Gethin Colliery roof fall, 1869

At about four o'clock on the morning of Saturday 22 May 1869 some twenty tons of earth and stone fell on three men filling rubbish in No. 2 (the Upper) Gethin pit, Merthyr. William Davies and Thomas Randall were killed on the spot and David Davies had his leg broken.

Cause

A fall of about twenty tons of roof stone onto men at work below it.

What happened

Three men were filling rubbish when an enormous quantity of stone came down on them. Davies and Randall were crushed to death at once; the third man, at the edge of the fall, escaped with a broken leg, and the fireman John Parry, standing near them, had a very narrow escape. Both the dead were single, and Davies is said to have gone to work in the pit only a week before.

Investigation & inquiry

The deputy coroner opened the inquest on the Saturday afternoon at the Corner House, Georgetown, and adjourned it until the Thursday for the attendance of the Government Inspector of Mines, Mr Wales.

Recorded claims

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

• Early on Saturday 22 May 1869 a fall of about 20 tons of stone at Gethin Colliery killed two men and broke the leg of a third. ^1,2,3
• The three men were filling rubbish when the fall came; a fireman standing near them narrowly escaped. ²
• Both dead men were single, and one had started work in the pit only a week before. ³
• The inquest, opened at the Corner House, Georgetown, was adjourned for the attendance of the inspector of mines, Mr Wales. ^2,3

Related terminology

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

• Deputy (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “The deputy coroner opened the inquest on the Saturday afternoon at the Corner…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…man, at the edge of the fall, escaped with a broken leg, and the fireman John Parry, standing near them, had a very narrow escape. Both the…”
• HM Chief Inspector of Mines (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “…adjourned it until the Thursday for the attendance of the Government Inspector of Mines, Mr Wales.”

Sources

1. (secondary) 1869 (Welsh mining fatalities by date) — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (primary) The Western Mail, 24 May 1869: Fatal accident at Gethin Colliery — The Western Mail (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)
3. (primary) Monmouthshire Merlin, 29 May 1869: Merthyr: shocking colliery accident — Monmouthshire Merlin (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)

Record created: 19 October 2026 · Last researched: 19 October 2026