Tytalwyn Colliery wall collapse, 1917

On the afternoon of Monday 19 November 1917 the gable end of an old blacksmith's shop being pulled down at the mouth of the Tytalwyn Slant, Kenfig Hill, fell on workmen of the afternoon shift waiting to go underground. The fireman John Branch and W. F. Thomas died and three others were hurt.

Cause

The gable wall of a partly demolished building collapsed after its roof and timber couplings had been removed.

Contributing factors

The shop stood on high ground above a gully where men gathered before descending the slant, and the jury found that insufficient precautions had been taken in the demolition.

What happened

The roofless shop was being taken down on the Monday afternoon. About a quarter of an hour after the couplings came out, its pine-end fell into the gully below, onto men of the afternoon shift waiting to go down the slant. Branch died after being taken home; Thomas died in hospital at Port Talbot two days later.

Investigation & inquiry

The coroner, S. H. Stockwood, held the inquest on Branch on the Wednesday, with Colonel Pearson, H.M. Inspector of Mines, present. The jury returned accidental death with a rider about insufficient precautions; asked to name those responsible, the foreman said the jury did not wish to.

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 Monday 19 November 1917 the end wall of an old blacksmith's shop being demolished near the mouth of the Tytalwyn Slant, Kenfig Hill, collapsed onto men of the afternoon shift, killing the fireman John Branch and W. F. Thomas. ^1,2
• The roof had been taken off and the timber couplings removed; about a quarter of an hour later the gable end fell on the men standing in a gully below, waiting to go down the slant. ^1,2
• The inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death with a rider that insufficient precautions had been taken by those responsible for taking the building down. ²
• John Branch, a fireman at the colliery for many years and a church member, was buried at Bettws, the workmen, officials and company stopping work at 1 p.m. to attend. ³

Related terminology

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

• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “…on workmen of the afternoon shift waiting to go underground. The fireman John Branch and W. F. Thomas died and three others were hurt.”
• HM Chief Inspector of Mines (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “…the inquest on Branch on the Wednesday, with Colonel Pearson, H.M. Inspector of Mines, present. The jury returned accidental death with a rider about…”
• Slant (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…old blacksmith's shop being pulled down at the mouth of the Tytalwyn Slant, Kenfig Hill, fell on workmen of the afternoon shift waiting to go…”

Sources

1. (secondary) 1917 (Welsh mining fatalities by date) — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (primary) The Glamorgan Gazette, 23 November 1917: Wall collapse at Kenfig Hill: two dead, three injured — The Glamorgan Gazette (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)
3. (primary) The Glamorgan Gazette, 30 November 1917: Tondu and Aberkenfig: late Mr John Branch — The Glamorgan Gazette (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)

Record created: 20 October 2026 · Last researched: 20 October 2026