Lower Duffryn Colliery roof fall, 1886

On the morning of Monday 5 July 1886 two repairers, Stephen Wheeler and James Tudor, were killed at the Cwmpennar (Lower Duffryn) colliery, Mountain Ash, when the roof came in on them as they cleared a fall.

Cause

A further fall of roof while the men were clearing an earlier one.

What happened

The two older men, both repairers, were clearing a fall in the pit when more of the roof came down on them, and both were killed.

Recorded claims

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

• On the morning of Monday 5 July 1886 two men clearing a fall at the Cwmpennar pit, Lower Duffryn, were killed when the roof fell on them. ^1,2,3
• The two were repairers, clearing an earlier fall. ^1,2,3
• The dead were James Tudor and Stephen Wheeler. ^1,3

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “…and James Tudor, were killed at the Cwmpennar (Lower Duffryn) colliery, Mountain Ash, when the roof came in on them as they cleared a fall.”
• Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “A further fall of roof while the men were clearing an earlier one.”

Sources

1. (secondary) Welsh mining fatalities, 1886 — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (primary) South Wales Daily News, 6 July 1886: Colliery accident in the Aberdare Valley: two men killed — South Wales Daily News (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)
3. (primary) Y Dydd, 30 July 1886: Damwain angeuol mewn glofa — Y Dydd (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)

Record created: 19 October 2026 · Last researched: 19 October 2026