Castle Pit roof fall, 1904

A fall of rock on an old parting at Crawshay Brothers' Castle Pit, Troedyrhiw, in November 1904 buried a repairer and a fireman who had just made the place safe after taking out a cracked pair of timbers.

Cause

A fall of rock on an old parting, about nine feet from where a cracked pair of timbers had been removed.

What happened

Jacob Williams, a 59-year-old repairer, had taken out a pair of timbers on a road at Castle Pit because the collar was bent and cracked. Three trams of rubbish came down, which were cleared away, and the place was examined and judged safe. As Williams and the fireman, Charles Passmore, were passing out to help a rider put a tram back on the rails, a fall of rock about seven feet by five and a half, and 13 inches thick, came down about nine feet from where the timber had been removed, crushing out a pair of timbers and burying them both. The road was a parting made many years before, a long way from any coal working, and it was hard to see why the roof had become uneasy.

What's uncertain

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

• The accident was on 17 November 1904. (disputed) ^2,3
• The accident was on 18 November 1904; the fall was of about 10 tons. (disputed) ¹

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• In November 1904 a fall of roof at Castle Pit, Troedyrhiw, killed Jacob Williams, 59, and Charles Passmore, 39. ^1,2,3
• A pair of timbers with a bent and cracked collar had been taken out; after the place was cleared and examined, a fall of rock about nine feet away crushed out another pair and buried the two men. ^2,3
• The colliery was owned by Crawshay Brothers, Cyfarthfa, Limited. ^2,3
• The accident was on 17 November 1904. (disputed) ^2,3
• The accident was on 18 November 1904; the fall was of about 10 tons. (disputed) ¹

Related terminology

Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.

• Coal (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…The road was a parting made many years before, a long way from any coal working, and it was hard to see why the roof had become uneasy.”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…Castle Pit, Troedyrhiw, in November 1904 buried a repairer and a fireman who had just made the place safe after taking out a cracked pair of…”
• Tub (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…a road at Castle Pit because the collar was bent and cracked. Three trams of rubbish came down, which were cleared away, and the place was…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Welsh mining fatalities, 1904 — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Jacob William(s), Castle, 1904 — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Charles Passmore, Castle, 1904 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 17 October 2026 · Last researched: 17 October 2026