Editing Strontian (section)

== Geology and mining history ==

It was observed in the 19th century that there is granite on one side of the Strontian mines and gneiss on the other.<ref>The Edinburgh review: or critical journal, Volume 52 (1831)</ref> The area immediately around the village is Granodiorite, part of a larger intrusion of around {{convert|90|km2|sqmi|abbr=off}} that extends south as far as Loch Linnhe. This is surrounded by a Hornblende Biotite Granite, giving way in the south to a [[Tonalite]]. The rocks are around 385 to 453 million years old, intruded into the metasediments of the [[Moine Supergroup]]. It has been postulated that it was emplaced in the shear zone termination of an offshoot of the Great Glen fault and that it may be diapiric in form.

The history of mining in the Strontian area dates to 1722, when Sir Alexander Murray discovered [[galena]] in the hills the region. A mine was opened in 1725, in partnership with [[Thomas Howard, 8th Duke of Norfolk]] and [[George Wade|General Wade]].<ref>
{{cite web
 |title       = Corrantee Lead Mine History
 |url         = http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-8BYJ9U
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20121007171305/http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-8BYJ9U
 |archive-date = 2012-10-07
}}
</ref>
Various materials have been mined here including lead, and strontianite, which contains the element named after the village, [[Strontium]]. While there have been inhabitants of the area for centuries, particularly in the woods north of the current village, the community as it exists now was established in 1724 to provide homes for the local mining workers.
[[File:Strontian.jpg|thumb|An aerial view of Strontian]]
[[File:Welcome to Strontian - geograph.org.uk - 412659.jpg|thumb|alt=Welcome sign at Strontian|Welcome sign at Strontian]]

Lead mined at Strontian was used in bullets manufactured for the Napoleonic Wars. In the early part of the 19th century, part of the workforce was made up of captured forces from Napoleon's imperial army.

=== Discovery of strontium ===
In 1790, [[Adair Crawford]], a doctor, recognised that the Strontian ores exhibited different properties to those normally seen with other "heavy spars" sources.<ref>Adair Crawford (1790) "On the medicinal properties of the muriated barytes," ''Medical Communications'' (London), vol. 2, pp.&nbsp;301–359.</ref>
He concluded "...&nbsp;it is probable indeed, that the Scottish mineral is a new species of earth which has not hitherto been sufficiently examined". The new mineral was named ''strontites'' in 1793 by [[Thomas Charles Hope]], a professor of chemistry at the University of Glasgow.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Charles Hope | first1 = Thomas | year = 1798 | title = Account of a mineral from Strontian and of a particular species of earth which it contains | url = https://zenodo.org/record/1428672| journal = Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh | volume = 4 | issue = 2| pages = 3–39 | doi=10.1017/s0080456800030726| s2cid = 251579302 }}</ref><ref>
{{cite journal
 | author = Murray, T.
 | year = 1993
 | title = Elemementary Scots: The Discovery of Strontium
 | journal = Scottish Medical Journal
 | volume = 38
 | pages = 188–189
 | pmid = 8146640
 | issue = 6
| doi = 10.1177/003693309303800611
 | s2cid = 20396691
 }}
</ref>
He confirmed the earlier work of Crawford and recounted: "...&nbsp;Considering it a peculiar earth I thought it necessary to give it an name. I have called it Strontites, from the place it was found; a mode of derivation in my opinion, fully as proper as any quality it may possess, which is the present fashion". The element was eventually isolated by Sir [[Humphry Davy]] in 1808 by the [[electrolysis]] of a mixture containing [[strontium chloride]] and [[mercuric oxide]], and announced by him in a lecture to the Royal Society on 30 June 1808.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Davy | first1 = H | year = 1808 | title = Electro-chemical researches on the decomposition of the earths; with observations on the metals obtained from the alkaline earths, and on the amalgam procured from ammonia | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=gpwEAAAAYAAJ&pg=102 | journal = Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London | volume = 98 | pages = 333–370 | doi=10.1098/rstl.1808.0023| doi-access = free | bibcode = 1808RSPT...98..333D | url-access = subscription }}</ref>
In keeping with the naming of the other alkaline earths, he changed the name to ''strontium''.<ref>
{{cite web
 | url = http://www.lochaber-news.co.uk/Home/Features/Times-Past/Strontian-gets-set-for-anniversary-2644.htm
 | title = Strontian gets set for anniversary
 | publisher = Lochaber News
 | date = 19 June 2008
}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite journal
 | last = Weeks
 | first = Mary Elvira
 | author-link = Mary Elvira Weeks
 | title = The discovery of the elements: X. The alkaline earth metals and magnesium and cadmium
 | journal = Journal of Chemical Education
 | year = 1932
 | volume = 9
 | pages = 1046&ndash;1057
 | doi = 10.1021/ed009p1046
 | issue = 6
 | bibcode = 1932JChEd...9.1046W
}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite journal
 | last = Partington
 | first = J.R.
 | title = The early history of strontium
 | journal = Annals of Science
 | year = 1942
 | volume = 5
 | issue = 2
 | pages = 157–166
 | doi = 10.1080/00033794200201411  <!-- The google book https://books.google.com/books?id=LagWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA139 could help with original literature-->
}}
</ref><ref>{{cite journal | title = (1) Martin Heinrich Klaproth, "Chemische Versuche über die Strontianerde" (Chemical experiments on strontian ore), ''Crell's Annalen'' (September 1793) no. ii, pp.&nbsp;189–202; and "Nachtrag zu den Versuchen über die Strontianerde" (Addition to the Experiments on Strontian Ore), ''Crell's Annalen'' (February 1794) no. i, p. 99; also (2) Richard Kirwan (1794) "Experiments on a new earth found near Stronthian in Scotland | journal = The Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy | volume = 5 | pages = 243–256 }}</ref>
While several elements have been discovered there, strontium is the only element named after a place in the United Kingdom.

