Llanerch Colliery Explosion, 1869

At about half past eight on the night of Tuesday 25 May 1869, firedamp exploded in the Sinking Pit at Cwmnantddu — the colliery later known as Llanerch — killing all seven men who were making roads in the deep, some 700 to 800 yards from the shaft bottom. The workings were generally supposed to be free of gas and, once tested with a safety lamp, were worked with open lights. Twenty-one years later the same colliery, still using naked lights, killed 176.

Cause

An explosion of firedamp in the No. 1 deep heading of the Meadow Vein seam. The mineral agent who went down immediately afterwards could not determine whether it had been caused by a ventilation door left open or by a blower being struck; the inquest found the men had been accidentally killed by an explosion of gas caused by a blower in the stall.

Contributing factors

The workings were generally supposed to be free from gas and, after being tested with a safety lamp, were worked with open lights. The roof was of laminated, carbonaceous rock known to give off gas if it was disturbed.

What happened

The explosion came at about half past eight on the Tuesday night, in the Sinking Pit at Cwmnantddu, some two miles from Pontypool. The pit belonged to the Ebbw Vale Company, with Evan Jones as contractor, and employed between three and four hundred men — it was only because all but a few had left work that the toll was not far worse. About ten men were down, making roads in what was called the deep, seven or eight hundred yards in from the bottom of the shaft. Seven of them were together when the gas fired and all seven were killed outright, frightfully burned: Hananiah Williams, a single man, collier; Thomas Williams, single, bottom cutter; John Jones, married, collier; David Rees, married, collier; Evan Rees, a lad of about fourteen who worked with John Jones; William Cooke junior, married, bottom cutter; and Alfred Davies, married, collier. Two horses and a donkey died with them. The other three were working two or three hundred yards off and their escape was reckoned miraculous. Tom Green pushed his hat into his mouth, crept out onto the level and reached the shaft bottom to raise the alarm. John Morgan was blown behind some timbers and had given himself up for lost when an ostler named James came past with a light and got him out. John Mitchell was found lying in the level. A second account has it that the three had noticed a quantity of sulphur in the air and made their escape just before the blast.

Rescue & recovery

Dr. Davies of Abersychan and his assistant were sent for and arrived as quickly as they could. The three survivors appeared to have suffered nothing worse than the shock of being blown about. Charles George went towards the spot when he heard the explosion but the gas was too powerful for him; searching went on into midnight, and the seven bodies were taken to their homes.

Investigation & inquiry

Joseph Green, the mineral agent, descended the pit to make inquiries directly after the accident but could not say whether the explosion had been caused by a door left open or a blower being struck. On 1 June the Inspector of Mines, Lionel Brough, went down to examine the No. 1 deep heading and the group of nine stalls in the Meadow Vein where it had happened. The inquest found that the men had been accidentally killed by an explosion of gas caused by a blower in the stall.

Recorded claims

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

• Seven men were killed: William Cook, bottom cutter; Alfred Davies, collier, 30; John Jones, collier, 53; David Rees, collier, 30; Evan Rees, collier's helper, 15; Hananiah Williams, collier, 31; and Thomas Williams, bottom cutter, 27. (medium) ¹
• The explosion took place at the Middle sinking pit, in the No. 1 deep heading of the Meadow Vein seam. (medium) ¹
• The pit belonged to the Ebbw Vale Company, with Evan Jones as contractor, and employed between three and four hundred men; all but a few had left work when the explosion happened. (high) ²
• The workings were generally supposed to be free from gas and, after being tested with a safety lamp, were worked with open lights. (high) ²
• The Monmouthshire Merlin describes Evan Rees as a lad of about fourteen working with John Jones; Welsh Coal Mines gives his age as fifteen. (medium) ^1,2
• Three men working two or three hundred yards away escaped: Tom Green, who pushed his hat into his mouth and crept out to raise the alarm; John Morgan, blown behind timbers and extricated by an ostler with a light; and John Mitchell, found lying in the level. (high) ²
• Joseph Green, the mineral agent, went down directly after the accident but could not determine whether the explosion was caused by a door being left open or by a blower being struck. (high) ²

Related terminology

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

• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “At about half past eight on the night of Tuesday 25 May 1869, firedamp exploded in the Sinking Pit at Cwmnantddu — the colliery later known…”
• Horsekeeper (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…blown behind some timbers and had given himself up for lost when an ostler named James came past with a light and got him out. John Mitchell…”
• Level (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…Tom Green pushed his hat into his mouth, crept out onto the level and reached the shaft bottom to raise the alarm. John Morgan was…”
• Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…were generally supposed to be free of gas and, once tested with a safety lamp, were worked with open lights. Twenty-one years later the same…”
• Shaft Sinking (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…eight on the night of Tuesday 25 May 1869, firedamp exploded in the Sinking Pit at Cwmnantddu — the colliery later known as Llanerch — killing…”

Photographs & further reading

This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.

Sources

1. (secondary) Llanerch Colliery, Abersychan — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (primary) Cwmnantddu: Frightful Colliery Explosion — Seven Men Killed — Monmouthshire Merlin, 29 May 1869 (National Library of Wales)

Record created: 3 September 2026 · Last researched: 3 September 2026