In 1978, shortly after I began researching my family history I was contacted by a gentleman called Bert Gay in response to a newspaper advertisement. Mr Gay lived at Alma Road, Kingswood, which runs into Holly Hill Road

Having discovered that many of my paternal ancestors had earned their living toiling underground in the former mines of the Kingswood district, I was anxious to talk to anyone with first hand experience.

Bert Gay had not worked in the mines himself but his grandfather, Robert King had told him many times of how at the age of seven he had gone down the mine “sitting in a bucket, on a miner’s lap, carrying a candle.”  Bert went to the workshop at the back of the house and returned with a t-shaped iron candlestick that had once belonged to his grandfather.  Bert placed this precious artefact in my hands.

The Kingswood mines were not considered fiery and the men worked by the light of candles held in these candlesticks either in their hat bands or with the pointed end stuck in the wall of the shaft.

The stub of candle was added by me, though now it is also more than 30 years old. I used to give talks with the assistance of my son Kevin, then about eight, dressed as a child miner for many young boys of six and above worked in the mines. When I “lit him up”, the candle stuck in his round hat, an audible gasp would go round the room. But that’s another story.

Robert King worked at Parkfield Colliery, Coalpit Heath and made the daily journey on foot from Holly Hill Road, along the Dram Road  which ran from the Chequer’s Inn on Hanham River to Britton, Warmley, Mangotsfield, Shortwood and Coalpit Heath – a distance of some six miles. The coals were taken by horses from the pits to the river, via the Dram Road where they were loaded on to barges. Robert King was a very strong man, said Bert and he recalled him “tossing around two hundredweight sacks of barley mow as if they were nothing.”

In 1841 Robert King then aged four lived with his father and mother, Samuel and Hester and various siblings in Warmley. His father was, of course, a coalminer. I was able to track Robert’s life through various censuses and addresses in the Kingswood area and his work as a miner, until 1891 by which time he had retired. He married Mary Ann Britton from the numerous local family of that name in 1862. Mary Ann died at the early age of 40 in 1879 leaving him a widower with five daughters and two sons between 17 and six years old. The youngest, Florence would stay with him and when she married Alfred Gay in 1906, Robert lived with them at Holly Hill Road. In the house in 1911 were Florence and Alfred, and Robert aged 73.  You can imagine my joy, for also there, aged 3, was my friend Bert Gay!

Crail is a small seaside town in the Kingdom of Fife. We were there principally for the golf but I couldn't resist the churchyard, of course. The first Monumental Inscription (MI) which caught my eye read "Sacred to the memory of George Slate of Caithness, late light keeper on the Island of May who was lost on the night of 28 September 1852 aged 30 years. His remains were found and interred here. He was sincerely regretted by all who knew him." Scottish MIs are a dream for family historians, in most cases far more comprehensive than English ones, often stating the maiden names of the wives: i.e. "In Memory of Bailie William Murray, Betty Logan his wife, Euphemia, Eliza and Catherine, their daughters, James Bowman their son-in-law, husband of Euphemia, died 25 October 1872 aged 86, William Murray Bowman, their grandson died 27 August 1887 aged 37, Mary Georgina Inglis, his wife, died 27 September 1865." Some graves were enclosed by a surrounding wall and could easily accommodate 20 or so relatives and friends. I imagined them sitting on the grass, perhaps with a picnic, discussing the merits or otherwise of the deceased. One of these enclaves held the remains of "John Scott of Crail, died 15 April 1822 aged 84, Marjory Bell, his spouse, died 8 March 1795 aged 30, Robert, their son, died 3 September 1786 aged one, Betsey, their daughter, spouse of David Kirk, died 13 April 1818 aged 28, John, their son died 17 April 1843, aged 51, George Scott Kirk, their grandson, died at sea, 5 August 1839, aged 21." Another held no frippery, but what a tragic story it told: "Erected by John Law and Mary Law, his spouse to the affectionate memory of John William Law, their grandson who was born in New Zealand and died at Crail aged one year and 7 months, 24 June 1865. Also their beloved son who died at Rio de Janeiro, 1852, aged 22 years, much lamented. John Law, my beloved husband who departed this life 10 July 1870 aged 73 years and the said Mary Law, died 9 October 1873, aged 82." The earliest MI I noticed was dated 1683, erected to Bailie Thomas Young, his spouse Isobel and several of their children. Much later, the bereaved of David Ayton Lindsay, died 3 May 1872 had erected a "chapel", now roofless, to accommodate his plaque. It was, as an informant told me gravely (no pun intended!) "built without planning permission". So they were around with their clip boards then as well. I am always pleased by references to British India and Crail did not disappoint. A monument to John William Maillardet, esquire, described him as "late deputy Inspector hospitals, Madras Army". (East India Company, surely?) He "fell asleep in Jesus 19 December 1862 in the 57th year of his age. He was a kind and affectionate husband and father, a sincere friend and a gentle and Christian spirit." Mary Ann his widow survived him for nearly 30 years, until 30 October 1892. John William Maillardet and Mary Ann Foley were married at Madras in 1831. An Elizabeth Maillardet, perhaps their daughter, also married there in 1852. The name is French. Huguenot? Why did they end up in Crail? Who knows?