Penybont Tillery Colliery – List of Fatalities

Penybont Tillery 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 be verified with a newspaper report.   

1852.
Mr Seth Barclay, aged 23. Died – January 1852*. Cause of death – Explosion.

Mr David Waters, aged 44. Died – July 1852*. Cause of death – Explosion.

Mr William Morgan, aged 25. Died – September 1852*. Cause of death – Mr Morgan fell from the pit framing.

1854.
Mr David Jones, aged 19. Died – January 1854*. Cause of death – Run over by a journey.

Mr John Robins. Died – January 1854*. Cause of death – Mr Robins was a pumpsman and fell from the cage down the pit whilst repairing a pipe in the shaft.

1855.
Mr Isaac Thomas. Died – February 1855*. Cause of death – Fall.

Mr William Wilson. Died – August 1855*. Cause of death – Fall.

1856.
Master George Mason, aged 12. September 1856*. Cause of death – Crushed by drams.

1867.
Mr Thomas Phillips, aged 18. Died – September 1867*. Cause of death – Fall.

Mr John Jones, aged 30. Died – September 1867*. Cause of death – Mr Jones fell down the shaft.

Mr Thomas Sheen, aged 9. Died – October 1867*. Cause of death – Fall.

Mr Henry Griffin, aged 19. Died – October 1867*. Cause of death – Mr Griffin was injured in an explosion on 8th October 1867 and died from his injuries on 25th October 1867.

Mr Absalom Purnell, aged 15. Died – December 1869*. Cause of death – Mr Purnell was injured on 4th September 1869 and died from his injuries on December 1869, death was listed on 1st January 1870.

1870.
Mr Edward Bateman, aged 44. Died – June 1870*. Cause of death – Mr Bateman had been run over by drams on 23rd June 1870 and later died from his injuries on 27th June 1870*.

1872.
Master Lewis Henry Williams, aged 15. Died – January 1872. Cause of death – Master Williams fell from the cage whilst descending the pit.

Mr Thomas Jones, aged 28. Died – 30th March 1872*. Cause of death – Crushed by drams. Mr Jones was severely injured on 3rd February 1872 and later died on 30th March 1872.

1874.
Mr Daniel Richards, aged 31. Died – September 1874*. Cause of death – Fall.

1875.
Mr Albert Ross, aged 16. Died – 24th August 1875. Cause of death – Mr Ross was injured when he fell from a carriage at the incline on 19th August 1875 and died from his injuries on 24th August 1875.

1877.
Master Jeremiah McCarthy/Carter, aged 14. Died – August 1877. Cause of death – Run over by drams. Two reports were located, one in which the surname was McCarthy and another showing Carter.

1880.
Mr Joseph Lippiatt, aged 51. Died – October 1880*. Cause of death – Mr Lippiatt was injured in a fall of roof on Tuesday 5th October 1880 and later died from his injuries on Wednesday 13th October 1880.

1881.
Master Cornelius Farley, aged 14. Died – June 1881. Cause of death – Fall.

Mr Abraham Purnell, aged 45. Died – November 1881*. Cause of death – Mr Purnell was injured in an accident on 17th November 1881 and later died from his injuries on 30th November 1881.

1883.
Mr Frederick Skidmore, aged 18. Died – Thursday 28th June 1883*. Cause of death – Mr Skidmore was injured in a fall of roof on Tuesday 26th June 1883 and died from his injuries on Thursday 28th June 1883.

Mr Edmund Chivers, aged 19. Died – Wednesday 21st November 1883. Cause of death – Mr Chivers was ascending the pit with Mr William Harding and Mr William Edwards on the morning of Wednesday the 21st of November 1883 when the winderman Mr James overwound the engine at such a speed sending the cage containing the three men into the headgear. Mr Harding and Mr Edwards held onto guide ropes to steady themselves although Mr Chivers fell from the cage and down the shaft. The winderman, Mr John James was committed to trial for for being reckless and winding too fast, though at the Monmouth Assizes on the 11th of February 1884 Mr James was found not guilty. The banksman who witnessed the incident was named as Mr William Moore.
Mr Edmund Chivers, his Christian name was reported as being Edmund and also Joseph, and printed as such in various reports. The official BDM has him listed as Mr Edmund Chivers. 

1884.
Mr Edward Gorman, aged 37. Died – August 1884*. Cause of death – Mr Gorman was crushed by a journey.

1885.
Mr Henry Absalom Morgan, aged 23. Died – 18th November 1885*. Cause of death – Mr Morgan was injured in a dram accident on the 10th November 1885 and later died from his injuries on 18th November 1885.

