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The Living Frog Found in a Block of Coal at Tyr Nicholas, Cwmtillery Colliery.
This is a story from Monday 10th March 1862, of how miners at Ty Nicholas Colliery the Cwmtillery Colliery found a lump of coal below ground in the rock vein seam with a small hole in it. Sealed inside the hole was a living frog, as soon as the frog was released from its dwelling it began to jump about. The miners had kept the frog and sealed it in clay to keep the air from it. It was reported that “Mr John Russell the colliery owner had the men carefully mine and remove the 8′ foot thick block of coal as he intends to put the frog back into its domicile and to have a viewing opening so people can see it living in its hole”. “He is to transport the lump of coal with the frog in it to the International Exhibition of 1862, where it will be on display”.
The International Exhibition of 1862.
The main (featured image above) is an old print of the frog being viewed at the International Exhibition in 1862 at South Kensington, London, on the site now occupied by the National History Museum.
Her Majesty’s Ships.
It was also reported that many people may have thought this “Living Frog” story to be a publicity stunt, though in reality during 1859 Mr John Russell had his coal at the Tyr Nicholas Colliery tested by the government and it was stated that it was the best steam coal in South Wales and most sought after. After this testing procedure he was granted a large lucrative contract to supply Her Majesty’s Ships, so he had no reason to gain publicity in this way?
The Llanhilleth Frog.
In May 1893 a gang of workmen working under the superintendence of the contractor Mr H. Gross excavating stone from a quarry in Llanhilleth came across a frog in a hole in a rock in the same conditions, though the “Llanhilleth Frog” didn’t have a mouth even though it was fully developed. As it was released from its hole in the rock it was in a stupor and remained like that for a few days, though within a week it became lively and was jumping about.