Henwain Colliery – List of Fatalities

Henwain Colliery – List of Fatalities
This list of deaths at the Henwain Colliery, Blaina 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 be verified with a newspaper report.

1854.
Mr David Rosser, aged ?. Died – February 1854. Cause of death – Mr Rosser was found dead in the sump of the shaft. The following inquest into his death held at the Castle Inn, Blaina showed there was not sufficient evidence to show a cause of death.

1855.
On Thursday 23rd of August 1855 as three men were ascending the shaft, as they were about 70 yards up the shaft, the rope snapped. The report said the three men crashed to pit bottom in a mangled shape. The men are named below.

Mr Howell Lewis, aged ?. Died – Thursday 23rd of August 1855 . Cause of death – Shaft accident.

Mr John James, aged ?. Died – Thursday 23rd of August 1855 . Cause of death – Shaft accident.

Mr Thomas Jones, aged ?. Died – Thursday 23rd of August 1855 . Cause of death – Shaft accident.

1855.
Mr Samuel Shepard, aged 23. Died – October 1855. Cause of death – Fall.

1867.
Mr James Moore, aged ?. Died – Thursday 15th August 1867. Cause of death – Fall. Mr Moore was an overman at the colliery and with several other men was working clearing the ground for the “Iron Collier”, an early coal cutting machine. As they removed a timber, a fall occurred killing Mr Moore.

1870.
Mr Henry Bath, aged ?. Died – Tuesday 4th January 1870. Cause of death – Mr Bath fell ill while working at the colliery and was carried home on a bearer, although he passed away before they reached the house.

Mr John Jones, aged 22. Died – February 1870. Cause of death – Fall.

1875.
Mr Charles Tiley, aged ?. Died – Monday 25th January 1875. Cause of death – Fall. Mr Tiley was working with his two sons at the time of his death, they both received broken arms and other injuries though both survived.

Explosion.
On Monday 27th of February 1882 and explosion occurred at the Henwain Colliery. Five men died below ground.
Mr Hoskins, aged 65. Died – Sunday 26th February 1882 . Cause of death – Explosion.

Mr Miles, aged 25. Died – Sunday 26th February 1882 . Cause of death – Explosion.

Mr Jones, aged 42. Died – Sunday 26th February 1882 . Cause of death – Explosion.

Mr James, aged 48. Died – Sunday 26th February 1882 . Cause of death – Explosion.

Mr Bennett, aged 20. Died – Sunday 26th February 1882 . Cause of death – Explosion.
On 9th of March 1882, the funerals took place. Three men were buried at Blaenau Gwent, one at Blaina and one at Llanelly, Brecknockshire.

1883.
Mr Henry Evans, aged 37. Died – February 1883. Cause of death – Fall.

1884.
Mr William Jelly, aged 60. Died – Monday 5th May 1884. Cause of death – Mr Jelly suddenly died while working an afternoon shift at the colliery. Mr William Jelly lived at Pump Street, Blaina.

1888.
Mr Edward Turner, aged 28. Died – Friday 13th July 1888. Cause of death – Mr Turner was a hitcher at pit-bottom and was truck on the head by a lump of coal falling down the shaft from an ascending dram.

1889.
Mr John Beck, aged 19. Died – Wednesday 1st May 1889. Cause of death – Fall.

Mr John Harding, aged 63. Died – Wednesday 10th July 1889. Cause of death – Crushed by a dram of coal.

1890.
Mr John Bale or Beale?, aged ?. Died – Saturday 23rd August 1890. Cause of death – Fall.

1893.
Mr John Walton, aged 25. Died – Tuesday 1st August 1893. Cause of death – Fall.

Mr Charles Bolter, aged 29. Died – Friday 20th October 1893. Cause of death – Fall. Mr Bolter lived at Chapel Road, Nantyglo.

1896.
Mr Watts, aged ?. Died – Saturday 15th February 1896. Cause of death – Mr Watts was ascending the shaft after his shift when he fell out of the cage.

1898.
Mr William Williams, aged 17. Died – Friday 18th November 1898. Cause of death – Fall. Mr William Williams was working with his father and brother at the time of his death.

1903.
Mr William J. Newman, aged 35. Died – Friday 5th October 1903. Cause of death – Run over by a journey.

1904.
Master Charles Cox, aged 14. Died – Friday 1st July 1904. Cause of death – Run over by a journey of drams. Master Charles Cox was employed as a door-boy underground at the colliery.

1905.
Mr Thomas Hughes, aged ?. Died – Saturday 11th March 1905. Cause of death – Crushed by coal trucks on the surface of the colliery.

1906.
Mr Matthew Chivers, aged 66. Died – Thursday 4th October 1906. Cause of death – Run over by drams. Mr Chivers had been severely injured in the accident on the 23rd September 1906 in which his son Mark Chivers was also injured. Mr Matthew Chivers died from his injuries on Thursday 4th October 1906.

1910.
Mr Alfred Langley, aged ?. Died – Monday 19th December 1910. Cause of death – Mr Langley died below ground.

1915.
Mr John Parham, aged 46. Died – Thursday 9th July 1915. Cause of death – Run over by a journey.

1916.
Mr Samuel Howells, aged ?. Died – Tuesday 11th January 1916. Cause of death – Mr Howells was injured below ground and later died from his injuries in hospital.

1917.
Mr Charles Werrett, aged 44. Died – Saturday 24th of February 1917. Cause of death – Crushed by a journey of drams. Mr Werrett lived at Wesley Buildings, Nantyglo.

 

Points of Interest – Mr Thomas Hookey.
On Friday 25th November 1887, Mr Thomas Hookey suffered a very bad accident, he had bored a hole and was packing it with explosives prior to blasting, while ramming the powder it exploded blowing his eyes out, severely injuring his head and burning both his arms. There didn’t seem much hope of any survival, he was sent home but there was no other news on his situation.