BENNY’S COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
One of the many levels worked to feed the Cyfarthfa Iron Works. It was abandoned in March 1924.
BRUG COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
This was a drift mine worked by Thomas’ Merthyr Colliery Company in c1925/1942 to the west of Merthyr Tydfil. It employed 167 men working underground and 21 men working at the surface of the mine in 1930 when the manager was John Davies, 178 men in 1931, 199 men in 1933, 22 men on the surface and 170 men working underground in the Nine-Feet, Bute and Four-Feet steam coal seams in 1934. In 1940/2 it employed 188 men. It was closed on Nationalisation in 1947.
CLWYDYFAGWR COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
This was a small level that was worked in the Twenty Inches and Two-Feet-Nine seams for steam coals by John Harris in 1896 and employed 6 men underground and 5 men on the surface. It was owned by R. Harris in 1907 when it employed 7 men and in 1908 it employed 3 men underground and 1 man on the surface. In 1918 it employed 6 men underground and 2 men on the surface. It was not listed in 1919.
A Glwydyfagwr Drift worked the Twenty Inches seam between 1935 and 1937 but in 1938 it is shown as abandoned. It was owned by T.L. Williams who didn’t seem to have a lot of luck with it. In the period October to December 1936 he only produced 32 tons out of an expected 108 due to flooding and then in 1937, the coal was deemed as inferior and unsuitable.
Some statistics:
- 1896: Manpower: 11.
- 1899: Manpower: 9.
- 1900: Manpower: 5.
- 1901: Manpower: 4.
- 1902: Manpower: 4.
- 1903: Manpower: 8.
- 1905: Manpower: 8.
- 1907: Manpower: 7.
- 1908: Manpower: 4.
- 1910: Manpower: 5.
- 1912: Manpower: 7.
- 1918: Manpower: 8.
COEDCAE COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil Pit 038060 and level 038061.
The pit was 100 feet deep and mined for both iron ore and coal. In 1878 it was managed by M. Bates of the Plymouth Iron Company. In 1881 it was owned by the Aberdare and Plymouth Company Limited and when they were wound up in 1882 it passed to Messrs Hankey. and in 1913 by Matthew Truman. It employed 24 men in 1907 and 11 men underground and I man on the surface in 1908/9 and 13 men in 1911. It was abandoned in March 1924.
Some statistics:
- 1905: Manpower: 11.
- 1907: Manpower: 24.
- 1908: Manpower: 12.
- 1909: Manpower: 12.
- 1910: Manpower: 10.
- 1911: Manpower: 13.
CORNEL WAIN COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
This was another of the numerous levels that were worked for both coal and ironstone in this area for the Cyfarthfa Iron Works. Welsh Mine ore had an iron content of 30% to 35%, with impurities from sulphur, carbonic acid and water. The early ratio of changing ore to iron was 3:1. The veins were numerous but thin, and intermingled with the seams of the Lower Coal Measures which outcropped in this area. It was abandoned in March 1924.
CORONATION COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil 058046
This level makes an appearance in 1902 when it employed 11 men, in 1903 it employed 8 men, and in 1905 when it employed 5 men, it was on the lists in 1907/8/9/11 when it employed 8 men underground and 2 men on the surface. In 1912 it employed 5 men. It abandoned the Red and Nine-Feet seams and closed in June 1919. Coronation was owned by Gunter, James and Thomas in 1902, G. Gunter in 1903/04, Gunter & Davies between 1905 and 1907 and from 1908 to 1918 by B. Davies who did not join the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association.
DANDEME COLLIERY
This mine was worked in the latter half of the 19th century by the Plymouth Iron Company. In 1763 Isaac Williams and John Guest agreed to a lease of 99 years at a payment of per annum on lands belonging to the Earl of Plymouth at Merthyr Tydfil. For some reason or other they did not develop the site, and in 1765 sub-leased to Anthony Bacon who constructed the Plymouth Iron Works. Anthony Bacon died in 1786 and his second son, Thomas, leased the Works to Richard Hill for a term of fifteen years at an annual rent of plus another £268 per annum for the leaseholders. Richard Hill then formed Hills’ Plymouth Company. Richard Hill died in 1818 and ownership of the Works passed to his sons, Anthony and Richard, Richard Junior died in 1844. Anthony Hill died in 1862 and the Plymouth Iron Works was sold to Fothergill, Hankey and Bateman who worked it until closure in the 1880s. The Hills’ Plymouth Company continued to work their mining interests after the closure of the Works and employed 3,000 miners in 1907. The Company was bought out by D.R. Llewellyn in 1927 who formed Llewellyn (Plymouth) Limited which by 1935 employed 1,780 men producing 500,000 tons of coal from seven collieries.
FORGE COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
This level was listed in 1912/18 as being owned by Hill’s Plymouth Company. It employed ten men in 1912 but was abandoned by 1918. It, or another was in operation in 1924/27 when it employed 27 men and was owned by Llewellyn (Plymouth) Limited.
It worked the Red and Upper and Lower Six-Feet seams.
