History of the Gwent Collieries

Cwmtylery Work and Win Committee 1878. (Back row) Mr D. Smith; M. Wallace; Mrs Rees; (Unknown); Mr W. Townsend and Mr Rhys Jones. (Second row) Mr George Stafford; Mr J. Thompson; Mr A. Watkins; Mr Thomas Wright; Mr L. Lewis; Mr Joe Rogers and Mr H. Lloyd. (Sitting) Mr W. Sutcliffe;  Mr J. Brown (Fireman); Mr Sam Taylor (Manager in …

Rose Heyworth Colliery Tender for the Sinking of the Shaft 1874. Soon after the sidings and out-buildings were laid out, tenders for the sinking of the colliery were invited and issued on Saturday 14th of March 1874 (as seen in the clipping from the Western Mail left). I have no details as to who sunk the colliery though Mr Joseph …

Rose Heyworth Colliery Tender for Sidings and Out-Buildings 1874. After the negotiations and land purchase, Mr Lawrence Heyworth started on his plan to open the colliery with the backing of the South Wales Colliery Company. After the land was cleared of trees and prepared the laying and construction of the sidings and out-buildings were put out to tender in January …

Rose Heyworth Colliery Site 1874. The area of land Capt. Lawrence Heyworth purchased from the Nantyglo Company in 1873 to sink the Rose Heyworth Colliery. The image above shows Ty-Arthur Farm (top center), the tram road running down through (coloured orange) with the River Ebbw in blue. The Old Blaina Road is far left. The Rose Heyworth Colliery was built …

The Ventilation in the Mines During the 19th Century. In the early deep coal mines (pre-electric fan ventilation) ventilation was generated by furnaces in a purpose-built ventilation shaft, all the documents I have found relating to this shows the coal furnaces were at pit bottom in the up-cast shaft, located in two large recesses at the back of the shaft. …

Mr Thomas Brown and the Monmouthshire Hills Iron Masters. The Monmouthshire Hills Iron Masters. The image shows the signatures and official seals of the Monmouthshire Hills Iron Masters. They are on a legal document from 1860 for the purchase of land at Ebbw Vale by the Ebbw Vale Company to which the signatories are the directors. The signatories are – …

Mr Daniel Lewis M.E. Mr Daniel Lewis was born in 1835, at Ebbw Vale, the son of Mr Lewis Lewis. At an early age he attended Voluntary School and Sunday School and gained extra education through private study. He began his early career in the collieries and worked his way up to manager of the Jayne’s Tillery Colliery at Abertillery. …

Lake Villa Cwmtillery – Colliery Managers House. Prior to the mid 1880’s the various managers for the Cwmtillery and Rose Heyworth Collieries combine lived in their own houses, though in the late 1880’s the Messrs J. Lancaster Company built the Lake Villa, two-houses in one building to house the general manager and the company cashier etc for Messrs J. Lancaster …

The South Wales Colliery, Cwmtillery Colliery. A report from November 27th, 1869 – This colliery is nineteen miles distant from Newport and by a branch line of one mile a junction with the Monmouthshire railway is made at Abertillery. It has been carried on over five years by the South Wales Colliery Company who have greatly extended the colliery. The …

Tyr Nicholas Cwmtillery Colliery – Brown’s Colliery 1843. The Tyr Nicholas Colliery, Cwmtillery was also known as Browns Colliery in the early days after its owner Mr Thomas Brown. A section of Mr John Prujean’s map of the Collieries and Levels of North Monmouthshire printed in 1843. It shows a few old levels in the Abertillery area – Gilfach Level, …