MineArchiveBryngwiog Lead Mine Inundation, 1862
On Saturday 22 February 1862, water from old workings broke into the Bryngwiog lead mine on Halkyn Mountain in Flintshire and sixteen men were drowned. The dead came from villages scattered across the mountain — Moel-y-Crio, Lixwm, Rhewl, Rhesycae, Foel, Llaneurgain and Cilcen.
| Date | 22 February 1862 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Bryngwiog Lead Mine |
| Region | Flintshire |
| Type | Flooding / Inundation |
| Fatalities | 16 (Sixteen men drowned.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
Water from old workings flooding into the mine.
What happened
Halkyn Mountain had been mined for lead for centuries, and centuries of abandoned workings lay in the limestone, many of them standing full of water. On Saturday 22 February 1862 the Bryngwiog workings let that water in, and sixteen men were drowned.
The roll of the dead is a map of the orefield: Edward Jones from Moel-y-Crio, Bennet Roberts from Lixwm, William Pierce from Rhewl, another Edward Jones from Rhesycae, John Jones from Foel, Richard Blackwell from Llaneurgain, William Hooson from Cilcen. They came from every village on the mountain.
What's uncertain
Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.
- Sixteen men perished when water from old workings flooded the mine. (uncertain) 1
- Water from old workings broke into the mine. (uncertain) 1
- The dead were named as Edward Jones of Moel-y-Crio, Bennet Roberts of Lixwm, William Pierce of Rhewl, Edward Jones of Rhesycae, John Jones of Foel, Richard Blackwell of Llaneurgain, William Hooson of Cilcen, Job Jones and others — villages spread right across Halkyn Mountain. (uncertain) 1
- The villages around the mine have a lead-mining history going back centuries, several buildings in the Wern-y-Gaer area of Rhosesmor being more than three hundred years old. (uncertain) 2
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Sixteen men perished when water from old workings flooded the mine. (uncertain) 1
- Water from old workings broke into the mine. (uncertain) 1
- The dead were named as Edward Jones of Moel-y-Crio, Bennet Roberts of Lixwm, William Pierce of Rhewl, Edward Jones of Rhesycae, John Jones of Foel, Richard Blackwell of Llaneurgain, William Hooson of Cilcen, Job Jones and others — villages spread right across Halkyn Mountain. (uncertain) 1
- The villages around the mine have a lead-mining history going back centuries, several buildings in the Wern-y-Gaer area of Rhosesmor being more than three hundred years old. (uncertain) 2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Lead (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…22 February 1862, water from old workings broke into the Bryngwiog lead mine on Halkyn Mountain in Flintshire and sixteen men were drowned.…” - Old Workings (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “On Saturday 22 February 1862, water from old workings broke into the Bryngwiog lead mine on Halkyn Mountain in Flintshire…”
Sources
- (secondary) Bryngwiog Lead Mine (death roll) — welshcoalmines.co.uk
- (secondary) Rhosesmor — Wikipedia
Record created: 3 September 2026 · Last researched: 3 September 2026