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The
Mining Institute of Scotland |
THE FORMATION OF THE MINING INSTITUTE OF SCOTLANDThe great developments in
mining in the district of Hamilton in the eighteen seventies and
a desire to secure greater efficiency in mining operations induced
the colliery managers in that area to meet for informal discussions.
The occurrence of the disastrous explosion at Blantyre Colliery
in 1877 made it more urgent that further efforts should be made
to investigate the causes which might lead to accidents in mines
and the methods which should be adopted to minimise the risk of
accidents. With this object, a meeting of colliery managers was
held in the Clydesdale Hotel, Hamilton on 24 January 1878. It was
decided to adopt a suggestion to form an Association and call it
‘The West of Scotland Mining Institute’. The objects
of this Association were minuted as follows: Later it was found that mining men from all parts of Scotland were anxious to join the Institute, and it was decided to adopt the more appropriate designation of The Mining Institute of Scotland. FEDERATION An important step in the
development of the Institute was taken in 1893 when it was decided
to federate with the Federated Institute of Mining Engineers, now
designated The Institution of Mining Engineers (IMinE). In the following
year, the President of The Mining Institute of Scotland was elected
President of the Institution. The Institution received its Royal Charter
in 1915. OTHER DEVELOPMENTSIn 1909 the Association of Mining
Electrical Engineers (AMEE) was formed in Manchester. Members consisted
of practicing colliery electricians and others involved in design,
manufacture, education and research relating to electrical equipment
for use in coalmines. A structure of regional branches was adopted
to elect suitable members to advance the knowledge and competence
of colliery engineers and electricians. By the following year, 10
Branches had been established including the West and East of Scotland
Branches.
The Stirling Sub-Branch of the West of Scotland Branch was formed in 1954 and the two merged to become the West of Scotland & Stirling Branch in 1968. The East of Scotland Branch held its meetings in Dunfermline and its name changed to the Fife Branch in 1931. The Lothians Branch was formed in 1918 and finally the Ayrshire Branch was formed in 1920 but became a Sub-Branch of the West of Scotland Branch six years later. In 1941 the Association of Mining Electrical Engineers changed its name to the Association of Mining Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (AMEME). A further name changed occurred in 1983 when the Association became The Institution of Mining Electrical and Mining Mechanical Engineers (IMEMME). THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MINING INSTITUTE OF SCOTLANDUntil relatively recently, the membership of
the Institute has kept pace with the development of the coal industry.
An indication of the growth of the coal mining industry in Scotland
since the foundation of the Institute is given by the output figures.
In 1878 the output of coal in Scotland was 17.8 mt; by 1913 it had
reached 42.5 mt but in 1927 had declined to 35 mt. By 1953, it was
22.5 mt and had reduced to 6.5 mt by the end of the 20th century.
However, by this time the majority of the output was produced from
opencast mines.
The extension of the use of electricity in coalmines accelerated the application of machines to replace the manual winning of coal. Progress was steady until after the Second World War when the coalmines of the UK were taken into public ownership and managed by the National Coal Board. The reconstruction of the industry proceeded rapidly through the next 25 years with the sinking of new mines, the reconstruction of old collieries and heavy investment in power loading face equipment. The Mining Institute of Scotland continued to play a prominent part as the professional association of mining engineers in Scotland during this period and many papers were presented at general meetings covering the activities of a now highly technical industry. The difficult geological conditions prevalent in many parts of the Scottish Coalfield have in the past provided ample opportunity for the application of mining ingenuity. The decline in underground coal mining continued throughout the latter part of the 20th century. Ultimately, not long after the dawning of the new century, the last deep mine at Longannet in Fife closed. However, opencast coal mining still has a significant presence in Scotland. In 1966 corporate members of the Institute became Chartered Engineers, the Institution being a constituent member of the Council of Engineering Institutions, later to be superseded by The Engineering Council and more recently by the Engineering and Technology Board. In 1968, all federated institutes became Branches of the Institution. In 2005, The Mining Institute of Scotland was incorporated under the Companies Act 1985 as a private limited company. These were important developments in the history of The Mining Institute of Scotland. Regardless of change, The Mining Institute of Scotland looks forward to the challenges of the 21st century and remains committed to serving the needs of its communities. Although there has been over 125 years of history it is to the future that the Institute must target its development. NATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS The Institution of Mining Engineers merged
with the National Association of Colliery Managers (NACM). The Conditional
Agreement, which was signed by both parties at Buxton in July 1968
was approved by the Privy Council and signed by Sir Godfrey Agnew
on 16 October 1968. From this it followed that the Agreement took
effect from 23 October 1968 and merger became a reality. Factual fusion
of the two organisations took place in Edinburgh on 14 May 1969.