The first large-scale application of strontium was in the production of sugar from [[sugar beet]]. Although a crystallisation process using strontium hydroxide was patented by [[Augustin-Pierre Dubrunfaut]] in 1849<ref>
{{cite book
 | title = Metalle in der Elektrochemie
 | author = Fachgruppe Geschichte Der Chemie, Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker
 | year = 2005
 | pages = 158–162
 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=xDkoAQAAIAAJ&q=dubrunfaut+strontium
}}
</ref>
the large-scale introduction came with the improvement of the process in the early 1870s. The German sugar industry [[Strontian process|used the process]] well into the 20th century. Prior to [[World War I]] the beet sugar industry used  100,000 to 150,000 tons of strontium hydroxide for this process per year.<ref>
{{cite book
 | last = Heriot
 | first = T. H. P.
 | title = Manufacture of Sugar from the Cane and Beet
 | year = 2008
 | chapter = strontium saccharate process
 | publisher = Read Books
 | isbn = 978-1-4437-2504-0
 | chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-vd_cn4K8NUC&pg=PA341
}}
</ref>

=== Conditions for workers ===
In 1851, a miner named Duncan Cameron was killed by a rock-fall in the lead mine. A lengthy inquest followed for the office of the [[Procurator Fiscal]] of [[Tobermory, Mull|Tobermory]]. A number of witnesses to the accident testified that the workings were unsafe and that precautions for the workmen were insufficient. A case was brought against James Floyd, superintendent of the mines, for the culpable homicide of Duncan Cameron.

A number of complaints had previously been made to Sir James Riddell, local landowner and proprietor of the mines. One piece of evidence presented to the inquest notes:
<blockquote>
This insufficiency arises from the want of proper props in the workings & in the removal by Mr Barrat of the Middlings or partitions left by the former Company for supporting the workings - a feeling of this nature given expression to by almost all the workmen has existed for the last three years and a number of men left the work altogether in consequence, as they said, of the insecurity of the Mines – I knew this myself but I had either to submit to work there or starve – Necessity with me had no law – The other mines in which I had wrought are worked in a different, safer, principle & more attention paid to the security of the lives of the workmen.
</blockquote>
It was noted elsewhere that because the miners were paid for piece-work, no one was able or employed to undertake safety procedures in the mines.<ref>
{{cite web
 | title = Strontian Mines Inquest
 | url = http://www.moidart.org.uk/datasets/strontianmine.htm
}}
</ref>

In 1854, miners attempted to bring a case against the mining company, with many of those who presented evidence at the 1851 inquest involved in the action. The legal action failed and was ruled out of order by the sheriff substitute, with 4 pounds 15 shillings in court costs.<ref>
{{cite web
 | title = Miners Legal Action Fails
 | url = http://www.moidart.org.uk/datasets/failedminersaction.htm
}}
</ref>