Tirpentwys Colliery roof fall, 1910

Two men repairing a haulage road at Tirpentwys Colliery, near Pontypool, were killed on 8 September 1910 when a large fall brought out six pairs of timbers.

Cause

A large fall occurred during repairs to a haulage road where a derailed journey had knocked out timbers and a pulley frame.

What happened

A journey of trams at Tirpentwys Colliery, near Pontypool, had come off the rails on a haulage road and knocked out a pair of timbers and a pulley frame. On 8 September 1910, while several men were repairing the place, a large fall came down and discharged six pairs of timbers. Owen T. Roberts, a labourer, and George Bailey, a rope splicer, were killed, and two other men were injured. Bailey, a bandsman in the 2nd Monmouthshire Regiment (Territorials), was given a military funeral.

Recorded claims

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

• On 8 September 1910 Owen T. Roberts, a labourer, and George Bailey, a rope splicer, were killed by a fall of roof on a haulage road at Tirpentwys Colliery, near Pontypool. ^1,2,3
• A journey of trams had left the rails and knocked out a pair of timbers and a pulley frame; while the place was being repaired a large fall came down and discharged six pairs of timbers. ^1,2,3
• Two other men were injured. ^1,2,3
• The colliery belonged to the Tir Pentwys Black Vein Steam Coal Co. Ltd. ^2,3
• Bailey, a bandsman in the 2nd Monmouthshire Regiment (Territorials), was given a military funeral. ¹

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: “Two men repairing a haulage road at Tirpentwys Colliery, near Pontypool, were killed on 8 September 1910 when a large fall…”
• Haulage (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “Two men repairing a haulage road at Tirpentwys Colliery, near Pontypool, were killed on 8…”
• Journey (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “…fall occurred during repairs to a haulage road where a derailed journey had knocked out timbers and a pulley frame.”
• Tub (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “A journey of trams at Tirpentwys Colliery, near Pontypool, had come off the rails on a…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines fatalities, 1910 — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (secondary) Accident record: Owen Roberts, Tirpentwys, 1910 — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (secondary) Accident record: George Bailey, Tirpentwys, 1910 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 8 October 2026 · Last researched: 8 October 2026