Whitworth Colliery

Tredegar, Sirhowy Valley (14470806)

This pit was sunk in 1876 by the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company, and was only 100 yards to the north of Ty Trist Colliery. It was managed in 1878 by H. Jones, and by 1888 working the Old Coal and Bydelog seams, while in the same year the Whitworth Drift worked the Elled, Big Vein and Yard seams. The manager of both in 1888 and 1896 was W.H. Routledge.

In 1896 the Drift employed 224 men underground and 29 men on the surface and the Pits employed 442 men underground and 56 men on the surface, the Pits was now working the Little Yard seam alongside the others. In 1900 the drift employed 107 men underground and 41 on the surface while the pits employed 391 men underground and 80 men at the surface of the mine. The No.2 Pit was sunk to a depth of 337 feet 10 inches, and encountered the following seam sections; Elled 48 inches, Big Vein 34 inches, Yard 39 inches, Engine Coal 28 inches, Three-quarter 19 inches, Bydelog (Black Vein) 28 inches. Meadow Vein 29 inches. The prospectus for the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company in June 1912 stated that Whitworth was losing money due to the high cost of working it. The Elled seam had been recently proved to be of good quality and it was hoped that the development of that seam would improve conditions at the pit. It also warned, “That unless the conditions of working under the Minimum Wage Act were found to be too onerous.”

In 1913 Whitworth Colliery was managed by G.E. Golding and employed 800 men producing coking and steam coals, with the Tredegar Company advertising in that year:

Tredegar. McLaren Merthyr. Tredare Merthyr. Best Welsh Steam Coal. Of Great Efficiency, Large Size Thoroughly Screened and Cleaned Supplied to British Admiralty and Foreign Governments Used for Trial Runs of H.M. Battleships. Tredegar – a Locomotive Coal of the highest quality. Speciality for Bunkers – Washed Nuts and Peas. Shipping Ports: Cardiff, Barry, Newport and Penarth. Tredegar Iron & Coal Company Ltd., London – 60, Fenchurch Street – Cardiff – The Exchange.

On the 21st of December 1914, three men were suffocated when trying to recover tools from old workings that had been sealed off six weeks previous. They were Joseph Parsons aged 44 years and the under-manager, William Harris aged 44 year and the overman and William Watkins aged 25 years and the deputy. Mr. Golding was still the manager in 1916/1919 but manpower had dropped to 251 men in 1916 and further to 217 men at the colliery in 1919. In July 1921 the newspapers reported that due to the trade recession the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company had been forced to stop Whitworth Colliery permanently. This colliery’s coals were generally classed as type 301A Prime Coking coals. Whitworth Colliery was absorbed into Ty Trist Colliery which closed in 1959.

Some of those who died at this mine;

• 19/10/1878 Rufus Jones, Age: 14: Collier: Fall of coal.
• 27/03/1879 Edward Jones, Age: 19: Collier was Killed by a fall of stone while sitting smoking in his workplace after he had finished his day’s work.
• 15/04/1879 John Thomas, Age: 26: In attempting to jump on to a journey of trams as they were passing he slipped and was killed.
• 17/01/1880 Joseph Davies Age: 26: Collier: Killed by fall of coal.
• 17/01/1880 William Davies Age: 27: Collier: Killed by fall of coal
• 17/01/1880 D.J. Evans, Age: 14: Collier: Killed by fall of coal.
• 26/01/1881, G. Twigg, Age: 22: Collier: Fall of roof
• 16/07/1881, J.R. Lewis, Age: 18: Collier: Fall of stone.
• 2/08/1882 Edward Phillips, Age: 66: Collier: A horse turned unexpectedly into a stall with a tram, and he was crushed against a post and died afterwards.
• 30/03/1883 T. Davies, Age: 36: Haulier: He had brought some loaded trams onto a heading and returned up it still with a sledge hammer. Soon after he was then heard shouting and he was found under a fall of coal and stone where a collar had broken down. It is supposed he had loosened the timber before it fell.
• 18/04/1884, Emanuel Davies, Age: 30: Collier: Fall of coal.
• 18/04/1884, J. Davies, Age: 15: Haulier: He was reaching into a tram just as it arrived at the bottom of the pit to get his lamp, which had been sent down in it, and a piece of coal which fell, from ascending cage struck him.
• 3/08/1885 Samuel Crowding, Age: 46: Horse keeper: Kicked by a horse in the stables and died on the 6th. from the injuries.
• 23/06/1886, Rees Protheroe, Age: 55: Labourer: Run over by trams.
• 5/05/1887, Edward Shuck, Age: 16: Collier: Fall of roof.
• 10/05/1887, William Evans, Age: 16: Collier: Injured by a fall of coal and died the same evening.
• 30/05/1889, John Meredith jnr. Age: 19: Collier: Burned by an explosion of compressed powder caused by a spark from his naked light falling into the canister which was left open while charging a shot.
• 28/01/1891 William Powell, Age: 17: Collier: Fall of roof.
• 21/07/1891 Richard M. Thomas, Age: 49: Collier: He turned an empty train on its side in order to allow of a full one passing.
• 30/10/1891, Frederick Davies, Age: 17: Collier: Coal and clod from the face forced out a sprag which was set and crushed him against a prop and killed him instantaneously.
• 10/12/1891 John Thorne, Age: 35: Engine plane man: About 300 yards from the mouth of the drift he was engaged cleaning between the rails. At this point there is a curve but not a very sharp one. He either did not notice the approach of the first journey out in consequence of the noise made by the rollers for carrying the rope or he misjudged its distance and continued at work too long. He was dragged about 60 yards before he was noticed and the engine stopped. He was then found dead under the trains. There was at least 6 feet clear from the side of the rails besides large manholes at 20 yards apart.
• 14/12/1894, John Cail, Age: 25: Collier: While engaged wedging down some top coal in his road near the face it fell suddenly from some unseen slips and killed him.
• 24/11/1897, John Hall, Age: 28: Haulier: Fatally crushed by a fall.
• 26/06/1889, Thomas Snell, Age: 27: Collier: Fall of the roof.
• 20/09/1910 William Powell, Age: 18: Collier: Fall of side (coal) at working face.
• 26/07/1911 Wyndham Llewellyn, Age: 25: Collier: Fall of side at working face.
• 21/08/1911 David James, Age: 44: Haulier: A journey while being coupled to a tram of rubbish collided with it.
• 17/10/1912 Alfred Stephens, Age: 60: Repairer: Fall of side on road.
• 8/05/1913 John Jones, Age: 61: Timberman: Died in pit from natural causes.
• 21/02/1914, Joseph Parsons, Age: 44: Undermanager: William Harris, Age: 44: Overman: William Watkins, Age: 25: Examiner Suffocated by natural gas. 3 killed.
• 29/07/1914, Henry Lavin, Age: 36: Collier: Fall of coal at the face which he appears to have been barring down at the time.

Some statistics:

• 1889: Output: Drift: 80,000 tons. No.1 Pit: 30,475 tons. No.2 Pit: 76,342 tons.
• 1894: Output: Drift: 105,068 tons. Pits: 160,000 tons.
• 1896: Manpower: 751.
• 1899: Manpower: 422.
• 1900: Manpower: 633.
• 1901: Manpower: 563.
• 1905: Manpower: 496.
• 1911: Manpower: 766.
• 1912: Manpower: 803.
• 1913: Manpower: 800.
• 1919: Manpower: 217.
• 1916: Manpower: 251.
• 1920: Manpower: 309.

Information supplied by Ray Lawrence and used here with his permission.