MineArchivePochin Colliery roof fall, 1915
At about a quarter past twelve on Tuesday 12 January 1915 a fall of twelve to fourteen tons came down in a stall at No. 1 Pochin Colliery, near Tredegar, killing the collier Edward Lawrence Badmington, a leader of the local miners, and his fifteen-year-old helper Godfrey Edwards.
| Date | 12 January 1915 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Pochin Colliery |
| Region | Blaenau Gwent |
| Type | Collapse / Roof Fall |
| Fatalities | 2 (Edward Lawrence Badmington, 40, collier, of Railway Terrace, Sirhowy, leaving a widow and four children; Godfrey Edwards, 15, collier's boy, of Four Rows, Sirhowy.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
A heavy fall of stone in the working stall, including one exceptionally large stone.
What happened
John Lewis, a collier three yards away on his way to the face, heard the fall and shouted but got no answer. He could see two lamps on the posts, one unlit, but neither the man nor the boy. Badmington was found under the fall, doubled up and dead; the boy had also been killed instantly.
Investigation & inquiry
At the inquest before the deputy coroner, W. R. Dauncey, the manager, T. Reynolds, said Badmington had worked under him for twenty-two years and that there was no one in Tredegar held in greater esteem as a man or a workman; the Miners' Federation's representative echoed him. Badmington had held the highest office in the district of the Federation, its presidency.
What's uncertain
Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.
- Badmington, 40, had been president of the district of the Miners' Federation; the manager told the inquest that no one in Tredegar was held in greater esteem. (uncertain) 1
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On the afternoon of Tuesday 12 January 1915 a tremendous fall in a stall at No. 1 Pochin Colliery, Tredegar, killed the collier Edward Lawrence Badmington and his boy helper, Godfrey Edwards. 1,2
- The fall was of twelve to fourteen tons, including one exceptionally large stone. 1
- Badmington, 40, had been president of the district of the Miners' Federation; the manager told the inquest that no one in Tredegar was held in greater esteem. (uncertain) 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: “…fall of twelve to fourteen tons came down in a stall at No. 1 Pochin Colliery, near Tredegar, killing the collier Edward Lawrence Badmington, a…” - Deputy (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s investigation: “At the inquest before the deputy coroner, W. R. Dauncey, the manager, T. Reynolds, said Badmington…” - Miners' Federation of Great Britain (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s investigation: “…no one in Tredegar held in greater esteem as a man or a workman; the Miners' Federation's representative echoed him. Badmington had held the highest office…” - Stall (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…12 January 1915 a fall of twelve to fourteen tons came down in a stall at No. 1 Pochin Colliery, near Tredegar, killing the collier Edward…”
Sources
- (secondary) 1915 fatalities — Welsh Coal Mines
- (primary) Monmouth Guardian and Bargoed and Caerphilly Observer, 15 January 1915: Tredegar: man and boy killed — Monmouth Guardian and Bargoed and Caerphilly Observer (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)
Record created: 21 October 2026 · Last researched: 21 October 2026