 Maintenance Agency (ISO 3166/MA).

*Click on the button in the header to sort each column.*

### Regions

| Code | Subdivision name (fr) |
| --- | --- |
| BF-01 | Boucle du Mouhoun |
| BF-02 | Cascades |
| BF-03 | Centre |
| BF-04 | Centre-Est |
| BF-05 | Centre-Nord |
| BF-06 | Centre-Ouest |
| BF-07 | Centre-Sud |
| BF-08 | Est |
| BF-09 | Hauts-Bassins |
| BF-10 | Nord |
| BF-11 | Plateau-Central |
| BF-12 | Sahel |
| BF-13 | Sud-Ouest |

### Provinces

| Code | Subdivision name (fr) | In region |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BF-BAL | Balé | 01 |
| BF-BAM | Bam | 05 |
| BF-BAN | Banwa | 01 |
| BF-BAZ | Bazèga | 07 |
| BF-BGR | Bougouriba | 13 |
| BF-BLG | Boulgou | 04 |
| BF-BLK | Boulkiemdé | 06 |
| BF-COM | Comoé | 02 |
| BF-GAN | Ganzourgou | 11 |
| BF-GNA | Gnagna | 08 |
| BF-GOU | Gourma | 08 |
| BF-HOU | Houet | 09 |
| BF-IOB | Ioba | 13 |
| BF-KAD | Kadiogo | 03 |
| BF-KEN | Kénédougou | 09 |
| BF-KMD | Komondjari | 08 |
| BF-KMP | Kompienga | 08 |
| BF-KOS | Kossi | 01 |
| BF-KOP | Koulpélogo | 04 |
| BF-KOT | Kouritenga | 04 |
| BF-KOW | Kourwéogo | 11 |
| BF-LER | Léraba | 02 |
| BF-LOR | Loroum | 10 |
| BF-MOU | Mouhoun | 01 |
| BF-NAO | Nahouri | 07 |
| BF-NAM | Namentenga | 05 |
| BF-NAY | Nayala | 01 |
| BF-NOU | Noumbiel | 13 |
| BF-OUB | Oubritenga | 11 |
| BF-OUD | Oudalan | 12 |
| BF-PAS | Passoré | 10 |
| BF-PON | Poni | 13 |
| BF-SNG | Sanguié | 06 |
| BF-SMT | Sanmatenga | 05 |
| BF-SEN | Séno | 12 |
| BF-SIS | Sissili | 06 |
| BF-SOM | Soum | 12 |
| BF-SOR | Sourou | 01 |
| BF-TAP | Tapoa | 08 |
| BF-TUI | Tuy | 09 |
| BF-YAG | Yagha | 12 |
| BF-YAT | Yatenga | 10 |
| BF-ZIR | Ziro | 06 |
| BF-ZON | Zondoma | 10 |
| BF-ZOU | Zoundwéogo | 07 |

## Changes

The following changes to the entry have been announced in newsletters by the ISO 3166/MA since the first publication of ISO 3166-2 in 1998. ISO stopped issuing newsletters in 2013.

| Newsletter | Date issued | Description of change in newsletter | Code/Subdivision change |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Newsletter II-2 | 2010-06-30 | Update of the administrative structure and of the list source | **Subdivisions added:**
13 regions |

The following changes to the entry are listed on ISO's online catalogue, the Online Browsing Platform:

| Effective date of change | Short description of change (en) | Code/Subdivision change |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2014-04-15 | Correction of the short name lowercase in French |  |
| 2016-11-15 | Change of spelling of BF-TUI; update list source | **Spelling change:**
BF-TUI Tui → Tuy |


title: Sai Kiran Adivi

abstract: Sai Kiran Adivi is an Indian Telugu film director and writer.

text:
# Sai Kiran Adivi

**Sai Kiran Adivi** is an Indian Telugu film director and writer.

## Career

Sai Kiran first worked as an assistant director to Sekhar Kammula. He made his debut as a director with *Vinayakudu* (2008), starring Krishnudu in the lead role. His next film was *Village Lo Vinayakudu*, the sequel to *Vinayakudu*. In 2015, Sai Kiran Adivi directed a romantic entertainer, *Kerintha*, which was produced by Dil Raju. His latest movie, *Operation Gold Fish*, released in October 2019. He is the cousin of actor Adivi Sesh.

## Filmography

| Year | Film | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|
| 2008 | *Vinayakudu* | Yes | Yes | No | Director debut |
| 2009 | *Villagelo Vinayakudu* | Yes | Yes | Yes |  |
| 2013 | *Kiss* | No | story | Yes |  |
| 2015 | *Kerintha* | Yes | story | No |  |
| 2019 | *Operation Gold Fish* | Yes | Yes | Yes |  |
|

## InfoBox

| Sai Kiran Adivi | |
| --- | --- |
| Born | (1976-08-11) 11 August 1976<br>Kalidindi, Andhra Pradesh, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation(s) | Director, Screenwriter, Screenplay writer |
| Spouse | Adivi Pratibha |
| Family | See Adivi Family |
| Awards | Nandi Awards (2009) |


title: Håvard Holmefjord Lorentzen

abstract: Håvard Holmefjord Lorentzen is a Norwegian speed skater specialising in the 500, 1000 and 1500 m distances.

text:
# Håvard Holmefjord Lorentzen

**Håvard Holmefjord Lorentzen** (/2hoːʋɑr 2hɔlməˌfjuːr 1luːrəntsn̩/; born 2 October 1992) is a Norwegian speed skater specialising in the 500, 1000 and 1500 m distances.

## Career

Lorentzen has a 9th place from the World Cup races in Heerenveen in December 2011 as his best international senior result, and was awarded the gold medal for the 1000 m for the 2012 World Junior Championships after the original winner Pavel Kulizhnikov was disqualified for a doping offence. Lorentzen represents Fana IL. Football player Håkon Holmefjord Lorentzen is a younger brother of Håvard.

At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Lorentzen surpassed expectations by winning the gold medal at the 500 m event and silver in the 1000 m event.

## Records

### Personal records

Updated January 2023

| **Personal records** | | | | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Men's speed skating** | | | | |
| Event | Result | Date | Location | Notes |
| 500 m | 34.28 | 10 March 2019 | Salt Lake City, United States | NR |
| 1000 m | 1:06.51 | 9 March 2019 | Salt Lake City, United States | NR |
| 1500 m | 1:44.45 | 15 November 2013 | Salt Lake City, United States |  |
| 3000 m | 3:49.83 | 2 November 2013 | Salt Lake City, United States |  |
| 5000 m | 6:39.99 | 7 November 2010 | Hamar, Norway |  |
| 10000 m | 14.40.65 | 24 February 2013 | Hamar, Norway |  |

### World records

List of World Records set by Håvard Holmefjord Lorentzen.

