The Co-operative Colliery, Plattsburg. Part 2
My late friend Dulcie Hartley wrote about the Co-operative Colliery at Plattsburg as a follow-up to her work on the life and career of "The Miners' Advocate": James Fletcher. I've transcribed her unpublished typescript. Chapter 2 follows here: After purchasing Thomas Ireland’s share, William G. Laidley became the sole owner of the Co-operative Colliery, and he and his heirs continued as proprietors for more than half a century. Laidley, a man of wealth and integrity, was soon highly regarded by the miners. This was probably his first venture into coal mining but he later purchased land…