In 1990, discussions took place between The Institution of Mining and Metallurgy (IMM), The Institution of Mining Engineers, and The Institution of Mining Electrical and Mining Mechanical Engineers to consider a possible merger between the institutions. However, at that time a merger did not transpire. However, in 1995, The Institution of Mining Engineers merged with the Institution of Mining Electrical and Mining Mechanical Engineers when Her Majesty approved the Supplementary Charter and new Byelaws. Very soon afterwards discussions on a merger between The Institution of Mining Engineers and The Institution of Mining and Metallurgy reopened. The Institution of Mining and Metallurgy’s roots go back to 1892. It was believed that the activities of the two institutions both overlapped and were complementary. The relative strength of the UK branches of the one Institution would complement the overseas presence of the other. Consequently, The Mining Institute of Scotland was The Institution of Mining and Metallurgy Scotland Branch in 1998. The coming of the 21st century soon brought another merger. In 2002, The Institution of Mining and Metallurgy merged with The Institute of Materials to form The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining. The Institute of Materials was formed in 1993 by merger of the Institute of Metals, the Institute of Ceramics, and the Plastics and Rubber Institute. These organisations were all formed by earlier mergers and the original roots of the organisation go back to the Iron and Steel Institute founded in 1868. TRENDS IN MEMBERSHIP The Institute started with a membership of
25 and reached a maximum of 700 around 1922. It fluctuated to 450
in 1950, 679 in 1965, but progressively fell to 380 in 1973, 234 in
1990 and 207 in 1994. After the merger in 1995 membership rose to
324 and after the merger in 1998 to 509. In 2003, after 125 years
in existence, membership stands at 478.
One feature of the membership has always been the number of persons resident outside of Scotland. It is no mere figure of speech but a statement of fact that the membership of The Mining Institute of Scotland has spread itself from Canada to Chile, India to New Zealand, and Denmark to South Africa. PRESIDENTS There have been 77 Presidents of the Institute,
of whom ten have been President of The Institution of Mining Engineers.
There have been 13 Secretaries of the Institute during its history.
The list of Presidents comprises many eminent mining engineers whose
fame has extended far beyond Scotland. One significant milestone early
in the new century was the election of the first lady President, Mrs
Karen V Dalgleish.
ANNIVERSARIES A dinner to celebrate the silver jubilee was
held on the 8 April 1903 at the Windsor Hotel, Glasgow. Mr Henry Aitken,
President, was in the chair. Provost Keith of Hamilton proposed the
toast to The Mining Institute of Scotland.
A dinner to celebrate the Jubilee of the Institute was held in the Grosvenor Restaurant, Glasgow, on 28 January, 1928. Mr J Balfour Sneddon, President, was in the chair. He was supported by His Grace the Duke of Montrose CB CVO, Mr J T Forgie, the first Secretary of the Institute, The Right Honourable Lord Salvesen LLB KC, and Sir Donald MacAlister, Bart KCB, Principal of Glasgow University. A dinner to celebrate the Centenary was held in Blair Castle, Culross, Fife on 31 March 1978. Mr George Gillespie, President, was in the chair. The toast to The Mining Institute of Scotland was proposed by Mr W J W Bourne, then President of The Institution of Mining Engineers. The toast to the mining industry was proposed by Mr Alex Eadie, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department of Energy. Other guests included Sir Andrew Bryan and Sir Norman Siddall who had delivered the Centennial Address earlier in the day. One of the highlights of the nineteen eighties was the complimentary dinner held in honour of Mr Forrest S Anderson on 3 March 1982, in the Kintyre Suite of the Central Hotel in Glasgow. The dinner was attended by 123 members and guests who had travelled from many parts of the UK, as well as from France. An appreciation of Forrest Anderson, who was an Honorary Fellow of the Institution and a Past President of MIS and of the Institution, was given on behalf of the National Coal Board by Sir Norman Siddall CBE, Deputy Chairman. There then followed an appreciation of Mr Anderson by Mr J R Mowat, Managing Director of Anderson Strathclyde plc, speaking on behalf of manufacturers of mining machinery. Mr W I M Bell, President, made a presentation to Mr Anderson of a silver tray, decanter and glasses. Distinguished guests included Mr J H Northard CBE, President of IMinE, Sir Andrew Bryan, Mr H M Spanton and Mr A Wheeler. Presidents of The Mining Institute of Scotland 1878-79 G.B. Begg * Indicates President of The Institution of Mining Engineers
**1878-79 J.T. Forgie **Indicates President of The Mining Institute of Scotland
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