Pentrefron Colliery flooding, 1819

Pentrefron Colliery at Coedpoeth was drowned out by water in September 1819; two men drowned, and a third, John Evans, was found alive in a roof cavity after twelve days, having lived on candles.

Cause

Water flooded the workings and drowned the colliery out.

What happened

Pentrefron Colliery, also known as the Old Talwrn Pit, lay at Coedpoeth near Wrexham. In September 1819 it was drowned out by water. Two men were drowned underground. A third, John Evans, reached a cavity in the roof space above the water and survived there in darkness for twelve days and nights, eating his candles and drinking the water that dripped from the rock. The colliery management had three coffins made ready at the pit head for the men's bodies.

Rescue & recovery

After twelve days and nights John Evans was found alive in the roof cavity and rescued. He kept the coffin that had been prepared for him at home as a piece of furniture for many years.

Recorded claims

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

• Coedpoeth's Pentrefron Colliery, also known as Old Talwrn Pit, ceased working when it was drowned out in September 1819; two men were drowned underground. ¹
• After twelve days and nights John Evans was found alive in a cavity of the roof space and rescued; he had survived in darkness by eating candles and drinking water dripping from the rock. ¹
• The colliery management had three coffins ready at the pit head; John Evans kept his at home as an item of furniture for many years. ¹
• Old Talwrn Colliery, otherwise known as Pentre'r-fron, closed after a flooding in 1819 in which two lives were lost and John Evans survived twelve days trapped in a roof cavity. ²

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “Pentrefron Colliery at Coedpoeth was drowned out by water in September 1819; two men…”
• Pithead (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…rock. The colliery management had three coffins made ready at the pit head for the men's bodies.”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Gatewen, Vron, Broughton and Coedpoeth collieries — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (secondary) Coedpoeth — Wikipedia

Record created: 1 October 2026 · Last researched: 2 October 2026