1891.
Master William Holbrook, aged 15. Died – August 1891. Cause of death – Crushed by a journey.

1892.
Mr Augustus Everson, aged 36. Died – March 1892. Cause of death – Mr Everson was a railway traffic controller at the surface of the colliery and was thrown off a railway truck in an accident the previous day Wednesday 23rd March 1892, he later died of his injuries the following day, Thursday 24th March 1892. Mr Everson lived at 89 Tillery Street, Abertillery.

1893.
Mr David John Ashdown, aged 15. Died – December 1893. Cause of death – Fall. Master Ashdown lived at 4 Chapel Street, Abertillery.

1894.
Mr Albert Hunt, aged 33. Died – February 1894. Cause of death – Crushed by a train on the surface of the colliery.

1895.
Mr William Evans, aged 53. Died – May 1895. Cause of death – Fall. Mr Evans was injured in a fall on Thursday 16th May 1895 and died from his injuries the following day on Friday 17th May 1895.

Mr Richard Weaver, aged 32. Died – June 1895. Cause of death – Mr Weaver was killed in an accident on the level crossing at the colliery.

1897.
Mr William Edward Jones, aged 42. Died – March 1897*. Cause of death – Mr Jones was caught in a haulage engine.

Mr James Pritchard, aged 36. Died – August 1897. Cause of death – Fall. Mr Pritchard lived at Bridge Street, Abertillery.

1898.
Mr Thomas Cole, aged 29. Died – October 1898. Cause of death – Shotfiring accident. Mr Joseph Penn was also involved in the accident, he was severely injured though survived.

Mr James Herbert, aged 16. Died – February 1898*. Cause of death – Crushed by a dram.

1900.
Mr Tom Gulliford. Died – June 1900. Cause of death – Run over by a truck in the screens at the surface of the colliery. Mr Gulliford was said to have been a local preacher.

1903
Mr Stephen Allen, aged 46. Died – June 1903. Cause of death – Mr Allen was a sawyer at the colliery and had been injured seven weeks previous and died from his injuries on 17th June 1903. Mr Allen lived at Tillery Street, Abertillery.

Mr Joseph Richard Hardacre, aged 34. Died – August 1903. Cause of death – Mr Hardacre was working at the colliery incline sidings under contract of Mr Moses Adams of the Powells Tillery Steam Coal Co, when on Wednesday 22nd July he was involved in an accident and was crushed by trucks, he never recovered and died on Saturday 15th August 1903 at the isolation hospital. Mr Hardacre lived at 9 Penybont Road, Cwmtillery.

1905.
Mr Albert/Alfred James, aged 35. Died – March 1905. Cause of death – Fall. Mr James lived at Tillery Street, Abertillery. Two reports located where on one Mr James was named Albert with another showing Alfred.

Mr Daniel/Patrick Welsh, aged 50. Died – Wednesday 19th September 1906. Cause of death – Mr Welsh was injured on Friday 7th September while putting up a collar on a pair of timbers, the collar slipped and fell on Mr Welch crushing his spine, he later died from his injuries on Wednesday 19th September 1906. Mr Welch lived at Bishop Street, Abertillery. Two reports located where on one Mr Welsh was named Daniel with another showing Patrick.

1907.
Mr Joshua Brown, aged 55. Died – April 1907. Cause of death – Fall. Mr Brown lived at 4 Church Street, Blaina.

Mr George Thomas, aged 58. Died – Thursday 12th July 1907 . Cause of death – Fall. Mr Thomas was severely injured in a fall of roof on Wednesday 11th July 1907, he was taken home with multiple fractures and died on Thursday 12th July 1907. Mr Thomas lived at 185 Alma Street, Abertillery.

Mr Richard McConville, aged 30. Died – July 1907. Cause of death – Severely strained. Mr McConville lived at 37 Bishop Street, Abertillery.

1909.
Mr George Cooper, aged 55. Died – November 1909. Cause of death – Fall. It was reported that the fall was very extensive with 20 drams of stone falling upon Mr Cooper and it took the rescuers a while for him to be extricated. Mr Cooper lived at Princess Street, Abertillery.

1910.
Mr Albert Edward Jones, aged 18. Died – March 1910. Cause of death – Mr Jones fell into moving machinery of a haulage engine at the colliery.

1911.
Mr William Henry Hoskins, aged 25. Died – March 1911*. Cause of death – Crushed by a journey.

Mr Thomas Watkins, aged 46. Died – July 1911. Cause of death – Mr Watkins suffered a fatal heart attack while at work. Mr Watkins lived at 44 Bryngwyn Road, Abertillery.

