Great Western Colliery arch collapse, 1884

An underground arch being built at the Great Western Colliery, Hopkinstown, collapsed on New Year's Day 1884 when a prop gave way, killing the two masons building it.

Cause

A prop supporting an arch under construction gave way.

What happened

On the morning of Tuesday 1 January 1884 Griffith Davies and Alfred Cornish, both in their early twenties, were building an arch underground at the Great Western Colliery, Hopkinstown. One of the props gave way and the arch fell in on them, killing both outright. Davies came from Cardiganshire and had worked in the district for about nine months; Cornish came from Frome in Somerset. The inquest, attended by the deputy inspector of mines, returned a verdict of accidental death.

Recorded claims

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

• Griffith Davies, 22 or 23, and Alfred Cornish, 22 or 23, were killed when an underground arch collapsed at the Great Western Colliery on 1 January 1884. ^1,2,3
• They were building the arch when one of the props gave way and the arch came down. ^2,3
• The inquest, with the deputy inspector of mines present, returned a verdict of accidental death. ⁴

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: “An underground arch being built at the Great Western Colliery, Hopkinstown, collapsed on New Year's Day 1884 when a prop gave way,…”
• Deputy (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…Cornish came from Frome in Somerset. The inquest, attended by the deputy inspector of mines, returned a verdict of accidental death.”
• HM Chief Inspector of Mines (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…came from Frome in Somerset. The inquest, attended by the deputy inspector of mines, returned a verdict of accidental death.”

Sources

1. (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines fatalities, 1884 — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (primary) Fatal colliery fall at Pontypridd: two men killed (South Wales Daily News, 2 January 1884) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
3. (primary) Fatal accident at Pontypridd (Weekly Mail, 5 January 1884) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
4. (primary) Pontypridd: the sad fatality at the Great Western Colliery (South Wales Daily News, 4 January 1884) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)

Record created: 7 October 2026 · Last researched: 7 October 2026