Pwllfaron Colliery roof fall, 1905

At about half past ten on Tuesday 6 June 1905 a mass of roof about 20 feet square fell in the main road of the Ladysmith level, worked with Pwllfaron Colliery at Glyn-neath. It buried three of six men repairing the road. The inquest returned accidental death.

Cause

A sudden fall of a large mass of untimbered roof on a double parting while the road was being repaired.

What happened

The Ladysmith level, named because it was opened at about the time of the relief of Ladysmith in 1900, belonged to Morgan Stuart Williams of Aberpergwm. It was worked with Pwllfaron, the two being connected underground, and employed 500 to 600 men between them. The under-manager, Mr Llewelyn, and five men had been repairing the roof of the main road about 100 yards from the mouth for some days, removing a 'bridge' at a double parting.

Hearing a rumbling and crackling, Llewelyn shouted to the men to clear out. He and two others escaped, but a fall about 20 feet square and two and a half feet thick buried the other three about three yards inside its edge. Two of the men's watches had stopped at 10.35. About thirty men worked to free them, and the bodies were not recovered until about half past two.

The dead were Evan Morgan, a collier who left a widow and three children, Jenkin John Jenkins, bratticeman, formerly a fireman at the Werfa Colliery, who was buried at Aberdare, and Walter Barnaby, a single labourer of 18 or 19.

Investigation & inquiry

Howell Cuthbertson held the inquest at the Lamb and Flag Inn, Glyn-neath, on 8 June 1905. The inspector of mines, Mr Robson, was present, and the relatives were represented with the anthracite miners' agent, J. D. Morgan. Robson said he was satisfied after a minute examination that the fall was an accident, and the jury returned accidental death. The inspector's annual report noted that the roof had not been timbered where the fall occurred.

Recorded claims

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

• On 6 June 1905 a fall of roof killed three of six men repairing a road at Pwllfaron Colliery. ^1,2
• A mass of roof about 20 feet square and two and a half feet thick fell where it had not been timbered. ¹
• The fall was in the main road of the Ladysmith level, worked with Pwllfaron and connected to it underground. ²
• The inspector of mines told the inquest he was satisfied the fall was an accident, and the jury returned accidental death. ³

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: “…fell in the main road of the Ladysmith level, worked with Pwllfaron Colliery at Glyn-neath. It buried three of six men repairing the road. The…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…and three children, Jenkin John Jenkins, bratticeman, formerly a fireman at the Werfa Colliery, who was buried at Aberdare, and Walter…”
• HM Chief Inspector of Mines (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “…inquest at the Lamb and Flag Inn, Glyn-neath, on 8 June 1905. The inspector of mines, Mr Robson, was present, and the relatives were represented with the…”
• Level (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…of roof about 20 feet square fell in the main road of the Ladysmith level, worked with Pwllfaron Colliery at Glyn-neath. It buried three of…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (primary) Disasters - Names: Pwllfaron, 6th June 1905 — Durham Mining Museum
2. (primary) Colliery mishap at Glyn-Neath: three men killed under a fall of roof (Weekly Mail, 10 June 1905) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
3. (primary) Glyn Neath horror: inquest on three colliers (Evening Express, 8 June 1905) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)
4. (primary) Aberdarian killed at Glynneath (The Aberdare Leader, 10 June 1905) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)

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