Genwen Colliery explosion, 1907

An explosion in the Four Feet headings of the small Genwen Colliery near Llanelli on 5 March 1907 killed four miners, and two volunteers who went down the return airway afterwards died in the afterdamp. Screw-locked lamps, no lampman and poorly organised exploration drew criticism; the manager was fined and the pit was abandoned.

Cause

Firedamp ignited at one of the men's open lamps, probably after the ventilating brattice was displaced; the jury found a sudden emission of gas reached a naked light.

Contributing factors

Bonneted Clanny lamps locked by a screw and easily opened; no lampman; a lamp station men could bypass; single separation doors; firedamp found before but not recorded in the report books.

What happened

Genwen, owned and managed by David Harry, employed 37 men, 26 underground, driving a pair of narrow headings in the Four Feet seam some 1,364 yards from the shaft, ventilated through brattice tubes by a 25-foot Waddle fan. At about 6.15 p.m. on 5 March 1907, with only four men in the pit, the engineman felt a tremble and saw smoke and dust from the fan. The undermanager John Benyon went down with four others.

Rescue & recovery

Benyon's instructions that no one else should descend were set aside when he sent for help, and men went down unguided; twelve who entered the main slant were overcome and carried out. Roderick Davies and Edward Harry went down about 8 p.m. against the banksman's advice and were lost in the return. Mr Knoyle, manager of Broadoak Colliery, took charge at 11.30 p.m. and organised relays; the four bodies at the face were reached early on 7 March.

Investigation & inquiry

The inquest, before W. Buckley Roderick, Coroner for the Honour of Kidwelly, sat on 22, 25 and 26 March and returned accidental death. Inspectors W. N. Atkinson and J. Dwyer Lewis reported to the Home Secretary; WCM records that the jury rejected the owners' claim that the men had been smoking.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

For breaches of the rules the manager was convicted at Llanelli Police Court on 1 May 1907 and fined £5 and costs on each charge.

Changes to practice & legislation

While the mine was being reopened a fire from spontaneous combustion broke out in a fall 200 yards from the face, and the owners abandoned the colliery.

Memorials & commemoration

Unknown.

People

6 of the 6 who died are named in the archive; the rest are not named in the sources read for this record.

• W. N. Atkinson · inspector, 1907 — H.M. Inspector who reported on the explosion.
• John Benyon · rescuer, 1907 — Undermanager who led the first exploring party.
• Harry David · manager, 1907 — Certificated manager (NMRS; WCM names the owner David Harry); convicted for breaches of the rules.
• Roderick Davies (d. 1907) · victim, 1907 — Explorer; died in the afterdamp in the return airway.
• Thomas Davies (d. 1907) · victim, 1907 — Miner, killed at the face (named David Thomas in NMRS's list).
• Llewellyn Evans (d. 1907) · victim, 1907 — Miner, killed at the face.
• Edward Harry (d. 1907) · victim, 1907 — Explorer; died in the afterdamp in the return airway.
• Thomas Howells (d. 1907) · victim, 1907 — Miner, killed at the face (NMRS also Thomas Howell).
• David Phillips (d. 1907) · victim, 1907 — Miner, killed at the face.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• NMRS's list names David Thomas among the dead; its quoted verdict and WCM name Thomas Davies. (disputed) ^1,2

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• The explosion killed four miners and two men lost their lives in the rescue attempt. ^1,2
• NMRS's list names David Thomas among the dead; its quoted verdict and WCM name Thomas Davies. (disputed) ^1,2
• The jury found the explosion caused by a sudden emission of gas meeting the naked light of an open lamp, and returned accidental death. ²
• WCM says the jury rejected the owners' claim of pipe smoking and that a defective safety lamp was found to be the cause. ¹
• The manager was convicted at Llanelli Police Court on 1 May 1907 and fined £5 and costs in each case; WCM says the owners pleaded guilty and were fined. ^1,2
• A fire from spontaneous combustion during reopening led the owners to abandon the colliery. ^1,2

Related terminology

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

• Banksman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s rescue and recovery: “…Roderick Davies and Edward Harry went down about 8 p.m. against the banksman's advice and were lost in the return. Mr Knoyle, manager of Broadoak…”
• Brattice (contributing factor)
  Displacement of the brattice could let gas accumulate.
• Safety Lamp (contributing factor)
  Screw-locked Clanny lamps could be opened and relocked.
• Spontaneous Combustion (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s changes to practice: “While the mine was being reopened a fire from spontaneous combustion broke out in a fall 200 yards from the face, and the owners…”
• Waddle Fan (relevant method/equipment)
  A 25-foot Waddle fan.

Sources

1. (secondary) Genwen Colliery — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (secondary) Genwen Colliery Explosion - Llanelli - 1907 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 19 September 2026 · Last researched: 21 September 2026