MineArchiveBryngwiog Mine inrush, 1862
| Date | February 1862 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Halkyn Mountain |
| Region | Flintshire |
| Primary type | Flooding / Inundation |
| Associated types | Rescue |
| Fatalities | 16 (Sixteen men named in the welshcoalmines.co.uk death roll: Edward Jones (Moel-y-Crio), Bennet Roberts (Lixwm), William Pierce (Rhewl), Edward Jones (Rhesycae), John Jones (Foel), Richard Blackwell (Llaneurgain), William Hooson (Cilcen), Job Jones (Cilcen), John Williams (Hendy), Edward Goodwin, Llewelyn Powell (Hersedd), Edward Powell (Hersedd), Joseph Roberts (Bryn Gwiog), William Williams (Llaneurgain), John Jones (Cilcen), George Brookes (Llaneurgain).) |
| Injuries | One survivor, Edwin Powell, reached the shaft and was pulled from the flooding workings having caught a rope; he was nearly unconscious and was hauled out, by one account, by his hair. |
| Context | During active mining |
| Status | Researched |
Sixteen men drowned when Bryngwiog Mine, on Halkyn Mountain, broke into the flooded old workings of the abandoned Hendre Mine and filled with water within minutes — one of the worst disasters in the district's lead-mining history.
Cause
Seventeen men working underground broke through into the old, abandoned and flooded workings of the nearby Hendre Mine, releasing a rapid inrush of water into Bryngwiog.
Contributing factors
The Hendre Mine's old workings were not adequately known or marked before Bryngwiog's own workings were driven close enough to hole into them.
What happened
Bryngwiog Mine, at Moel-y-Crio on Halkyn Mountain, was being developed for lead when its workings broke through a wall into the flooded, abandoned workings of the old Hendre Mine. Seventeen men were underground at the time; water flooded the mine within minutes. One man, Edwin Powell, managed to reach the shaft and catch a rope, and was hauled out barely conscious. The other sixteen drowned.
Rescue & recovery
The mine's pumping engine worked continuously to clear the water. The first body recovered, Edward Goodwin, was brought up the day after the flood; further bodies were recovered over the following days, with most retrieved within the week. Thousands of people are reported to have gathered at the mine while recovery was under way.
Investigation & inquiry
A coroner's inquest was held at the Royal Oak, chaired by Peter Parry. Mines inspector Peter Higson examined the workings and testified that water had broken through into the 132-yard level from the old, deeper Hendre workings. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.
Legal & regulatory aftermath
Public meetings were held in Mold, Rhyl and Holywell to raise relief funds for the bereaved families.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Sixteen men drowned when Bryngwiog Mine broke into the flooded old workings of the abandoned Hendre Mine; one man, Edwin Powell, escaped by reaching the shaft and catching a rope. 1,2
- The Northern Mine Research Society dates the inrush to 12 February 1862; welshcoalmines.co.uk's death roll instead gives Saturday 22 February 1862. (disputed) 1,2
- A coroner's inquest at the Royal Oak, with mines inspector Peter Higson testifying that water had broken through from the old Hendre Mine workings, returned a verdict of accidental death. 2
- Public meetings were held in Mold, Rhyl and Holywell to raise funds for the bereaved families. 2
Sources
- (secondary) Brngweog Lead Mine Inrush - Mold - 1862 — Northern Mine Research Society
- (secondary) Bryngwiog Lead Mine (death roll) — welshcoalmines.co.uk
Record created: 20 August 2026 · Last researched: 20 August 2026