MineArchivePark Slip Colliery roof fall, 1899
A repairer and his son were killed at Park Slip Colliery, Tondu, on 23 November 1899 when rock fell from a fault slip as they enlarged a heading.
| Date | 23 November 1899 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Park Slip Colliery |
| Region | Bridgend |
| Type | Collapse / Roof Fall |
| Fatalities | 2 (Two killed: the repairer Robert Burnell and his son (named Thomas in one list, Israel in another).) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
Rock fell from the slip of a fault after a squeeze in a heading being enlarged.
What happened
On 23 November 1899 the repairer Robert Burnell, 50, and his son, 22, his assistant, were enlarging a heading in a new seam at Park Slip Colliery, near Tondu. After a squeeze in the heading, a slab of rock about ten feet by twelve and sixteen inches thick came away from the slip of a fault and killed them both. The son is named Thomas in one list and Israel in another.
What's uncertain
Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 23 November 1899 a fall of roof at Park Slip Colliery killed the repairer Robert Burnell, 50, and his son, a repairer's assistant aged 22. 1,2
- The son is named Thomas in one list and Israel in another. (disputed) 1,2
- A slab of rock about 10 feet by 12 feet and 16 inches thick fell from the slip of a fault while they were enlarging a heading in a new seam. 2
- The fall followed a squeeze in the heading. 1
- The colliery belonged to North's Navigation Collieries. 2
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: “A repairer and his son were killed at Park Slip Colliery, Tondu, on 23 November 1899 when rock fell from a fault slip as they…”
Sources
- (secondary) Welsh mining fatalities, 1899 — Welsh Coal Mines
- (secondary) Mining deaths 1890-1899, surnames B part 8 (Ian Winstanley) — Healey Hero (Ian Winstanley's mining deaths lists)
Record created: 8 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026