Graig Colliery

Near Abercanaid, Merthyr Tydfil

A Graig was recorded as early as 1837 as consisting of a shaft 60 yards deep and employing 50 men under the ownership of W & R. Thomas. In 1843 a Graig was working for steam coals firstly by the Plymouth Iron Company and then by Hill’s Plymouth Company. It was managed by William Rees in 1860 and Robert Rees in 1865/70. It employed 328 men underground and 55 men on the surface in 1908 when managed by Henry John, and 500 men in 1909. It was managed by J.M. Green in 1913/5. In 1916 it employed 450 men. In 1918 the manager was Evan Jones and it employed 372 men underground and 116 men on the surface. In 1919 manpower had shot up to 800 men with the manager being D. Thomas but had dropped to 220 men employed in 1920/2. In 1923 the manager was H.P. Jones.

The Royal Commission into the employment of children in mines of the 1840s reported that “Mary Price, air door girl, fell asleep, and fell on the rail; tram ran over her and broke her leg” and “Ann Jenkins, aged 12, fell down pit – killed.”

The colliery was owned by Llewellyn (Plymouth) Limited in 1927, who by 1934 employed 100 men on the surface and 520 men underground. In 1934 Llewellyn (Plymouth) Limited was based at the Colliery Office at South Duffryn with the directors being; Sir David R. Llewellyn, W.M. Llewellyn, H.H. Merrett, Sir John F. Beale, T.J. Callaghan and J.H. Jolly. The company secretary was T.W. Roach. It controlled five collieries that employed 1,780 men who produced 500,000 tons of coal.

The No.1 Pit worked the Lower-Four-Feet seam at a depth of 142 yards, while the No.2 Pit worked the Nine-Feet seam at a depth of 128 yards. The Nine-Feet seam was worked extensively as was the Upper-Four-Feet seam which had a thickness of coal 18 inches, dirt 24 inches, and coal 48 inches. Its mineral take was to the east of Merthyr Tydfil. On Nationalisation in 1947 it was placed in the National Coal Board’s, South Western Division’s, Area No.4 and was by then part of the South Duffryn Colliery.

Some of those who died at this mine:

• 25/1/1855, William Hughes, aged 13, collier, roof fall.
• 20/3/1855, B. Jones, aged 29, collier, roof fall.
• 28/12/1861, John Jenkins, collier. Roof fall.
• 24/11/1863, Philip Edwards, aged 23, banksman, machinery.
• 20/3/1867, John Evans, aged 35, collier, shotfiring.
• 27/3/1877, Thomas Evans, pitman, fell down the shaft.
• 3/7/1912, David Richards, aged 55, collier, roof fall.
• 26/2/1913, Frank Butler, aged 36, veterinary assistant, kicked by a horse.
• 19/1/1925, Thomas V Williams, aged 34, collier, explosion of gas.
• 19/1/1925, Stanley Jenkins, aged 17, collier, explosion of gas.
• 28/10/1927, Richard Farmer, aged 55, labourer, crushed by wagons.

Some Statistics:

• 1903: Manpower: 16.
• 1907: Manpower: 275.
• 1908: Manpower: 383.
• 1910: Manpower: 431.
• 1911: Manpower: 500.
• 1912: Manpower: 522.
• 1915: Manpower: 534.
• 1916: Manpower: 450.
• 1918: Manpower: 488.
• 1919: Manpower: 800.
• 1920: Manpower: 800.
• 1922: Manpower: 450.
• 1923: Manpower: 597.
• 1924: Manpower: 694.
• 1927: Manpower: 635.
• 1928: Manpower: 601.
• 1930: Manpower: 620.
• 1932: Manpower: 650.
• 1933: Manpower: 454.
• 1934: Manpower: 425.

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