Out Of The Blue Artifacts A Library of a lifetime of collecting
The Tillery Valley Coal Levels.
In this small area of Abertillery there were quite a few coal levels – Pullingers, Tillery, Olwen, Greenmeadow and The Coronation later renamed the Wellington Coal Level. The waste tips can be seen on the image.
The Coronation Level.
The Coronation Level later the Wellington Level was owned by Mr Francis Adams. This colliery is featured on the 1843 map of the coalfield as being in production and has a tramway to the Tillery Valley.
In September 1852 the Coronation Level had a change of name to the “Wellington Colliery” and was for sale, the sales sheet stated the adjoining property was being worked by Mr Thomas Protheroe Price Esq. The adjoining property was the Tillery Levels 1 and 2.
The Wellington Colliery Level.
The Wellington Colliery Level was originally known as the Coronation Level, once owned by Mr Francis Adams. (as above).
The Tillery Coal Levels.
The Tillery Coal Levels were a group of two levels, numbered 1 and 2. Initially owned by various individuals they later became part of the Penybont Tillery Colliery. The levels were later owned by the proprietors of the Penybont Tillery Colliery.
Mrs T. P. & D. Price.
Mr Thomas Protheroe Price and his brother Mr David Price had sunk the Penybont Tillery Colliery between 1846 and 1850, after the opening of the colliery they absorbed the Tillery Levels into their company. The owners of the colliery more than probably leased the levels to other contractors.
Messrs Clapp and Williams.
In 1864 the Tillery Coal Levels were leased by Messrs William Murray Clapp and Phillip Alfred Williams, Clapp & Williams.
Messrs Jayne.
In 1868 the Penybont Tillery Colliery and Tillery Levels were owned by Messrs Jayne. Messrs Jayne was Mr John Jayne J.P. born in Blaenavon in 1804, at an early age he entered into the services of Twining & Co Bankers and Tea Merchants of London. He later managed the provision stores of the Clydach Iron Company for several years then moved on to undertake a similar job at the Nantyglo Iron Works but on a much larger scale.
In 1856 Mr John Jayne became a director of the Monmouthshire Wagon Company with Mr M. Morrison and Mr Crawshay Bailey etc. In 1858 he became a director of the Merthyr and Abergavenny Railway Company, along with Mr Crawshay Bailey etc.
In 1868 Mr John Jayne became the chief proprietor of the Milfrean Hill and Abertillery Collieries, the Milfraen and Tillery Collieries.
In 1869 Mr Basil Jayne, the son of Mr John Jayne, along with Mr George Finlay joined the company.
The Brynmawr Coal Company.
In 1873 Mr Basil Jayne formed the Brynmawr Coal Company to raise the required funding to purchase the Penybont Tillery Colliery, levels and land at Penybont, Abertillery.
Messrs Jayne & Co.
In 1877 Mr Basil Jayne left the Brynmawr Coal Company and purchased the Penybont Tillery Colliery under the name of Messrs Jayne & Co.
Messrs Powell’s Co.
In 1884 Mr Thomas Wilde Powell purchased the Penybont Tillery Colliery and levels and formed Messrs Powell’s Tillery Co.
The Abertillery Collieries Company.
In about 1890 the Abertillery Collieries Company, comprising Mr T. Robins of Abertillery and Mr Edgar Williams of Crumlin were formed and were working the levels in this area.
The Lost Tillery Coal Seam.
In January 1896 the company announced that after a 3-year search, they had found the lost Tillery coal seam, the collieries in the area had lost the seam 20 years earlier.
Messrs Ham, Emery and Rogers.
The Tillery Coal Levels were not listed until 1923, when at that time they were named the Tillery House Coal Levels, and owned by Ham, Emery and Rogers, of 5 Gladstone Street, Cross Keys, near Newport and employed fifteen men below ground with three men on the surface.
The Closure of the Tillery Coal Levels.
I have no closure date at this present time.
The Olwen Level.
This later coal level was situated just south east of the Tillery Coal Levels above where Adam Street is today.
Mr W. H. Gilson.
In 1938 the Olwen Coal Level was owned by Mr W. H. Gilson of Newhaven, Western Avenue, Newport and employed eighteen men below ground with eight men on the surface.
In 1945 this coal level was not listed.
Points of Interest – The image also shows the waste tip of the Rhiw Park, Parc Levels in the foreground. The houses of Bishop, Blyth, Powell, Evelyn and Gray Streets. To the right halfway up the mountain are the row of houses at Cocha Duu. Just below the cottages can be seen the waste tips of the Olwen Coal Level.