History of the Gwent Collieries

Mrs Rosina (Rose) Heyworth – The Lady Behind the Name. The Rose Heyworth Colliery was sunk in 1874 under the directorship of Mr Lawrence Heyworth managing director of the South Wales Colliery Company.  The company already owned Cwmtillery (the South Wales Colliery) and the first coal raised at Rose Heyworth was in about 1876-77, though may well have been later …

Cwmtillery Colliery 1842-1982. The sinking of Tyr Nicholas Colliery, named after the Tyr Nicholas Farm on land owned by Mr Daniel Rogers and Mr Daniel Samuel began in 1840 and was completed by September 1842. The shaft was one hundred and thirty yards deep by seven feet in diameter, it was sunk to the Elled coal seam.  The Celebration Dinner. …

Cwmtillery Colliery – List of Fatalities. This list of deaths at the Cwmtillery Colliery, Abertillery covers most of those reported in National and Local Newspapers and Ancestry files. This page is fluid and will be updated as more information is received. Entries with an asterisk* after the date signify that the name and date was taken from Ancestry and cannot …

The Newport Abercarn Black Vein Steam Coal Company Limited – A Letter of Conformation of Share Certificate. This letter of confirmation of a share certificate was given by the secretary of the company Mr J. E. Clark to gentleman (illegible) on the 20th of January 1875. It is five shares in the company which at this time each share was …

A Section of the Cwmtillery Colliery Flight Rope. This section of flight, aerial ropeway steel rope was found on-site at Cwmtillery Colliery. It is a half-lock coil, burden rope, this was the rope the flight buckets would travel upon while being pulled by the haulage rope.  The section of rope is 20″ inches in length by  1 and a 1/4″ …

The Marine Colliery Disaster. The Marine Colliery, Cwm, Ebbw Vale was owned by the Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron and Coal Company Limited. The colliery had two shafts each about 400 yards deep 18′ feet in diameter. No.1 up-cast pit working the Old Coal Vein. No.2 down-cast pit working the Elled, Big Vein and Three-Quarter coal seams. The general manager of …

Rose Heyworth Colliery Deaths. This list of deaths at the Rose Heyworth Colliery, Abertillery covers most of those reported in National and Local Newspapers. This page is fluid and will be updated as more information is received. 1882. Mr Daniel Hyde, aged 25. Died – August 1882. Cause of death – Mr Hyde tried to cross the pit while the …

Rose Heyworth Colliery Headgear.  In March 1875, during the sinking procedure at the Rose Heyworth Colliery, tenders (as seen left) were invited for the construction of a Pithead Frame. A typical pithead frame at this time was a pitch-pine wooden headgear with flat winding rope (as seen in the main featured image above) and rope guides to guide the cage …

Arrael Griffin Colliery, Six Bells – A History 1891-1988. Mr John Lancaster Snr. Mr John Lancaster (as seen left) was born in 1815 at Radcliffe, Bury, Lancashire. He had managed many ironworks and collieries in and around Staffordshire and later became chairman of the Wigan Iron and Coal Company, also an M.P. for Wigan. He first came to the valleys …

Arrael Colliery, Six Bells Colliery – Fatalities 1890-1988.  This list of deaths that occurred at the Arrael Griffin Colliery, Six Bells covers most of those reported in National and Local Newspapers. The first deaths occurred during the sinking of the No.4 & No.5 shafts at the colliery and are covered in detail on another page, though they are listed below …