MineArchiveBwllfa Dare Colliery roof fall, 1906
A collier and his fourteen-year-old boy were killed at Bwllfa Dare Colliery on 14 December 1906 when coal he was pulling down knocked out two props and the roof fell.
| Date | 14 December 1906 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Bwllfa Dare Colliery |
| Region | Rhondda Cynon Taf |
| Type | Collapse / Roof Fall |
| Fatalities | 2 (Two killed: the collier John Thomas and his collier boy, William Henry Holmes, aged 14.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
A slip of coal being pulled down knocked out two props, and the roof fell.
What happened
On 14 December 1906 John Thomas, a collier at Bwllfa Dare Colliery in the Dare valley above Aberdare, was pulling down a slip of coal in the Two Feet Nine seam. As it fell it knocked out two props, and the face cliff, sixteen feet by four and seventeen inches thick, came down on him and his collier boy, William Henry Holmes, aged fourteen. Both were killed.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 14 December 1906 a fall of roof at Bwllfa Dare Colliery killed the collier John Thomas, 33, and his collier boy William Henry Holmes, 14. 1,2
- The collier was pulling down a slip of coal, which knocked out two props as it fell and brought down the face cliff, 16 feet by 4 feet by 17 inches, on him and the boy. 2
- The colliery belonged to the Bwllfa and Merthyr Dare Steam Collieries (1891) Ltd., and the fall was in the Two Feet Nine seam. 2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Coal (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…boy were killed at Bwllfa Dare Colliery on 14 December 1906 when coal he was pulling down knocked out two props and the roof fell.” - Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “A collier and his fourteen-year-old boy were killed at Bwllfa Dare Colliery on 14 December 1906 when coal he was pulling down knocked out two…”
Sources
- (secondary) Welsh mining fatalities, 1906 — Welsh Coal Mines
- (secondary) Mining deaths 1900-1909, surnames H, part 7 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)
Record created: 8 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026