### Olympic records

List of Olympic Records set by Håvard Holmefjord Lorentzen.

## World Cup

### Overall in the World cup

Updated after the 2013/14 season.

| Season | 500 m | | 1 000 m | | 1 500 m | | 5 000 m/10 000 m | | Mass start | | Team pursuit | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | Place | Points | Place | Points | Place | Points | Place | Points | Place | Points | Place | Points |
| 2010/11 |  |  | 44 | 8 p | 38 | 14 p | 52 | 2 p |  |  |  |  |
| 2011/12 |  |  | 19 | 95 p | 24 | 45 p |  |  | 37 | 0 p |  |  |
| 2012/13 | 47 | 0 p | 48 | 9 p | 51 | 0 p |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 2013/14 | 49 | 4 p | 10 | 173 p | 20 | 72 p |  |  | 17 | 10 p | **3** | 270 p |

## InfoBox

Håvard Holmefjord Lorentzen
| At the National Sprint Championship 2012 in Asker | |
| --- | --- |
| Personal information | |
| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Born | (1992-10-02) 2 October 1992
Bergen, Norway |
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) |
| Sport | |
| Country | Norway |
| Sport | Speed skating |
| Event(s) | 500 m, 1000 m |
| Club | Fana IL |
| Medal record      Men's speed skating  Representing  Norway  Olympic Games  2018 Pyeongchang 500 m  2018 Pyeongchang 1000 m  2022 Beijing 1000 m  World Single Distance Championships  2019 Inzell 500 m  2020 Salt Lake City Team sprint  2023 Heerenveen Team sprint  2024 Calgary Team sprint  World Sprint Championships  2018 Changchun Sprint  2022 Hamar Team sprint  2017 Calgary Sprint  2022 Hamar Sprint  European Championships  2019 Collalbo Sprint  2020 Heerenven Team sprint  2022 Heerenveen Team sprint  2024 Heerenveen Team sprint | |


title: Inebriates Act 1898

abstract: The Inebriates Act 1898 was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which came into force in 1898. The Inebriates Act 1898 was directly due to the Jane Cakebread case. It allowed non-criminal inebriates to be admitted to reformatories for up to three years if they had been convicted of drunkenness four times in one year. Criminal inebriates were also included if they had been convicted of an imprisonable crime. State inebriate reformatories could be established by the Secretary of State paid for by the government. Certified inebriate reformatories satisfying the certification process of the Secretary of State could be created on the application of the council of any county or borough or of any persons desirous of establishing an inebriate reformatory. The Habitual Drunkards Act 1879 had allowed authorities to establish retreats for inebriates but payment by the inmate was required, thus excluding those working-class drunkards most at risk and with the least financial support. A year after the Inebriate Act's passage, the Journal of Mental Science viewed the results as disappointing in part due to lack of funding, with no reformatories at all in Scotland or Ireland and with those in England insufficient to meet demand. The immediate need for a reformatory for men was noted. As of December 1900, no state reformatories were built and councils did not fund any. Some councils made use of privately owned homes, such as Brentry, near Bristol, Duxhurst, near Reigate, and St Joseph's Reformatory at Ashford, Kent. A review of the Act reported "During the first year’s working of the new Act, only eighty-two patients were received, five under Section 1, upon conviction for an offence punishable by imprisonment or penal servitude; and seventy-two under Section 2, on a new conviction, after three previous convictions within a year, of an habitual drunkard. Of these, London has supplied sixty-one cases." By 1904, women accounted for 91% of those in inebriate retreats while accounting for 20% of convictions for drunkenness. Out of the 3636 compulsory admissions between 1899 and 1910, 84% were women. By 1906, nine of the eleven reformatories in England were exclusively for women, with the other two having space for both genders. The act was superseded by the Mental Deficiency Act 1913, reclassifying many inebriates as mental defectives. The last inebriate reformatories closed by the 1920s, though many were reclassified and operated as mental institutions.

text:
# Inebriates Act 1898

The **Inebriates Act 1898** (61 & 62 Vict. c. 60) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which came into force in 1898. The Inebriates Act 1898 was directly due to the Jane Cakebread case.

It allowed non-criminal inebriates to be admitted to reformatories for up to three years if they had been convicted of drunkenness four times in one year. Criminal inebriates were also included if they had been convicted of an imprisonable crime.

State inebriate reformatories could be established by the Secretary of State paid for by the government. Certified inebriate reformatories satisfying the certification process of the Secretary of State could be created on the application of the council of any county or borough or of any persons desirous of establishing an inebriate reformatory.

The Habitual Drunkards Act 1879 (42 & 43 Vict. c. 19) had allowed authorities to establish retreats for inebriates but payment by the inmate was required, thus excluding those working-class drunkards most at risk and with the least financial support.

A year after the Inebriate Act's passage, the *Journal of Mental Science* viewed the results as disappointing in part due to lack of funding, with no reformatories at all in Scotland or Ireland and with those in England insufficient to meet demand. The immediate need for a reformatory for men was noted.

As of December 1900, no state reformatories were built and councils did not fund any. Some councils made use of privately owned homes, such as Brentry, near Bristol, Duxhurst, near Reigate, and St Joseph's Reformatory at Ashford, Kent. A review of the Act reported "During the first year’s working of the new Act, only eighty-two patients were received, five under Section 1, upon conviction for an offence punishable by imprisonment or penal servitude; and seventy-two under Section 2, on a new conviction, after three previous convictions within a year, of an habitual drunkard. Of these, London has supplied sixty-one cases."

By 1904, women accounted for 91% of those in inebriate retreats while accounting for 20% of convictions for drunkenness. Out of the 3636 compulsory admissions between 1899 and 1910, 84% were women. By 1906, nine of the eleven reformatories in England were exclusively for women, with the other two having space for both genders.

The act was superseded by the Mental Deficiency Act 1913, reclassifying many inebriates as mental defectives. The last inebriate reformatories closed by the 1920s, though many were reclassified and operated as mental institutions.

