Glynea Colliery fall of coal, 1908

Twenty tons of coal fell from the upper bed of the Fiery vein at Glynea Colliery, Bynea, on 5 November 1908, burying two colliers and a boy.

Cause

A fall of the upper bed of the seam, perhaps after props were undermined by clearing too near their feet.

What happened

On the afternoon of Thursday 5 November 1908 John Williams, 36, Thomas John, 32, and the boy William John Protheroe were working in a heading driven in the Fiery vein at Glynea Colliery, Bynea, to find a fault. Williams was not in his usual place, which was flooded. The upper bed of the seam came away, about twenty tons of coal over a length of eight yards, and buried all three.

William Jones, a collier working twelve yards off, propped another piece that was ready to fall, then began moving the coal. After shifting about two tons he found Protheroe's shirt, scraped the coal from him with his hands, cut away the lump pinning his arm and carried him out to the main level, but the boy was dead. The two men were dug out dead too. Williams left seven children and Thomas John six. At the inquest the manager suggested that coal had been cleared too close to the feet of the props, and the inquiry was adjourned so that the Miners' Federation could send representatives.

Rescue & recovery

A collier propped the remaining coal and dug out the boy by hand within about twenty minutes; all three were dead.

Recorded claims

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

• A fall of about twenty tons of coal in the Fiery vein at Glynea Colliery, Bynea, on 5 November 1908 killed three men, Thomas John, John Williams and William John Protheroe. ^1,2,3,4
• A collier, William Jones, propped another piece about to fall, dug out the boy Protheroe with his hands and carried him to the main level, but he was dead. ^1,4
• At the inquest the manager suggested the props had given way because coal had been cleared too near their feet; the inquiry was adjourned so the Miners' Federation could be represented. ⁴

Related terminology

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

• Coal (contextual relationship)
  Named 6 times in this record, first in the summary: “Twenty tons of coal fell from the upper bed of the Fiery vein at Glynea Colliery, Bynea,…”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…tons of coal fell from the upper bed of the Fiery vein at Glynea Colliery, Bynea, on 5 November 1908, burying two colliers and a boy.”
• Level (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…cut away the lump pinning his arm and carried him out to the main level, but the boy was dead. The two men were dug out dead too. Williams…”
• Vein (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “Twenty tons of coal fell from the upper bed of the Fiery vein at Glynea Colliery, Bynea, on 5 November 1908, burying two colliers…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Welsh mining fatalities, 1908 — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (primary) Colliery disaster: three men killed at Loughor (Evening Express, 5 November 1908) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
3. (primary) Three men killed: terrible accident at Bynea, fall at Glynea Colliery (The Cambrian, 6 November 1908) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
4. (primary) Glynea Colliery mishap: sharp questioning at inquest (Evening Express, 7 November 1908) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)

Record created: 8 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026