MineArchiveFerndale No. 5 sinking pit explosion, 1876
On the morning of 23 May 1876 gas exploded at the bottom of the new No. 5 pit then being sunk at Ferndale, killing Abraham Jenkins of Aberaman and the sixteen-year-old John George Lewis. The man whose naked light fired it was barely hurt.
| Date | 23 May 1876 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Ferndale Collieries |
| Region | Rhondda Cynon Taf |
| Type | Explosion |
| Fatalities | 2 (Abraham Jenkins, 52, banksman, of Aberaman, and John George Lewis, 16, stoker, son of Sergeant Lewis of Ferndale.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
Gas that had gathered at the bottom of the sinking shaft was fired by a naked light.
What happened
Men were sinking the new pit, with a pump fixed at the bottom to keep down the water. One of them, named Anthony, went down to oil the pump carrying a naked light, and the gas exploded. Jenkins's body was taken home to Aberdare that afternoon. Rumours of a far worse disaster spread through the district before the toll was known.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- An explosion of gas at the bottom of the new No. 5 sinking pit at Ferndale on the morning of 23 May 1876 killed the banksman Abraham Jenkins and the stoker John George Lewis. 1,2
- A man named Anthony went down to oil the pump at the pit bottom carrying a naked light, which fired the gas that had gathered there. 1,2
- Anthony himself was not much hurt. 2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Naked Light (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…Aberaman and the sixteen-year-old John George Lewis. The man whose naked light fired it was barely hurt.” - Shaft (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s cause: “Gas that had gathered at the bottom of the sinking shaft was fired by a naked light.” - Shaft Sinking (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “Gas that had gathered at the bottom of the sinking shaft was fired by a naked light.”
Sources
- (secondary) Fatalities 1876 — Welsh Coal Mines
- (primary) South Wales Daily News, 24 May 1876: Fatal explosion at Ferndale: two men killed — South Wales Daily News (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)
- (primary) Y Gwladgarwr, 26 May 1876: Ffrwydriad angeuol yn Ferndale — Y Gwladgarwr (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)
Record created: 19 October 2026 · Last researched: 19 October 2026