## InfoBox

Inebriates Act 1898
| Act of Parliament | |
| --- | --- |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | |
| Long title | An Act to provide for the treatment of Habitual Inebriates. |
| Citation | 61 & 62 Vict. c. 60 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 12 August 1898 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1976 |
| Status: Partially repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Text of the Inebriates Act 1898 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. | |


title: Industry and the Eglinton Castle estate

abstract: The Eglinton Castle estate was situated at Irvine, on the outskirts of Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland in the former district of Cunninghame. Eglinton Castle, was once home to the Montgomeries, Earls of Eglinton and chiefs of the Clan Montgomery. Eglinton Country Park now occupies part of the site. A dense network of mineral railway lines existed in the 19th and 20th centuries; the trackbed now being used as cycle paths in several places. A complex set of collieries, coal pits, tile works, fire-clay works and workers villages are evident from records such as OS maps. Little now remains of the buildings and railway lines, apart from at Lady Ha' Colliery, but irregular depressions in the ground, embankments, cuttings, coal bings and abandoned bridges all bear witness to what was at one time a very active coalfield with associated industries and infrastructure.

text:
# Industry and the Eglinton Castle estate

The **Eglinton Castle estate** was situated at Irvine, on the outskirts of Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland (map reference NS 3227 42200) in the former district of Cunninghame. Eglinton Castle, was once home to the Montgomeries, Earls of Eglinton and chiefs of the Clan Montgomery. Eglinton Country Park now occupies part of the site.

A dense network of mineral railway lines existed in the 19th and 20th centuries; the trackbed now being used as cycle paths in several places. A complex set of collieries, coal pits, tile works, fire-clay works and workers villages are evident from records such as OS maps. Little now remains of the buildings and railway lines, apart from at Lady Ha' Colliery, but irregular depressions in the ground, embankments, cuttings, coal bings and abandoned bridges all bear witness to what was at one time a very active coalfield with associated industries and infrastructure.

## Oil

In the 1860s records for the Perceton freight line show that shale oil was being transported from Fergushill pit to West Lothian.

## Coal mining

### The coal seams

McMichael records that nine coal seams underlie the Parish of Kilwinning, their names and dimensions from top to bottom being : Five-quarter coal, 2 feet 11 inches (0.89 m); parrot coal, 2 feet 4 inches (0.71 m); turf coal, 2 feet 4 inches (0.71 m); wee coal, No.1, 2 feet 2 inches (0.66 m); lady ha' coal, 2 feet 2 inches (0.66 m); ell coal, 2 feet 3 inches (0.69 m); stone coal, 2 feet 4 inches (0.71 m); wee coal No.2, 2 feet (0.61 m); and main coal, 3 feet (0.91 m).

### Early coal exploration in the area

Apart from direct involvement in the provision of coal from their own estates the earls provided loans to others, such as to Robert Cunninghame of Auchenharvie who developed extensive coal mining operations in the Barony of Stevenston. The results were variable, however the Earls did obtain some new lands, rents, tolls and other benefits.

The earliest form of coal mining was at what was called adits or in Scotland, 'ingaun e'es' (ingoing eyes), in which exposed coal was mined through the coal seam itself. These were typically in places such as valleys where erosion had exposed the coal veins.

At first in the 16th century, peat, charcoal or timber were the preferred fuels and only when they were in short supply was coal actively sought. The Eglinton Estate papers record details of tenants petitioning for coal to be provided, however the cost involved and the farmers lack of ability to pay often made such mining uneconomic. In the 17th century dwindling supplies of other fuels and demand from developing towns in Ireland led to coal mining becoming economically viable and sometimes highly remunerative.

The Doura pits had been worked at the time of Mary Queen of Scots (1542–1587), when they had supplied coal to the Palace of Holyrood and Edinburgh Castle. It was later abandoned on being flooded. This is not as unlikely as it seems because the mining methods of the time had exhausted the known accessible coal stocks and that their existed an "exhorbitant dearth and scantness of fewale within the Realme". In the 18th century and before, Dowra (sic), was a 'household word' in the district due to the excellent quality of the coal it produced.

Coal workings and wastes at Monkridding near Kilwinning were recorded by Timothy Pont in 1608, extending between 50 and 100 acres (0.40 km2), associated with the limestone.

In the 1660s coal mining activities intensified on the Eglinton estates, partly to supply the needs of the Irish who had none. Coal heughs were shallow pits and in 1686 they had been sunk at Doura and Armsheugh, the coal being taken down to Irvine via the Drukken Steps or via Stanecastle.

The Earls demanded extremely high rents for their coal mines and they did not work the Fergushill pits as they were required for the 'use of the House of Eglinton'. This policy may have been to conserve their coal supplies and it resulted in high prices and a shortage.

Charles Sherriff was sub-factor to the 10th Earl between 1759 and 1761 and coal manager during the 1760s. At Fergushill Provost William McTaggart paid £2000 Scots for twenty coal hewers in the 18th century.

In 1771 the Earl had a pit and feued an 'avenue from the Circle at the Mains down to the river' from Irvine Burgh. He had permission to build roads, waggonways, breastworks, and coal rees on the river side.

In 1808 William Aiton recorded coal mining at Eglinton, Doura, and Sourlie.

John Smith in 1895 records *the remains of an old lade, which supplied water to drive a wheel wherewith the old coal-pits used to be drained.* This was an early example of the use of water-gins (water-wheels) to help drain mines.

The Eglinton Colliery was the main centre for the earls coal operations in the 18th century, however it was flooded when miners broke into old waste at Fergushill in 1747; Millburn Colliery was also operated at this time. 28 hewers were employed at the time. Agents worked Redburn and Fergushill until these were laid up in 1790.

In 1872 the 14th Earl, Archibald William, took in £9,500 a year from mineral royalties, around £900,000 in modern terms (2009); he collected an additional £37,000 a year from rents, worth around £2,500,000 in 2009.

### Coal pits

Many of the small pits were mined and formed by the bell pit method which had a vertical shaft, followed by the horizontal removal of coal and finally an infilling with material from another bell pit. Eventually these partly back-filled pits collapsed and formed dry or more usually flooded bell shaped pits; this method ofmining was only possible where coal was close to the surface. The term pit continued to be used for more complex mining sites and generally referred to each shaft.

The 10th Earl had sunk bell pits in Kyleshill Street in Saltcoats in 1759-60. The wives and daughters had carried out the coal hewed by the men up ladders on their backs. A local poet had written:

A Dr. Duguid was the doctor for the Doura pit in the 18th century and recorded that when the flooded pit was drained, William Ralston, the ganger, found the old workmen's tools and their bones at the coal face. In the 18th century another disaster took place at Doura after heavy frosts had loosened the pit soil and the pit supports gave way. Pate Brogildy from the Redboiler survived, however he later had his arm ripped off at the shoulder blade by the flywheel of the pit steam engine. He survived as the twisting motion of the 'amputation' had sealed the arteries. Willie Forgisal (Fergushill?) of Torranyard had his leg amputated above the knee. James Jamphrey from Corsehill was killed instantly.

