MineArchiveCwm Colliery, Merthyr Tydfil roof fall, 1892
On the morning of Monday 18 July 1892 a fall of stone and rubbish from the roof of the main roadway in Crawshay Brothers' Cwm Pit, near Merthyr Tydfil, killed James Havard and William Jones of Cefn Coed and injured David Lewis.
| Date | 18 July 1892 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Cwm Colliery, Merthyr Tydfil |
| Region | Merthyr Tydfil |
| Type | Collapse / Roof Fall |
| Fatalities | 2 (James Havard, 45, collier, of 9 Well Street, Cefn, and William Jones, 68 or 70, labourer, of 17 Cefn Isha.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
A large stone and rubbish came away from the roof of the main roadway, which was well timbered and had been tried that morning.
What happened
A company of men had gone down at the start of the shift and were walking in along the main road. Jones and Lewis were clearing rubbish from an earlier fall, and Havard and Isaac Jones had just passed them when the roof came down; part of it fell on the last wagon of a journey that the haulier Thomas Lewis had just brought along. At first no one knew who had been buried, and Havard's son was among those clearing the debris when his father's body was found.
Rescue & recovery
Men nearby, including John Williams and William Rogers, cleared the fall and recovered both bodies; David Lewis was taken home to Merthyr seriously hurt.
Investigation & inquiry
The Breconshire coroner, Dr Jones, held the inquest at the Old Greyhound Inn, Cefn, with David Abraham, Crawshays' general colliery manager, present. He found that no blame attached to the management, the accident being one that could not have been foreseen, and the jury returned a verdict of accidental death.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On the morning of Monday 18 July 1892 a fall of roof on the main roadway of Crawshay Brothers' Cwm Pit, near Merthyr, killed James Havard and William Jones, both of Cefn Coed, and injured a third man. 1,2
- Havard's son, helping to clear the fall, found that one of the bodies was his father's. 2
- A large stone and rubbish fell from the roof while Jones and David Lewis were clearing rubbish and Havard was passing them on his way to work. 1,3
- The Breconshire coroner found no blame attached to the management, and the jury returned a verdict of accidental death. 3
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s investigation: “…the Old Greyhound Inn, Cefn, with David Abraham, Crawshays' general colliery manager, present. He found that no blame attached to the management,…” - Haulier (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s narrative: “…came down; part of it fell on the last wagon of a journey that the haulier Thomas Lewis had just brought along. At first no one knew who had…” - Journey (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s narrative: “…them when the roof came down; part of it fell on the last wagon of a journey that the haulier Thomas Lewis had just brought along. At first no…”
Sources
- (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines: Fatalities 1892 — welshcoalmines.co.uk
- (primary) South Wales Daily News, 19 July 1892: Colliery accident at Cefn Coed: two men killed — South Wales Daily News (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)
- (primary) The Western Mail, 20 July 1892: The colliery fatality at Merthyr: coroner's inquiry — The Western Mail (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)
Record created: 19 October 2026 · Last researched: 20 October 2026