MineArchiveGelli Colliery roof fall, 1905
A slab of rock fell on a road at Cory Brothers' Gelli Colliery in March 1905 as a repairer and his labourer were barring down loose stone after a small fall; one died at once and the other two months later.
| Date | March 1905 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Gelli Colliery |
| Region | Rhondda Cynon Taf |
| Type | Collapse / Roof Fall |
| Fatalities | 2 (2 killed: John Ridley (38), labourer or assistant timberman, killed on the spot, and David Williams (48), repairer, who died of a back injury on 8 May.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
A slab of rock fell as loose stone was being barred down after a small fall on a road.
What happened
In March 1905 John Ridley, aged 38, and David Williams, a 48-year-old repairer, were sent to make a road safe at Gelli Colliery in the Two Feet Nine seam after a small fall. As Ridley was barring down loose stones, a piece of rock four and a half feet long and a foot thick fell in front of him. Ridley was killed on the spot; Williams's back was badly injured and he died on 8 May. Ridley, from Blagdon near Bristol, had been in the district only about nine months and left a widow and three children.
What's uncertain
Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.
- The accident was on 1 March 1905. (disputed) 2,3
- The accident was on 3 March or 16 March 1905. (disputed) 1
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- John Ridley was killed by a fall of roof at Gelli Colliery and David Williams, a repairer, was seriously injured in the back; Williams died on 8 May 1905. 1,2,3
- A piece of rock 4 ft 6 in by 12 in thick fell as Ridley was barring down loose stones after a small fall on the road, in the Two Feet Nine seam. 2,3
- The colliery was owned by Cory Brothers and Company Limited. 2,3
- The accident was on 1 March 1905. (disputed) 2,3
- The accident was on 3 March or 16 March 1905. (disputed) 1
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: “A slab of rock fell on a road at Cory Brothers' Gelli Colliery in March 1905 as a repairer and his labourer were barring down loose…”
Sources
- (secondary) Welsh colliery fatalities, 1905 (Welsh Coal Mines) — Welsh Coal Mines website
- (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: John Ridley, Gelli, 1905 — Northern Mine Research Society
- (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: David Williams, Gelli, 1905 — Northern Mine Research Society
Record created: 17 October 2026 · Last researched: 17 October 2026