A William Forgisal (Fergushill) of Torranyard was a miner at the Doura Pit in the 18th century. He lost his leg in a mining accident, as had his father. William's wife was a tough sort, her comment being on seeing him so encumbered, was that the Forgisals would need a small plantation of their own to keep them in crutches.

The Statistical Account records that the coals at Doura were ell and stone-coals. Easter Doura mine employed 12 – 16 colliers and was owned by Lord Lisle and was leased by him for £140 per annum in the 18th century.

In 1725 the Earl of Eglinton was granted a 57 year tack from Patrick Warner to work coal within the lands of Dovecothall (Ardeer) and Piperheugh. In 1774 Patrick Warner and Robert Reid Cunningham signed a mutual agreement to work coal on the lands of Ardeer and Pyperheugh (sic).

John and George Taylor, sons of a lawyer, are recorded as having held leases for coal mines at Bartonholm and Doura in the early 19th century.

The Corsehillmuir pits were located near Corsehillhead and Five roads; a number of other pits were located nearby and at Buckreddan, off the Bannoch road. Moncur pit was rail served and located near Mid Moncur farm. Numerous coal pits were present in the Doura, Benslie, Auchenwinsey and Sourlie areas.

Coal pits were located ar Redburn near Redburn House and at Dykehead near the confluence of the Garnock and the Lugton Water. These pits were joined to the rail network via the line at Dirrans.

In 1856 a pit was located at South Millburn with an associated pit cottage, however by 1881 the pit had closed. The levelled bing or spoil heap is still apparent in the nearby field.

### Eglinton Collieries

The 1856 OS map shows 28 pits in the vicinity of Irvine, but only 12 by 1874.

A colliery is a coal mine together with its physical plant and outbuildings. It differs from a pit in the degree of complexity and sophistication; by inference the term is used for coal mines established from the time of the industrial revolution onwards.

Eglinton No.10 was also known as Corsehillhead; Knox's; Lady Gardener; and Pyetbog. It produced Ladyha', Ell and Wee coal, being abandoned in 1900. Fergushills nos 29 and 30 (named Montgomeryfield after a miner who died at the mine) were near Sourlie Hill roundabout; Fergushills nos 28 & 26 (Sourlie), the 'Happy Home' were near the Draught Burn and closed on 15 July 1921 (the bings survive). Fergushill 28's railway culvert for the Draught Burn survives; the burn has however changed course. 100 men were employed here; Fergushill no 22, the 'Diamond', was at Chapelholms (the bings survive), abandoned 1889; Fergushill 23, also called the 'Happy Home', was near no 22; Shipmill no 3 was near Sourlie, opened in the mid 1930s and closed on 13 October 1945; Fergushill no 17, Rover, was near Chapelholms Wood (bings survive), abandoned 1921; Fergushill (Holm) no 23 was near North Millburn farm (the bings survive).

Moncur no 4 & no 5 were near Eglinton Kennels (bings survive), abandoned 1919; Ladyha no 1 was at the Bannoch Road; Ladyha no 2 was at Lady Ha' (substantial remains); and Eglinton no 1, Lady Sophia (name after the 14th Earl's eldest daughter, opened in 1883 & closed 1930), was near the hospital; Redburn closed in 1930. Eglinton colliery and Ladyha no 1 were situated near Buckreddan, just off the Bannoch Road. Redstone colliery was located near Kenneth's castle towards Bridgend. A colliery was present at Bartonholm, closed by Bairds in 1928; Bogside closed in 1929. Other collieries were at Stobbs, Monkridden, and Seven Acres (Snacres).

The Diamond pit (Fergushill no 22) explains the modern name 'Diamond Bridge' which is given to Chapelholms bridge and the name 'Diamond Lodge' which may have been the now demolished Chapel cottage. Black Diamond was a favourite horse of one of the Earls.

The Statistical Account records that the coals at Doura were main and stone-coals. Laigh Fergus-hill (sic) mine was owned by Mr McDowal and was leased by him for £100 per annum in the 18th century. Eglinton Colliery was flooded for some years after miners broke into an old waste at Fergushill in November 1747. The early mines were laid up in the 1790s.

#### Ladyha No 2 colliery

The colliery infrastructure consisted of: 1 – Downcast shaft & winding engine house; 2 – upcast shaft and winding engine/cum pump house; 3 – engineer's and blacksmith's shops; 4 – winch house; 5 – store; 6 – office; 7 – boiler house and chimney; 8 – screening house; 9 – fan/compressor house; 10 – wagon traverser; 11 – underground band haulage.

Ladyha No 2 pit was sunk in 1885 to a depth of 568 feet (173 m) and closed in May 1934, having struggled since its main customer, the Eglinton Iron Company, closed in 1928. A fairly substantial brick-lined tunnel still survives which once carried a standard gauge railway line unobtrusively to Ladyha colliery, out of the Earl's sight and the smoke kept away from the kitchen gardens' greenhouses and plants. Other such cosmetic tunnels exist at Alloway and near Culzean Castle. The tunnel was used during World War II as a bomb shelter and storage area for furniture; it remains in good condition. The old colliery ruins were razed to the ground in 2011, having been assessed as a danger to the public.

Views of the old Ladyha colliery and tunnel prior to 2011

#### Longford Misk, Snodgrass Misk and Bartonholm coal workings

A plan of these coal workings was produced in 1841 shows the extensive infrastructure of Snodgrass Misk colliery in particular, with numerous tunnels running under the Water of Garnock, leaks recorded and several coal loading places. Snodgrass pit itself was served in addition by a short canal. Longford Misk had a less complex layout, however an apparent waggonway is shown leading to a coal loading point on the river. On Bartonholm at this time were located a mining village and the pits of William, John, and New or Gorge.

### Opencast mining

An opencast mine was established by Irvine Development Corporation (IDC) and the National Coal Board/British Coal at Sourlie in the 1983. Linnbed, Parrot, Turf and Wee coals were mined; stoops from the 'Hutch Longwall' method of coal extraction within old collieries were exposed during excavations. All the suitable coals had been removed by 1986 and reclamation completed by 1987. The Draught Burn was diverted to accommodate this and the surviving 'Settling pond or lagoon' comes from the project.

