Gelli Colliery incline accident, 1897

Early on 29 May 1897 a chain link broke as rubbish trams were hauled up the incline to the top of Gelli Pit, and the runaway trams killed three men on the pit bank.

Cause

A link of the hauling chain broke about thirteen or fourteen yards from the top of the incline.

What happened

Early on Saturday 29 May 1897 a number of rubbish trams were being hauled up the incline to the top of Cory Brothers and Company's Gelli Pit when a link of the chain broke about thirteen or fourteen yards from the top, and the trams ran back down to the pit bank. Charles Pocock, a collier who had gone to the carpenter's shop for a mandril, was caught and killed instantly. The cokeman John Williams was badly hurt and died on reaching home, and the coke burner Frederick Wallbutton died on 1 June. A fireman, Sydney Grant, escaped with bruises.

Investigation & inquiry

The inquest on Charles Pocock, held on 1 June 1897, 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.

• Early on the Saturday, as rubbish trams were being hauled up the incline to the top of Cory Brothers' Gelli Pit, a link of the chain broke about thirteen or fourteen yards from the top and the trams dashed down to the pit bank, killing the collier Charles Pocock and fatally injuring the cokeman John Williams. ¹
• Charles Pocock, carpenter, John Williams, cokeman, and Frederick Wallbutton, coke burner, who died on 1 June, were killed when the chain broke on the Gelli incline on 29 May 1897; three were killed. ²
• The inquest on Charles Pocock was held on Tuesday 1 June and returned a verdict of accidental death. ³

Related terminology

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

• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…home, and the coke burner Frederick Wallbutton died on 1 June. A fireman, Sydney Grant, escaped with bruises.”
• Heapstead (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…the top of Gelli Pit, and the runaway trams killed three men on the pit bank.”
• Incline (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…29 May 1897 a chain link broke as rubbish trams were hauled up the incline to the top of Gelli Pit, and the runaway trams killed three men on…”
• Tub (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “Early on 29 May 1897 a chain link broke as rubbish trams were hauled up the incline to the top of Gelli Pit, and the runaway…”

Photographs & further reading

This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.

Sources

1. (primary) Colliery accident: two men killed and one injured in the Rhondda - Evening Express, 31 May 1897 — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
2. (secondary) Welsh mining fatalities, 1897 — Welsh Coal Mines
3. (primary) Damwain y Gelli - Tarian y Gweithiwr, 10 June 1897 — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)

Record created: 2 October 2026 · Last researched: 2 October 2026