MineArchiveWerfa Colliery explosion, 1856
In the spring of 1856 an explosion of gas at naked lights in Werfa Colliery, above Aberdare, killed a collier, Morgan Williams, and his ten-year-old son John, who worked with him. The sources place it on 17 March or 2 April. It was the colliery's third fatal explosion in seven years.
| Date | March or April 1856 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Werfa Colliery |
| Region | Rhondda Cynon Taf |
| Type | Explosion |
| Fatalities | 2 (Morgan Williams, collier, and his son John Williams, 10, collier's boy.) |
| Context | During active mining (Nixon's Werfa Colliery above Aberdare, still worked with naked lights seven years after its explosion of 1849.) |
Location
Plotted at Werfa Colliery. Recorded location. The large pin is the mine; the small round markers are the nearest mines on record. Click one for its page. View on full map
Cause
An explosion of gas, attributed by the NMRS to naked lights.
What happened
Morgan Williams, a collier, and his son John, aged ten, who worked alongside him, were killed together by an explosion of gas fired at naked lights. The sources differ on the day: the Northern Mine Research Society's list gives 17 March 1856 and the Welsh Coal Mines fatality list 2 April. It was the third fatal explosion recorded at Werfa in seven years. Both, the coroner's return said, were accidentally burnt by an explosion of fire-damp.
Investigation & inquiry
The adjourned inquest was held on 4 April 1856 at the Queen's Hotel, Aberdare, before the coroner George Overton. A large number of witnesses were examined on the cause, and as there appeared to be no culpable negligence by anyone, the jury returned a verdict of accidental death.
What's uncertain
Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.
- The NMRS lists John Williams and Morgan Williams, colliers, killed by an explosion of gas on 17 March 1856, and says the explosion was due to naked lights. (disputed) 2
- Welsh Coal Mines' 1856 list gives John Williams, 10, and his father Morgan Williams killed by an explosion of gas on 2 April, two killed; the same list also has a John Williams, collier, killed by an explosion of gas at Werfa on the 17th of the preceding month. (disputed) 1
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Morgan Williams, a collier, and his son John, a collier's boy of ten, were killed by an explosion of gas at Werfa Colliery in 1856. 1,2
- The NMRS lists John Williams and Morgan Williams, colliers, killed by an explosion of gas on 17 March 1856, and says the explosion was due to naked lights. (disputed) 2
- Welsh Coal Mines' 1856 list gives John Williams, 10, and his father Morgan Williams killed by an explosion of gas on 2 April, two killed; the same list also has a John Williams, collier, killed by an explosion of gas at Werfa on the 17th of the preceding month. (disputed) 1
- The adjourned inquest on John and Morgan Williams was held on 4 April 1856 at the Queen's Hotel, Aberdare, before George Overton; finding no culpable negligence, the jury returned a verdict of accidental death. 3,4
- Both were accidentally burnt by an explosion of fire-damp at the Werfa Colliery. 4
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: “In the spring of 1856 an explosion of gas at naked lights in Werfa Colliery, above Aberdare, killed a collier, Morgan Williams, and his…” - Firedamp (direct cause)
An explosion of gas. - Naked Light (direct cause)
NMRS attributes it to naked lights.
Sources
- (secondary) Welsh colliery fatalities, 1856 (Welsh Coal Mines) — Welsh Coal Mines
- (secondary) Werfa Dare Colliery (The Werfa Pits) — Northern Mine Research Society (information supplied by Ray Lawrence)
- (primary) Gas Explosion at the Werfa Colliery (adjourned inquest), Merthyr Telegraph, 12 April 1856 — The Merthyr Telegraph (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)
- (primary) Inquests held before G. Overton, coroner, Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian, 12 April 1856 — The Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian (Welsh Newspapers Online, National Library of Wales)
Record created: 14 September 2026 · Last researched: 3 November 2026