Reclamation involved the creation of a feature on the restored Sourlie Hill, now known as confusingly as 'Cairnmount' (the original Cairnmount is located a short distance to the north-east), as part of the landscaping of the mine site, the large boulders for this project were found during the works. These standing stones are seen by many as genuine ancient megaliths. A large landscape 'bowl' was also created. The categories of coal extracted were Five Quarter, Linnbed, Parrot, Turf and Wee, totalling 255,028 Tonnes with 5.6 million metres cubed of material excavated in total.

Upon the closure of Sourlie opencast, coal mining on the Eglinton Estate had finally ceased after nearly five centuries.

Several sub-fossil antlers of Reindeer (29,900 years old) and also bones of the Woolly Rhinoceros *Coelondonta antiquitatis*, (50-100,000 years old) were found at Sourlie. Both of these species was hunted by early humans, who may have caused their extinction.

#### Sourlie views

## Mine disasters

### Deaths and injuries

Mining is a very hazardous, if not the most hazardous occupation; deaths and severe injuries were an inevitable part of the job as indicated by the following selection from the records:-

At Bartonholm no 3 in 1871 four were killed when fire damp was ignited – William Graham age 55, Charles McDonald age 56, Thomas McQuade age 45, and Samuel Holmes age 29. In 1874 at Eglinton Colliery an oversmen, James Lawson, aged 59, was killed when he fell down the shaft. In December 1874 a 16-year-old collier, Alexander Cupples, was killed at Bartonholm when the roof and sides of the tunnel collapsed. On 19 July 1883, at Redburn Pit, James Shearer 18 years of age, was very seriously injured when he accidentally fell off his horse and was run over by several of the hutches he was pulling. On 15 May 1908 Thomas Kirkwood, aged 24, was killed while at work in Sourlie pit; he was buried beneath a fall from the roof, and suffocated. On 3 May 1911 at Redburn No 1, Andrew Blackley was killed by a fall from the roof. On 27 March 1913 at Lady Sophia pit, Robert M'Grevey, 39 years of age, was instantaneously killed while at the Lady Sophia pit, when he was struck by a fall of coal and killed instantly. On 11 November 1920 Henry Coulter, died as the result of injuries caused by a breakaway of hutches which took place in Lady Ha' pit. Besides other injuries, his back was broken, and he died on the way to the Infirmary. A miner named Daniel Wales was instantaneously killed by a fall of stones in Lady Ha' Pit on 20 September 1921. On 19 April 1927 a miner named Alexander Duncan, was accidentally killed while at work in the Lady Ha' Pit. Alexander was engaged along with his brother in clearing away a fall when he was crushed by two large stones which came away from the roof.

#### An incident at the Fergushill No 22, Diamond pit

On 7 August 1913 an explosion occurred at this pit, which belonged to Messrs A. Finnie & Sons. Two miners named Andrew Allardyce and Hugh Galone, were at work in a section of the pit by themselves when the accident occurred. A miner named Hugh Montgomery, who was working in another part of the pit some hundreds of yards distant, became conscious of a vibration, and at first thought that something had gone wrong in No 23 pit, which connects with No 22. On further inquiry, however, he had reason to believe that the explosion had taken place in the workings occupied by the two men named, and this was confirmed by two pony drivers, who emerged from the direction of the occurrence.

The condition of the air was such that the area could not be reached. Later, in travelling along the air course, the rescuers came across Hugh Galone, who had crawled from the danger zone to the pit bottom, a distance of about 300 yards. Hugh was in a semi-conscious condition, and was unable to tell anything of the accident. At the surface it was found that he had sustained serious burning injuries besides shock, and he was taken to Kilmarnock Infirmary for treatment. The remains of Allardyce were recovered later.

### The Garnock and the Kilwinning mine flooding disaster of 1833

On 20 June 1833 the surface of the Garnock was seen to be ruffled and it was discovered that a section of the river bed had collapsed into mineworkings beneath. The river was now flowing into miles of mineworkings of the Snodgrass, Bartonholm and Longford collieries. Attempts were made to block the breach with clay, whin, straw, etc to no avail. The miners had been safely brought to the surface and were able to witness the sight of the river standing dry for nearly a mile downstream, with fish jumping about in all directions. The tide brought in sufficient water to complete the flooding of the workings and the river level returned to normal.

The weight of the floodwater was so great that the compressed air broke through the ground in numerous places and many acres of ground were observed to bubble up like a pan of boiling water. In some places rents and cavities appeared measuring four or five feet in diameter, and from these came a roaring sound described as being like steam escaping from a safety valve. For about five hours great volumes of water and sand were thrown up into the air like fountains and the mining villages of Bartonholm, Snodgrass, Longford and Nethermains were flooded.

## The Eglinton Ironworks

Archibald William, the 13th Earl of Eglinton purchased all the lands concerned with the inundation by the River Garnock and through the simple expedient of cutting a short canal at Bogend, across the loop of the river involved, he bypassed the breach and once the river course had been drained and sealed off he was able in 1853 to have the flooded mineworkings pumped out. The breach lay on the sea side of the loop close to Bogend on the Snodgrass Holm side. The Earl leased the mines to Bairds of Gartsherrie and the "Eglinton Iron Works" were born. In 1855, after considerable investigation, the company introduced the Longwall method of mining, producing more coal more cheaply, however although owning a number of mines, they mainly purchased their coal from other mine owners.

Bairds of Gartsherrie reached agreement with Archibald William, 13th Earl of Eglinton, on land costs and mineral royalties and by midsummer 1845 work on the Eglinton Ironworks was well underway at Stobbs farm between Irvine and Kilwinning. The 1866 ironworks colliers strike led to unemployed Cornish tin miners being employed. Eglinton ironworks village 1850 to 1930s. The Eglinton Iron Company had at one point covered 28 hectares (69 acres) with eight furnaces and a 100,000 ton iron production per year.

John Jack was the first manager and the well known Ayrshire antiquary, geologist and natural historian, John Smith (1846–1930) was manager for Messrs W. Baird at the ironworks from 1870 to 1890, moving here from Lugar. The works closed in 1924. Only the Blacklands Community Centre remains as the old Bairds miners library and recreation hall; even the slag heap has been removed to build the Hunterston Deep Water terminal.

## Industrial relations

Usually the Earls left industrial relations to employees, however Lady Susanna, wife of the 9th Earl, was involved in the general supervision of miners on the estate as shown by her correspondence and the fact that she intervened in the 1749 – 50 labour unrest. A new grieve at the Earl's Millburn pit reduced the hewing rates and the hewers complained that they were like 'severest slaves' and had to work 14 hours a day, six days a week to make a living. They also claimed that at the end of the working day they were so exhausted that they struggled to even exit the pit.

