Bryndu Colliery explosion, 1858

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.

What happened

The coal in the West Nine Feet district of Bryndu Colliery was so hard that it could only be got by blasting, and the shots were fired with touch-paper fuses lit from the men's lamps. At about five in the afternoon on 28 May 1858 (the 27th by the Northern Mine Research Society) firedamp exploded in the heading. It is believed that Jenkin Lewis, the fireman, unlocked his safety lamp to light a fuse and so fired a build-up of gas. Lewis, married with two children, was among the dead. Welsh Coal Mines names twelve: Thomas Griffiths, married; John Hopkins, married with four children; David John, married; Jenkin Lewis; Morgan Lewis, single; Evan Morgan, married with five children; Joseph Morgan, single; William Morgan, married with five children; John Rees, single; Edmund Thomas, single; and two men named John Thomas, one married with five children and the other single. The Society's account gives eleven killed and attributes the explosion again to a naked light. It was the colliery's third fatal explosion in six years and its worst; Bryndu went on working under the Bryndu Coal and Coke Company from 1870 and closed in 1913.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• 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

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

1. (secondary) Bryndu colliery — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (secondary) Brynddu Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society (information supplied by Ray Lawrence)
3. (secondary) Welsh mining fatalities, 1858 — Welsh Coal Mines

Record created: 14 September 2026 · Last researched: 16 September 2026