MineArchiveGolynos Colliery roof fall, 1878
Two brothers, John and Henry Williams, colliers, were killed together by a fall of roof in their stall at Golynos Colliery, near Abersychan, in early 1878.
| Date | January or February 1878 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Golynos Colliery |
| Region | Torfaen |
| Type | Collapse / Roof Fall |
| Fatalities | 2 (Two brothers: John Williams, 38, and Henry Williams, 28, colliers, of Talywain.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
A fall of roof in the brothers' stall.
What happened
Early in 1878 a fall of roof at Golynos Colliery, Talywain, near Abersychan, killed two colliers working together in their stall, the brothers John Williams, 38, and Henry Williams, 28. The pit was then being worked for the ironworks by William Richards, and managed by Rees Emmanuel. The 1878 fatality list dates the deaths 28 January; the colliery's own history gives 4 February.
What's uncertain
Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Two men were killed by a fall of roof at Golynos Colliery in 1878. 1,2
- The fall was on 4 February 1878. (disputed) 1
- The fall was on 28 January 1878. (disputed) 2
- The two killed were brothers, John Williams, 38, and Henry Williams, 28, colliers of Talywain. 2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…were killed together by a fall of roof in their stall at Golynos Colliery, near Abersychan, in early 1878.” - Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…John and Henry Williams, colliers, were killed together by a fall of roof in their stall at Golynos Colliery, near Abersychan, in early 1878.” - Stall (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…Williams, colliers, were killed together by a fall of roof in their stall at Golynos Colliery, near Abersychan, in early 1878.”
Sources
- (secondary) Golynos Colliery (Northern Mine Research Society) — Northern Mine Research Society
- (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines: fatalities, 1878 — Welsh Coal Mines
Record created: 6 October 2026 · Last researched: 6 October 2026