MineArchiveCwmtillery Colliery roof fall, 1868
Two men taking down the top in a squeezed old road at Cwmtillery Colliery on 29 July 1868 were killed by a fall of roof, hemmed in by the drams they had placed on either side of them.
| Date | 29 July 1868 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Cwmtillery Colliery |
| Region | Blaenau Gwent |
| Type | Collapse / Roof Fall |
| Fatalities | 2 (Richard Jones (34), roadman or collier, and John Williams (21), haulier.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
A fall of roof while the men were taking down top in a squeezed old road.
Contributing factors
They had placed a dram on each side of where they worked, which left them no way out when the roof came; with only one dram they would have escaped.
What happened
On 29 July 1868 Richard Jones and John Williams were set to take down some top in a squeezed old road at Cwmtillery Colliery. They placed a dram on each side of them, so that when the roof fell there was no escape, and 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 29 July 1868 Richard Jones, 34, collier, and John Williams, 21, haulier, were killed by a fall of roof at Cwmtillery Colliery while getting down some top in a squeezed old road; two were killed. 1
- The men had placed a dram on each side of them, so that in case of danger there was no escape; had they had but one dram they would have escaped. 1
- NMRS lists Richard Jones, 34, roadman, and John Williams, 21, haulier, killed by a fall of roof on 29 July 1868. 2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “Two men taking down the top in a squeezed old road at Cwmtillery Colliery on 29 July 1868 were killed by a fall of roof, hemmed in by the…” - Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…old road at Cwmtillery Colliery on 29 July 1868 were killed by a fall of roof, hemmed in by the drams they had placed on either side of them.” - Tub (contextual relationship)
Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…on 29 July 1868 were killed by a fall of roof, hemmed in by the drams they had placed on either side of them.”
Photographs & further reading
This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.
The year's list of Welsh mining deaths, including the Cwmtillery roof fall.
View sourceSources
- (secondary) Mining fatalities, 1868 - Welsh Coal Mines — Welsh Coal Mines
- (secondary) Cwmtillery Colliery - Northern Mine Research Society — Northern Mine Research Society
Record created: 2 October 2026 · Last researched: 2 October 2026