Susanna summoned the miners to Eglinton Castle to try and sort things out, as a result of which several of the miners signed a 'disclamation' which they later tried to repudiate. The lawyer who dealt with the case stated that *it is probable a Lady of great Beauty of Address might prevail with some of the old Coalziers to sign any paper.*

The Eglinton miners in the 1749 dispute appear to have acted peaceably, causing no damage to pit-headgear, pumps, etc. Despite their good behaviour they were accused of being *so many mutinous and unruly Coaliers who had ... without any just Cause or Colour deserted their Masters work*. The employers also warned the courts of the dire consequences of leniency.

In 1799 the Fergushill barony became the property of the 12th Earl of Eglinton and Winton, and the Fergushill miners were sold with the land, a normal practice for the time. The workers owned their bodies, however the Earl owned their labour and quitting their work was regarded as theft. This arose from an infamous labour Act of 1606 (Anent Coilyearis and Saltaris, c. 2).

The Earl of Eglinton claimed to have given up a valuable colliery in 1766 due to the loss of profits caused by miners demands and labour practices.

The bondage under which the miners (and Salters) worked was not removed until acts of Parliament in 1775 & 1799. By 1882 it was illegal for boys and girls below the age of ten to work in the mines.

## Transportation

### Internal

Within the early mine tunnel or roads, coal was loaded into hutches which were dragged on skids, sometimes on wooden plank-ways, however at the earl's colliery near Redburn small unsaleable coal was packed to form a smooth surface, a cheaper alternative to the use of wood.

### External

#### Roads

Coal was at first carried on pack animals in panniers as the roads before the late 18th century were not suitable for wheeled vehicles. As a result of this, canals, waggonways and railways were developed.

One route for coal transport from Armsheugh and Doura was via the Drukken Steps, stepping stones on the course of the 1774 Toll Road, which ran from the west end of Irvine through Eglinton to Kilwinning via Milnburn or Millburn; crossing the Red burn near Knadgerhill. and running passed 'The Higgins' cottage, (now demolished).55°37.902′N 004°39.355′W / 55.631700°N 4.655917°W / 55.631700; -4.655917

In 1805 the Earl obtained permission to turnpike the road that ran through the Eglinton estate to the village of Saltcoats and its harbour. He used his own workforce to maintain the road and his expenses were covered by levying toll charges at the toll barriers he constructed. The transport of 'Cunninghame' coal was a major and disputed source of income.

#### Canals

In the 1840s a short canal carried coal from the colliery at Snodgrass to the Garnock and beyond. The Montgomeries were intent on creating a major harbour at Ardrossan and they intended to make it the principal port for Glasgow by building a canal link to Glasgow; the Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal. Construction from the Glasgow end began in 1807 and the first boat, the passenger boat, The Countess of Eglinton, was launched in 1810; completion to Glasgow's Port Eglinton from Paisley was achieved in 1811, but the section to Ardrossan was never built.

#### Waggonways

As early as 1725 a waggonway was planned and possibly built from a Fergushill coal pit to Irvine Harbour.

The Ardrossan and Johnstone Railway was built by the Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal company as a waggonway between Ardrossan harbour and Kilwinning which opened in 1831. It was initially built to the Scotch gauge of 4 ft 6 in (1,372 mm) and was worked by horses. It had a passenger services worked by a carriages, which held 24 passengers; 16 inside and 8 outside. The 3-mile (4.8 km) long Doura branch left the main line north of Stevenston (Dubbs Junction) and ran east (past where the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway later crossed over it) to a bridge crossing the River Garnock just before the Dirrans sawmill. From there it ran northeast (on an embankment beside Bannoch Road) to reach the Doura pit.

The 0.5-mile (0.80 km) North Fergus Hill branch left the Doura branch at South Fergushill, just after the Lugton Water crossing to reach the Fergus Hill coal pit. Crossing gates were located at Dirrans, Corsehill, Saughtrees and Fergushill. Clonbeith siding was located near the Fergushill gates. The Fergushill drive entrance into the Eglinton Estate passed Chapelholm Woods was carried over the railway by a bridge; this has since been demolished.

In 1833 Sir James Cunningham extended the Doura branch to his extensive coal and fireclay workings at Perceton. Up until the 1850s this line was worked using horse haulage. Each wagon carried about one ton of coal. The Doura branch was private until 1839 when the Ardrossan Railway Company came into being.

In 1836 60,000 tons of coal were carried to Ardrossan on the waggonway from the Earl's Kilwinning pits. Between 28 July 1834 and September 1835 over 21,000 people had been carried on the railway using the regular passenger service. By the late 1830s the annual figure was around 30,000.

A rare waggon-way bridge for the original 1.37 metres / 4 ft 6 in horse drawn railway (later relaid as standard gauge) still survives near South Fergushill farm on the B 785 Fergushill Road (see photograph), this being part of a 22-mile (35 km) long line that ran from the Doura pit to Ardrossan.

#### The Hurry

A 'Hurry' or loading dock was located at the end of Millburn Drive and later became a coup where rubbish from the Benslie Square miners dwellings was disposed of. The Hurry was served by the old Doura waggonway line and may have been built in relation to the carriage of items needed for the stands etc of the 1839 Eglinton Tournament from Ardrossan Harbour. In 1840 the old waggonway was replaced by a Standard Gauge railway that ran on a slightly different alignment and did not run in front of the Hurry's dock or to Doura. A short siding ran up to the end of a lane that ran down the western side of the Hurry where waggons could be parked for the unloading of materials such as fertiliser, etc. By 1895 this short siding had been lifted and the Hurry had become a coup and was starting to be grown over by trees. The loading dock wall is constructed from old red sandstone sleepers, each pierced by two holes.

#### Details of the ruins of the South Millburn Pit Cottage – 2007

#### 1830s waggonway rail

A section of the light weight 1831 waggonway track survived at Millburn near Benslie and was recovered in 2009 for restoration and study.

This Vignole type section track has a large surface of contact with the sleeper and is therefore a flat-bottomed rail rather than double-headed, bull-headed, etc. It is 15 feet (4.57 m) long, typical of early rail lengths and has no holes for fishplates as these were not invented until after 1839; special joint-chairs were used at that time to hold the ends in place. The fishplate, originally without bolt holes, was invented by William Bridges Adams in May 1842 and used from 1849.

Holed red sandstone blocks and iron spikes have been found at Benslie showing that the wrought iron rails were held in place by iron spikes hammered into wood plugs in the stone sleepers. The rail height is much less than a typical modern rail as it was not designed to carry the weight of a locomotive. The rail dimensions are 2.5 inches (6.35 cm) high; 2.75 inches (6.99 cm) wide at the bottom (the foot); 1.5 inches (3.81 cm) wide at the top (the head). The central web is much shorter than that found on conventional rails.

