MineArchiveBryndu Colliery explosion, 1858
| Date | May 1858 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Bryndu Colliery |
| Region | Bridgend |
| Type | Explosion |
| Fatalities | 12 (Welsh Coal Mines names twelve: Thomas Griffiths; John Hopkins, married with four children; David John; Jenkin Lewis, the fireman, married with two children; Morgan Lewis; Evan Morgan, married with five children; Joseph Morgan; William Morgan, married with five children; John Rees; Edmund Thomas; and two named John Thomas, one married with five children. The NMRS gives eleven.) |
| Context | During active mining (The West Nine Feet heading at Bryndu Colliery, Kenfig Hill, where the coal was so hard it had to be blasted and shots were fired with touch-paper fuses.) |
At about five in the afternoon on 27 or 28 May 1858 firedamp exploded in the West Nine Feet heading of Bryndu Colliery, Kenfig Hill, killing eleven or twelve men, the colliery's worst disaster and its third fatal explosion in six years. The coal there was so hard it had to be blasted, and the fireman, Jenkin Lewis, who was among the dead, is believed to have unlocked his safety lamp to light a fuse.
Cause
Firedamp fired when, it is believed, the fireman unlocked his safety lamp to light the touch-paper fuse of a shot.
Contributing factors
The coal of the West Nine Feet district was hard enough to need blasting, and shots were lit from the lamps; the NMRS again attributes the explosion to a naked light.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- About 5 p.m. an explosion in the West Nine Feet heading killed the men working there; the coal of that district was so hard it could only be got by blasting. 1,2
- The fireman Jenkin Lewis is believed to have unlocked his safety lamp to light a shot's touch-paper fuse, igniting a build-up of gas. 1,3
- Welsh Coal Mines dates the explosion 28 May 1858 and names twelve dead. (disputed) 1,3
- The NMRS dates it about 5 p.m. on 27 May 1858 and gives eleven killed, again by a naked light. (disputed) 2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Firedamp (direct cause)
Gas fired in the West Nine Feet heading. - Fireman (contextual relationship)
The fireman Jenkin Lewis died. - Naked Light (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s contributing factors: “…lit from the lamps; the NMRS again attributes the explosion to a naked light.” - Safety Lamp (direct cause)
The fireman is believed to have unlocked his lamp. - Shot-firing (contributing factor)
The hard coal was blasted; a fuse was being lit.
Sources
- (secondary) Bryndu colliery — Welsh Coal Mines
- (secondary) Brynddu Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society (information supplied by Ray Lawrence)
- (secondary) Welsh mining fatalities, 1858 — Welsh Coal Mines
Record created: 14 September 2026 · Last researched: 14 September 2026