MineArchiveDeep Duffryn Colliery roof fall, 1885
At about four o'clock on the morning of Tuesday 17 February 1885 a stone of about two tons fell on two colliers cutting coal in a deep heading in the far end district of the Six Feet seam at Deep Duffryn Colliery, Mountain Ash. Samuel Price was killed outright and William Hughes died on the way to the surface.
| Date | 17 February 1885 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Deep Duffryn Colliery |
| Region | Rhondda Cynon Taf |
| Type | Collapse / Roof Fall |
| Fatalities | 2 (William Hughes, 46, of Phillip Street, Mountain Ash, and Samuel Price, 23, of Miskin, Mountain Ash; colliers.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
A fall of a stone of about two tons from the roof of the heading.
What happened
The two men had been cutting coal through the Monday night. Hughes was removing a piece of coal when the stone fell on them both. Price, who came from Builth, had married nine months before; Hughes left a widow and seven children, four of them under thirteen.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- At about four on the morning of Tuesday 17 February 1885 a stone of about two tons fell on two colliers in a heading of the far end district of the Six Feet seam at Deep Duffryn Colliery, Mountain Ash, killing both. 1,2,3
- Samuel Price was killed on the spot and William Hughes died on the way out of the pit. 2,3
- Hughes left a widow and seven children; Price, from Builth, had been married nine months. 2,3
- Both men were members of the Permanent Relief Fund. 3
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: “…February 1885 a stone of about two tons fell on two colliers cutting coal in a deep heading in the far end district of the Six Feet seam at…” - Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s summary: “…heading in the far end district of the Six Feet seam at Deep Duffryn Colliery, Mountain Ash. Samuel Price was killed outright and William Hughes…”
Sources
- (secondary) Mining fatalities, 1885 - Welsh Coal Mines — Welsh Coal Mines
- (primary) South Wales Echo, 18 February 1885: Colliery accident at Mountain Ash: two men killed — South Wales Echo (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)
- (primary) Weekly Mail, 21 February 1885: Colliery accident at Mountain Ash: two men killed — Weekly Mail (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)
- (primary) Y Drych, 12 March 1885: Deheudir Cymru — Y Drych (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)
Record created: 19 October 2026 · Last researched: 19 October 2026