MineArchiveOakwood No. 13 balance pit fall, 1853
On 8 December 1853 a fall of rubbish down the balance pit shaft of No. 13 Oakwood pit, one of the copper company's coal pits at Pontrhydyfen in the Afan valley, killed three, two of them boys employed as trammers, William Williams, 14, and John James, 13.
| Date | 8 December 1853 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Oakwood Colliery (Pontrhydyfen) |
| Region | Neath Port Talbot |
| Primary type | Winding / Shaft Accident |
| Associated types | Collapse / Roof Fall |
| Fatalities | 3 (Three killed, among them William Williams, 14, and John James, 13, trammers; the third is not named in the accounts read.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
Rubbish fell from the top of the balance pit down its shaft.
What happened
No. 13 was one of the series of pits and slants worked at Oakwood from about 1848 by the English Copper Company, which also owned the copper works at Cwmavon. On 8 December 1853 rubbish fell from the top of the balance pit down the shaft and killed three, including the trammers William Williams, aged 14, and John James, 13.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 8 December 1853 rubbish fell down the balance pit shaft of No. 13 Oakwood pit, Pontrhydyfen, and killed three, among them John James, 13, and William Williams, 14. 1,2
- The two boys named were trammers. 2
- The Oakwood pits had been started about 1848 by the English Copper Company, owners of the copper works at Cwmavon. 1
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: “…balance pit shaft of No. 13 Oakwood pit, one of the copper company's coal pits at Pontrhydyfen in the Afan valley, killed three, two of them boys…” - Shaft (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “On 8 December 1853 a fall of rubbish down the balance pit shaft of No. 13 Oakwood pit, one of the copper company's coal pits at…” - Slant (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s narrative: “No. 13 was one of the series of pits and slants worked at Oakwood from about 1848 by the English Copper Company,…” - Water Balance (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “On 8 December 1853 a fall of rubbish down the balance pit shaft of No. 13 Oakwood pit, one of the copper company's coal pits…”
Sources
- (secondary) Oakwood slants, Pontrhydyfen; Cwmmawr Colliery — Welsh Coal Mines
- (secondary) Oak Wood Colliery, Pontrhydyfen — Northern Mine Research Society
Record created: 21 October 2026 · Last researched: 22 October 2026