Australian writes a book about 19th century Scotland

[AussieScot]

Hello. My name is Carmel McMurdo Audsley and I've just joined the electric scotland community. I'm first generation Australian, born of a Scottish father and Irish/Australian mother. My husband Iain (whose father was also Scottish) and I have a love affair with Scotland and love visiting our Scottish cousins and having them come to stay with us in Australia. I have written a book 'Ours, Yours and Mines', set in the mid-1800s to early 1900s in the miners' rows of Ayrshire Scotland. It's a family saga that introduces readers to the McMurdo family and while the story is about my ancestors, it is not a family history but rather an historical novel based on real people, places and events. I have spent my career as a Newspaper Journalist and Magazine Editor but now spend most of my time writing and editing an e-zine for the Scottish Community in Queensland and researching and writing historical novels. You can see my website www.oursyoursandmines.webs.com. The book is available from www.amazon.com. I will post more information about the book on the Books Forum. I would be very happy to hear from anyone who would like to discuss the book and/or life in the miners' rows.

[Euan]

Re: Australian writes a book about 19th century Scotland

Hi Carmel, welcome to Electric Scotland. I am also from Brisbane, and as it happens my father also worked in the coal mines of Scotland for some time.We came as a family to Australia in 1961, and i look forward to reading your input on ES!

[AussieScot]

Re: Australian writes a book about 19th century Scotland

Hello Euan,
thanks for being my first post on ES. It wasn't until I started researching the family tree that I realised what a hard time our ancestors had, especially in the coal mining areas. The story is probably just as much about your family as it is mine but instead of dry facts I've taken the characters and imagined how they would have acted and reacted in certain situations. When you know their stories, it certainly makes you grateful for all that we have in the 21st century.
Cheers
Carmel

[1938 Observer]

Re: Australian writes a book about 19th century Scotland

Hi Carmel,

Here is some more on Scots Miners on ES, Joadja Creek in NSW, Shale Oil miners who were brought over in the 1800's

http://www.electricscotland.org/show...a-Joadja-Creek

Like you, I'm first generation Aussie, my parents originally hailed from Falkirk.

Cheers
Gordon.

[AussieScot]

Re: Australian writes a book about 19th century Scotland

Hello Gordon,
lovely to hear from you. We visited the Falkirk Wheel the last time we were in Scotland (my husband loved it). One of the attendants said 'you're Australian aren't you? I can tell by your lovely accent'. I've never thought of Aussies as having a lovely accent - I've always thought the Scottish accent was much more lyrical. Thanks for sending me the link - I'll take a look.
All the best
Carmel

[Alastair]

Re: Australian writes a book about 19th century Scotland

We do have an account of coal mining at http://www.electricscotland.com/hist.../industry1.htm and also a slightly later account at http://www.electricscotland.com/hist.../chapter14.htm

Alastair

[AussieScot]

Re: Australian writes a book about 19th century Scotland

Hi Alistair,
thanks for the link and thank God my family wasn't indentured to the coal owners like they were in the 1600s. The miners had to sign up their wives, sons and daughters to work alongside them in appalling conditions. The conditions in the miners' rows in the 1800s were bad enough but the miners in the 1600s were more like serfs - it was slavery and no wonder many of them didn't live very long. What a life we have now in comparison.
Carmel

[Glesgalass]

Re: Australian writes a book about 19th century Scotland

Why do you think it was a Scotsman, Keir Hardie, a miner, who started the first strike by miners in Scotland and who went on to form the Labour Party with others?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/histori...ie_james.shtml

Welcome to the site :smile::redrose:

Elda

[AussieScot]

Re: Australian writes a book about 19th century Scotland

Hi Elda,
Hardie was a child miner - he started in the pits when he was 11. He couldn't read or write until he was 17 and he was taught by his mother. Despite this he went on to edit The Cumnock News and later started a newspaper called The Miner. Hardie was respected by the men because he was one of them but also an eloquent speaker who could get his point across. The miners needed a representative whom they could trust to work on their behalf and Hardie was the man. He was at my great-great-uncle's bedside when he died.

Carmel

[Glesgalass]

Re: Australian writes a book about 19th century Scotland

My Dad used to talk about Keir Hardie. I think he was a legend in my fathers young days.

Elda

[Tam the Celt]

Re: Australian writes a book about 19th century Scotland

www.users.zetnet.co.uk/mmartin/fifepits/

Hello Carmel and welcome to ES. I don't have much time this evening and so I have to be short. I was born in miners rows in Kelty Fife my father was a coal miner and so was my two grandfathers, my father died and one grandfather died with miners lung. I also had two relations who were killed in the pits and mines in Fife their names are entered in the web page I've just posted above. Hope it works for its worth a read. :) Ok got to go for now hope to come back later.

[AussieScot]

Re: Australian writes a book about 19th century Scotland

Hardie was a legend, nothing surer. My darling father, who passed away just a few months ago and never got to hold my book in his hands, said that his family had a photo of Hardie on their wall in New Cumnock. There's more information about Ours, Yours and Mines on the Books forum. Hardie features in the book and you can get a feel for why such a man was needed by the coal miners. You hear about the big money that miners get today but they received a pittance back then for longer hours and harder conditions.

Carmel

[AussieScot]

Re: Australian writes a book about 19th century Scotland

Thanks for posting the link Tam. This will be very helpful to me when I write the third book in the trilogy set from 1913 (where the current book finishes) to the present day. Ours, Yours and Mines is set from the mid-1800s to 1913 and several of the people in the book die from Miner's Lung and many others from tuberculosis. Can you imagine living in a crowded space with people coughing and spluttering all over the place. How the heroine of the story, Mary, didn't contract tuberculosis is a mystery as she cared for her family members in their dying days.
Carmel

[Tam the Celt]

Re: Australian writes a book about 19th century Scotland

www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-EiwiiAh68 Hope this works?

[Tam the Celt]

Re: Australian writes a book about 19th century Scotland

Hello Carmel two web sites I think you may find interesting one is of my home village in Fife, Kelty!

http://www.healeyhero.co.uk/rescue/p...ay/Lyndsay.htm