Kay's Slope roof fall, 1892

The roof of Kay's Slope fell on two men talking in the roadway on their way out of the Blaenavon pit on 4 May 1892, killing both.

Cause

A fall of shale roof on the main slope roadway.

What happened

On the afternoon of Wednesday 4 May 1892 John Roberts, 42, a collier, finished work at Kay's Slope and set off up the slope with his son. About a quarter of a mile from the mouth he stopped to talk to the roadman William Rogers, 53, while the son walked on. Moments later the roof came down where the two men stood, six to nine trams of shale and stone, some pieces weighing four or five hundredweight. Workmen had them out within about a quarter of an hour, but both were dead. Rogers left eight children and Roberts three.

Because Roberts lived across the county boundary at Llanelly, Brecknockshire, the two coroners took both inquests together at Blaenavon. The jury, most of them colliers, found that the place had been properly timbered and returned a verdict of accidental death.

Investigation & inquiry

A joint inquest at Blaenavon found the roadway properly timbered; 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.

• Two men were killed by a fall of roof at Kay's Slope, Blaenavon, on 4 May 1892. ^1,2,3
• John Roberts, a collier, was walking out of the slope with his son at the end of his shift and stopped to talk to the roadman William Rogers, about a quarter of a mile from the mouth, when the roof fell on them. ^1,3,4
• Six to nine trams' weight of roof came down; the men were dug out within about a quarter of an hour, both dead. ^3,4
• The inquest jury, mostly working colliers, found the place properly timbered and returned a verdict of accidental death. ³

Related terminology

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

• Roadman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…About a quarter of a mile from the mouth he stopped to talk to the roadman William Rogers, 53, while the son walked on. Moments later the roof…”
• Tub (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…later the roof came down where the two men stood, six to nine trams of shale and stone, some pieces weighing four or five hundredweight.…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines: Fatalities 1892 — welshcoalmines.co.uk
2. (secondary) Kay's Slope — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (primary) The fatal colliery accident at Blaenavon (Evening Express, 9 May 1892) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
4. (primary) The colliery fatality at Blaenavon: inquest and verdict (Pontypool Free Press, 13 May 1892) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
5. (primary) Colliery fatality at Blaenavon: two men killed (South Wales Daily News, 5 May 1892) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)

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