1912.
Mr Eli Gibbons, aged 31. Died – April 1912. Cause of death – Fall

Mr Thomas Morgan, aged. Died – November 1912. Cause of death – Mr Morgan suffered head injuries in an accident on Sunday 27th October 1912 and died from his injuries on Friday 22nd November 1912. Mr Morgan lived at 10 Park Place, Abertillery.

1913.
Master William Howard Green, aged 15. Died – July 1913. Cause of death – Fall. Master Green was working with his step-father Mr John Jones when the accident occurred. Master Green lived at 4 Earl Street, Abertillery.

1915.
Mr Wyndham Gilbert Kidner. Died – February 1915. Cause of death – Blood poisoning from an accident he received on Friday 19th February 1915. Mr Kidner lived at Glandwr Street, Abertillery.

Mr Edward Hill, aged 45. Died – March 1915. Cause of death – Crushed by a journey. Mr Hill lived at 13 Bishop Street, Abertillery.

Mr Walter Horler, aged 39. Died – Monday 22nd November 1915. Cause of death – Fall. Mr Horler had his back broken in a fall of roof on Friday 12th November 1915, he later died from his injuries on Monday 22nd November 1915. Mr Horler lived at 14 Princess Street, Abertillery.

1916.
Mr David Powell, aged 54. Died – October 1916. Cause of death – Run over by a journey. Mr Powell lived at James Street, Abertillery.

1917.
Mr Henry James Smith, aged . Died – April 1917. Cause of death – Mr Smith was buried in a fall on Thursday 5th April 1917 and died on Sunday 8th April 1917.

1918.
Mr Alfred George Morse, aged 25. Died – Wednesday 25th December 1918. Cause of death – Mr Morse was severely injured in an accident when he fell down a manhole in the winding house at the colliery on Saturday 21st December 1918, he later died from his injuries on Wednesday 25th December 1918. Mr Morse lived at 42 Princess Street, Abertillery.

1919.
Mr Ansell Thomas Godfrey, aged 65. Died – January 1919. Mr Godfrey had finished his shift below ground and was waiting for the cage to take him to the surface when he collapsed and died from a heart attack. Mr Godfrey lived at 7 Clarence Road, Abertillery.

Mr Albert Cole, aged 66. Died – July 1919. Cause of death – Mr Cole was struck in the stomach by a flying sprag on Tuesday 15th July 1919 and died from his injuries the following day on Wednesday 16th July 1919. Mr Cole lived at Alma Street, Abertillery.

1921.
Master Albert Jones, aged 12. Died – August 1921. Cause of death – Master Jones died after he was run over by a dram on the surface of the colliery whilst picking coal with a gang of other boys. Master Jones lived at 13 Bishop Street, Abertillery.

1922.
Mr John Biddle, aged 64. Died – July 1922. Cause of death – Mr Biddle was run over by a journey. Mr Biddle lived at 13 Richmond Road, Abertillery.

1924.
Mr Alfred Legge, aged 31. Died – Tuesday 26th February 1924. Cause of death – Mr Legge was hit on the head by a large stone weighing 56lbs while cutting coal on Monday 25th February and died from his injuries the following day on Tuesday 26th February 1924. Mr Legge lived at 35 Under Church Street, Abertillery.

Mr Lewis Sterry, aged 22. Died – September 1924. Cause of death – Mr Sterry was using the coal cutting machine when a air-bag hose became disconnected, men rushed to the scene to find Mr Sterry dead, he was laying face down without any obvious injuries. An inquiry was to take place. Mr Sterry lived at 13 Lower Houses, Bishop Street, Abertillery.

1925.
Mr Archibald Tucker, aged 40. Died – June 1925*. Cause of death – Fall.

1926.
Mr John Thomas, aged 42. Died – December 1926. Cause of death – Mr Thomas died whilst at work at the colliery. Mr Thomas lived at 95 Gladstone Street, Abertillery.

1927.
Mr Frederick Meredith, aged 52. Died – Sunday 1st May 1927. Cause of death – Mr Meredith had been injured in an accident during a fall of coal on Friday 8th April 1927. He died in Aberbeeg Hospital on Sunday 1st May 1927.

1929.
Mr Stephen Trapp, aged 56. Died – July 1929. Cause of death – Mr Trapp suffered a fatal heart attack below ground. Mr Trapp lived at Hill Street, Blaenau Gwent, Abertillery.

Many thanks to Mr Bryan Boots for his help in compiling this list.  

(More to be added as new information is received).