#### Railways

The Doura branch was private until 1839 when the Ardrossan Railway Company came into being. The re-laying of track with a heavier rail and the gauge conversion from 4 ft 6 in (1.37 m) to 4 ft 8½ in was all carried out in a period of one week in 1840. The landowners had paid for the extension and the line had its gradients and curves altered to allow for locomotive working. In 1840 the line was connected with the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway at Kilwinning station; and in 1854 both lines merged with the new Glasgow and South Western Railway.

The first railway locomotives was 'Firefly', built by Barr and McNab of Paisley, followed in 1846 by two 2:2:2 types, 'Tam O'Shanter' and 'Soutar Johnnie'.

In 1845 Messrs. Taylor and Kenneth leased the earl's Moncur pits and agreed to transport three quarters of their coal via the railway and the port of Ardrossan.

Every colliery was linked by mineral lines to the main rail network and trackbeds, embankments, cuttings, bridges, etc are still evident in many places around Sourlie, Fergushill, Benslie, Auchenwinsey, Dirrens, etc.

The earl was a shareholder in the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway and therefore a joint owner with the Duke of Portland and Captain Boyle of Shewalton as the railway company was only the leaseholder.

## Harbours and shipping

In the early 18th century the 9th Earl had contracts with a number of local shipmasters. The 12th Earl constructed Ardrossan Harbour for the Irish coal traffic.

The Ardrossan harbour project was officially started on 31 July 1806. The navigation of the Clyde above the Cumbraes was difficult and up river of Port Glasgow, open only to small craft. In 1815, with over £100,000 having already been spent, and the contractors, Telford and Rennie pressing for £300,000 more, the works ceased. They were not restarted until 1833, after the death of the 12th Earl. The 13th Earl completed the harbour on a greatly reduced scale, the total cost amounting to £200,000. The completed harbour had two tidal basins of 6 and 18 acres (73,000 m2), and a wet-dock of 4 acres (16,000 m2).

The Earls owned the north part of Saltcoats harbour, the Cunninghame family owning the rest. Saltcoats was a very busy harbour in the 18th century and problems with silting, together with legal conflicts made the 12th Earl decided on developing his harbour and town of Ardrossan instead.

## Other industries and miscellaneous infrastructure

In the Chapelholms wood the 1938 map marks a hydraulic ram and cistern in a bend of the Lugton Water close to one of the old Fergushill collieries. Hydraulic rams harnesses the flow or current force of water to pump a portion of the water being used to power the pump to a point higher than where the water originally started. Rams were often used in remote locations, since it requires no outside source of power other than the kinetic energy of falling water.

As stated, a fairly substantial brick-lined tunnel still survives which once carried a standard gauge railway line unobtrusively to Lady ha' colliery, out of the Earl's sight and the smoke kept away from the kitchen gardens' greenhouses and plants.

The 1850s OS map shows a forge and a smithy at Buckreddan off the Bannoch Road.

The placename 'Red Boiler' near Fergushill marked the site where steam boilers from the collieries were scoured out and then reused.

Steam boilers are marked on OS maps at a number of the collieries, such as Redstone.

A water powered sawmill and also coke ovens were located at the Dirrans.

Roy's 1747 map shows a Lugton Mill near the junction of the Lugton Water and the River Garnock. In 1814 a flour mill was located at Fergushill, on the Eglinton Castle side of the Lugton Water upstream of the bridge; a miller's house was situated on the other side of the river. The building of the waggonway and bridge seems to have resulted in the demolition of this house.

## Miners and workers rows or villages

Miners rows were built at Bartonholm, Corsehill, Snodgrass, Blacklands, Sourlie, Dirrans, Longford, Annick Lodge, Nethermains, Shipmill, Fergushill, Doura and Benslie. Douglas records the Eglinton Iron Works village as having 1,014 occupants in 1874.

A number of collier's, hewer's or miner's rows existed close to the various collieries and the ironworkers had a 'village' at the Blacklands and at Byrehill near Kilwinning from 1850 to the 1930s. The village had a double row of forty-two apartment houses, a cross row of fifteen similar houses, and a single row of sixty single apartment houses. Another row, called the Brick Row, had thirty-four houses in it. One store was provided.

In 1874 Dobie records that a miner's village called Fergushill existed with a population of 531. Groome refers to the colliers village as having been established in around 1835.

Fergushill miners' village, was owned by Messrs. Finnie & Son. It was composed of 7 rows of cottages. There were ten thatched cottages. In 1913 63 persons lived here. One room, measuring 9 by 6 feet (2.7 by 1.8 m), held thirteen persons. The rows had names like Wellington and Burn. At one time there were 78 houses in the village, with a population of 363. It was demolished and nothing now remains at the site, other than North Fergushill farm.

Benslie's miners rows, the 'Benslie Square', were made up of 57 stone built miners houses, like Fergushill, owned by A. Finnie and Son. Coalmasters. In 1913 the village was said to be 67 years old. The population was 318 in 1881. At first the houses only existed at the 'Square' and then later the village was extended towards the road which runs up passed the church. A number of coal pits were in the area as shown by the first edition OS map, one pit being close to the 'Millburn Cottage' opposite South Millburn. In 1937 most of the miner's rows were demolished and the miners were moved to the Dirrans.

A dwelling near South Millburn was known as the South Millburn Pit House in 1871 and after the pit had closed it became known as Millburn Cottage

Collier's rows are marked on OS maps at Corsehill, where the Eglinton Colliery school was also located.

## Clayworks

### Fergushill tileworks

These tileworks was built in 1831 at North Fergushill farm and consisted of a moulding room, kiln and drying stores. The tileworks were in a field just to the east of an unclassified road between North Fergushill farm and the old Dalry to Kilmarnock railway line. The first manager of the Tilework appears to be a Hugh Bunton or Buntine. Bunton probably lived at the adjacent Tilework Cottage. From September 1836 to the end of 1837 the Eglinton Estate purchased between 5,000 and 10,000 tiles per month for use on its farms.

The fate of the tileworks is revealed in the memoranda from George Johnston, the Earl of Eglinton's factor, to the Earl's Commissioner, Mr Gairdner. By the end of 1852 demand for tiles had fallen considerably, production however was not reduced. George Johnston noted there were 480,000 unsold tiles stored at Fergushill and there was no room for the next year's stock. The 1855 OS map notes the tilework is disused. The old clay pit site is now a large pond, and Tilework Cottage is a privately owned house.

