More to my 1st posting.
Alexander’s youngest son, Daniel McLeish, who was also born at Prestonpans, Haddington, on the 5th April 1832, would probably have worked at one of the coalmines in Haddington as a boy, as the 1842 act was still ten years away when he was born. Daniel moved north to Fifeshire by the age of 21 working as collier at one of the pits around the area of Auchterderran, receiving an average wage of 4 shilling a day for a 10 & ½ hours shift. This income was enough for Daniel to consider marriage.
Daniel’s Wife, Christine Penman was the daughter of a miner, William Penman, his son’s where also coal miner’s at the age of 15 George and Robert 13 years, according to the 1841 census. Robert worked at the Dundonald Colliery 1841. So Christine did not break the tradition and married a coal miner.
Daniel and Christine moved around Fifeshire, having their 1st two children in Dunfermline. Alexander was born in 1854 and Mary was born in 1857. By the time William was born in 1859 they had moved to the Parish of Ballingry. They finally left Fifeshire behind, moving to Musselburg in the Shire of Edinburgh, where Daniel was born in 1860. In the 1861census Daniel snr, lived at 69 Cowpits village, in Inveresk. By 1870 they had returned to Fifeshire and Elisabeth was born in the civil parish of Beath.
At the time of the 1871 census they were all living at the village of Kelty. The cottage, in which they lived, had at least 2 rooms, with one or more windows. The same as the cottage next door, where his sister Isabella Steedman McLeish lived with her coal miner husband Peter Robertson and their three children, Mary, John and Archibald.(#1)
Eventually Daniel went on to become an Engineman.
Alexander McLeish, like his father and grandfather before him, would take to the mines. Within 16 years of his birth in 1854 he would be an engineman at Kelty, as recorded in the 1871 census. One would say that he was taught his trade, that of Engineman by his father. Daniel’s son Alexander had married Ann Agnes Malcolm, daughter of miner John Malcolm of Lumphinnans road in the civil parish of Ballingry, which was registered on 16th May 1873 in Beath, Fifeshire, Scotland and finally married 3rd June 1873 at Parley Square, Lassodie. Little did Alexander know that the very industry that created the village of his wedding, would also devour it in the years to come.Alexander and Ann immigrated to Australia in 1876, It would now seem more likely that the reason for immigration was the depression in Scotland in the 1860s & 1870s, with Colliers (miners) receiving what at the time where called starvation wages. Many colliers were encouraged to immigrate to America, however Alexander chose Australia.
Alexander did not take up his trade upon arrival but choose to become a farmer, less than 2 years later he would move to the mining capital of Australia at the time.
Alexander would enter the service of Mr. J & A Brown at the Minmi Colliery and became under-manager.
His father, Daniel, and other family members immigrated almost two years later. Taking up where he left off in Scotland, returning to the mines at Minmi.
Other relatives also took the opportunity of immigrating to Australia, these included names like Strang, Penman and Shepherd.
Alexander’s family grew and by 1902 he would father 11 children of which seven would survive to adulthood. Of his surviving sons all would become miners during their lifetime and his daughters would marry miners. By the time his lastborn son was 8 years old, in 1910, Alexander took up the position as Under-manager of the Invincible Colliery at Cullen Bullen, on the Wallerawang-Mudgee railway branchline, a position he would hold for 3 years.
It is here that Alexander’s eldest son John would show his talent for mining. John started to get his mine management skills in order under the stewardship of his father. Travelling abroad to England and Scotland to gain practical experience, prior to his days at Cullen Bullen. Gaining a first class mine managers certificate, and in obtaining that qualification he gained honors. He also qualified as mine surveyor. Both father and son left the Invincible in the same year, 1912.
With Alexander returning to Newcastle area, and John taking up a management position at Wonthaggi in Victoria.
John’s time at the Wonthaggi mine ran from 1912 to 1945 a total of 33 years of which he was General Manager for 13 years. During his time at the mine, he became embroiled in strikes especially the late 1920’s and early 1930’s. He lead rescue attempts at the McBride Tunnel fire in 1924 and again after an explosion in No 20 shaft on the 15th February 1937, which killed 13 maintenance staff. John retired from the mine on Friday the 3 Aug 1945 with just a small note in The Argus
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848-1954), Saturday 4 August 1945, page 2
Mr J. McLeish, general manager of
the state coalmine, Wonthaggi, who
retired yesterday, was entertained
by the Railways Commissioners at
the Victorian Railways Institute. Mr
McLeish will be succeeded by Mr T.
Johnston, mine manager.
This should give you an insight to what i have so far