### Eglinton Fireclay works

The OS map for the mid 18th century shows a clay mill, fireclay works and kilns at Buckreddan on the Bannoch Road. Fire clay is used in the manufacture of fire bricks. The clay is resistant to high temperatures and is suitable for lining furnaces, as fire brick, and manufacture of utensils used in the metalworking industries. Fireclay was also worked at Perceton.

### Brickworks

A brickworks was located near Stobbs, close to the Eglinton Ironworks.

## Chlorine works

The OS map shows a Chlorine works located near the old loop of the River Garnock in the Redburn area.

## British Dynamite Factory

The Ardeer peninsula was the site of the massive dynamite manufacturing plant built here by Alfred Bernhard Nobel who had been searching for a suitably remote location to establish an explosives factory. In 1871 Nobel purchased 100 acres (40 ha) from the Earl of Eglinton, and established the British Dynamite Factory, and built what was at that time the largest explosives factory in the world.

## Saltpans

The Earl's owned part of Saltcoats harbour and kept saltpans there, fueled by the abundant local supplies of coal brought to the harbour along the turnpike which the Earl had built. The salt was relatively expensive, but was in demand during the Napoleonic Wars when imports were being prevented and were used in the manufacture of Dunlop cheese, butter and salted bacon.

## The Wilson canning factory

The Wilson family purchased the old offices, castle ruins, and other land from Robert Howie and Sons and the Eglinton factory was opened on 12 September 1958 by the Earl of Eglinton and Winton. Clement Wilson's food processing plant closed in the 1980s. The factory buildings were demolished in 2009, however the old stables were renovated and sold as private accommodation.

## Industrial interests elsewhere

### Wool

In 1662 the earl was given the rights to the manual labour of all the vagrants and temporarily unemployed in Renfrewshire, Ayrshire and Galloway. These individuals were taken to the Earl's Burgh and Regality of Montgomeryston at the Citadel of Ayr where he had a wool factory. The parishes had to support the labourers while they were there and the earl only had to provide food and clothing. The earl's rights lasted for 15 years for the vagrants and five years for the unemployed. The business was not a success as it disappears from the records after a relatively short period of time.

### Brewing

Susanna Montgomery, Countess of Eglinton, wife of the 9th Earl of Eglinton, was industrious and established a brewery at Montgomerieston, a small Burgh of Regality, inside the walls of Cromwell's old fort at Ayr, to increase her income. It seems to have been successful.

### Silk and cotton weaving

Alexander, 10th Earl, developed the old 'toun' of Eaglesham into a planned village. It was Archibald, 11th Earl of Eglinton, who largely saw Alexander's plans through to completion due to Alexander's early demise. The new village with two ranges of houses built around the Orry or village green, an area of common land about one-third of a mile long, divided up by the Linn or Kirkton Burn. 999 year leases were offered on condition that a house was built within five years, otherwise a fine of five pounds was imposed.

The Earl gave permission for tenants to quarry stone, were given sand and were allowed to use the Linn Burn for washing and the green for bleaching. With these encouragements weaving became the main industry until a cotton mill was built on the Orry in 1791. The New Statistical Account records the presence of 63 silk-looms at work in Eaglesham in 1790; this soon reduced to 33; and was quickly replaced by the weaving of cotton goods in association with Glasgow and Paisley manufacturers.

## Selina's tree

Selina Higgins was born in Port Glasgow, with parents from Burslem in England, and she lived in the Five Roads area, married to a Mr. John Bannerman, a miner who worked at Ladyha Colliery. Selina had a severe stroke and it became a habit for her to walk to 'Selina's' tree, the furthest distance she could manage; they both died within a few months of each other in 1949 and left a large family, including a daughter, Helen (Nellie) Bannerman, who married Frank Gardner from Kingscavel, Linlithgow.

The tree in 2009 was still healthy and the name has become part of the local history of the area. It has also attracted 'speculative' legends suggesting lovers trysts, etc. In 2010 Selina's Tree (Latitude 55.654333 and Longitude -4.675326) was added to the Woodland Trust's 'Ancient and notable trees' website.

**Notes**

**Sources**

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2. Anstruther, Ian (1963). *The Knight and the Umbrella: An Account of the Eglinton Tournament, 1839*. London : Geoffrey Bles Ltd.
3. Ayrshire Notes 32, 2006, ISSN 1474-3531.
4. Brotchie, Alan W., Some Early Ayrshire Railways. Sou'West Journal. No. 38.
5. Calder, Jenni et al. (1995). *John Smith of Dalry*. Ayr Arch & Nat Hist Soc No. 16. ISBN 0-9502698-8-3.
6. Carragher, P. C. (1909). *Saltcoats: Old and New*.
7. Clements, James (1974). *Stevenston. The Kernel of Cunninghame*. Stevenston : Burgh of Stevenston.
8. Contact. House Magazine of the Wilson Organisation. Autumn 1958.
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title: Piz Nair

abstract: Piz Nair is a mountain of the Albula Alps in Switzerland, overlooking St. Moritz in the canton of Graubünden. The peak is easily accessible from the village with a funicular and a cable car; the upper station unloads 30 metres (100 ft) below the summit. Below the summit to the east is the Corviglia ski area. The mountain hosted the alpine skiing events for the 1948 Winter Olympics in neighboring St. Moritz. It also hosted the World Championships in 1934, 1974, 2003, and 2017.

text:
# Piz Nair

Piz Nairclass=notpageimage|Location of Piz Nair in the Alps of Europe

**Piz Nair** (3,056 metres (10,026 ft)) is a mountain of the Albula Alps in Switzerland, overlooking St. Moritz in the canton of Graubünden. The peak is easily accessible from the village with a funicular and a cable car; the upper station unloads 30 metres (100 ft) below the summit. Below the summit to the east is the Corviglia ski area.

The mountain hosted the alpine skiing events for the 1948 Winter Olympics in neighboring St. Moritz. It also hosted the World Championships in 1934, 1974, 2003, and 2017.

Media related to Piz Nair at Wikimedia Commons

## InfoBox

| Piz Nair | |
| --- | --- |
| Piz Nair cable car station in 2006 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 3,056 m (10,026 ft) |
| Prominence | 183 m (600 ft) |
| Parent peak | Piz Ot |
| Coordinates | 46°30′22.5″N 9°47′14.8″E / 46.506250°N 9.787444°E / 46.506250; 9.787444 |
| Geography | |
| Piz NairLocation in Switzerland | |
| Location | Graubünden, Switzerland |
| Parent range | Albula Alps |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Cable car |