GARW COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil 058063
This small level was worked for both ironstone and coal and used to feed the Penydarren Ironworks in the 19th century. In 1893 it was owned by Hughes & Morgan but was off the lists in 1895. In 1901 it was owned by W. Francis and in 1904 by W.T. Rees & Co. The next time it is listed is in 1922 when owned by Samuel Morris. It was closed in 1929. The Garw seam in this level would have been about 0.7m in thickness, and between this coal seam and the next one, the Gellideg, lie nine iron ore veins, the most mined being the Bottom Vein Mine. The ironstones in this area occur both as thin tabular beds called pins and as nodular concretions called balls.
GELLI COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
This small level was owned by the Graig Colliery Company and employed 19 men in 1911 and 22 men in 1910.
GELLIDEG COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
I can find no mention of a No.1 but the Gellideg No.2 was worked to feed the Cyfarthfa Iron Works and was abandoned in March 1924
GLYN MILL COLLIERY
Near Merthyr Tydfil
This was another of the numerous levels near the northern outcrop in this area. It was worked by Hill’s Plymouth Company Limited. See Clynmill.
GUTTER COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
This was one of the many levels used to feed the Cyfarthfa Iron Works. It was abandoned in March 1924.
HAFOD TANGLWYS COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil 068001
This was a small level that abandoned the Little seam in February 1896. It was owned by David Davies of Aberfan (1889 to 1895) and employed four men working underground in 1893.
LEWIS COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
This small level was working around 1905/8 and in those years it employed six to seven men. It was owned by the Crawshay Brothers.
LEWIS JENKINS COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
This was an early level that worked the northern outcrop of the South Wales Coalfield in this area for both ironstone and coal. All the major 18th-century ironworks of the Heads of the Valleys area were sited on the outcrop of the Lower and Middle Coal Measures in which the ironstones occur both as thin tabular beds, called pins, and as nodular concretions called balls. Between the Five-Feet/Gellideg and Garw Coal seams, there were no less than eleven iron ore veins. Possibly Lewis Jenkins was the name of the contractor who developed or worked the mine for one of the Iron Works Companies.
LLEWELLYN MERTHYR COLLIERY
This mine was owned by the Llewellyn Merthyr Colliery Company Limited. It employed 16 men in 1912, and in 1920 it employed 120 men and was managed by T. Morris. It was closed in 1923.
LODGE COLLIERY
This was a small level that was initially used to feed the Penydarren Iron Works with both iron ore and coal. It was closed in 1922.
MAIN COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
This was a small level that was worked near the northern outcrop of the South Wales Coalfield by the Aberdare Plymouth Company Limited in 1878 when the manager was Howell Davis. I have no other information on this mine.
MOUNTAIN COLLIERY
Pen heol garreg
This mine/mines was opened in 1871 by the Plymouth Iron Company and worked until 1875. In 1880 it was owned by the Crawshay Brothers who had decided to re-open old levels and work the pillars left behind. This one was managed by D. Abrahams in 1896 and employed 67 in 1907, 6 men in 1908, 146 men in 1913, 239 men in 1915, 176 men in 1916,118 men in 1918 and 120 men in 1919. In 1923 it employed 116 men working underground and 53 men working at the surface of the mine. The general manager of all of the Crawshay Brothers mines was Matthew Truran during this period. In 1927 it was owned by Thomas’ Merthyr Collieries and was managed by John Davies and employed 106 men. That is the last listing that I can find for it. Mountain is also the name of a Marquis of Bute level that worked in this area in the 19th century. Amongst the seams that it worked was the Seven-Feet seam which had a thickness of 52 inches.
MOUNT PLEASANT COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
In 1908 this small level was owned by William Edwards of Merthyr Vale and employed one man working underground and two men on the surface. That was the only mention that I have of it.
No.2 COLLIERY
Cethin, Merthyr Tydfil.
Another small level that was worked in the 1870s by R.T. Crawshay to feed his iron works. I have no other dates for it.
No.2 ROADSIDE
Merthyr Tydfil
Another small level worked by the Aberdare Plymouth Company Limited in 1878 when it was managed by Howell Davies.
No.2 SOUTH LEVEL
Merthyr Tydfil
Also listed in 1878 as being owned by the Aberdare Plymouth Company Limited, this one was managed by John Jenkins.
ORIGINAL PIT
Merthyr Tydfil
This mine was listed as being under the ownership of the Aberdare Plymouth Company Limited in 1878 and managed by Howell Davies. I have no other record of this mine.
PANTYFFIN COLLIERY
Pont Morlais 057062
This was a small level that was owned by W. Frances in 1903 when it employed four men. It worked the Lower-Four-Feet seam.
In 1923 it was owned by S.M. Morris and employed six men in that year and 1924 and five men in 1927/8. It was closed in 1929.
PEN MACHINE COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
This was one of the many levels that were worked to feed the Cyfarthfa Iron Works. It was abandoned in March 1924.
PERTHYGLISSON (PERTHYGLEISON) COLLIERY
Troedyrhiw, Merthyr Tydfil (069997)
Another of the small levels that were worked to feed the local iron works. This one was owned by Jones and Beddoe in 1858/69, the Plymouth Iron Company in 1870 and owned and managed by R.T. Griffiths in 1878/84. It worked the Cefn Glas seam around 1890. It possibly worked a small amount of the Brithdir seam at a thickness of 21 inches.
PIG AND WHISTLE COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
This was one of the many levels used to feed the Cyfarthfa Iron Works. It was abandoned in March 1924.
PIT-Y-WITW COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
Please see the listing on Lucy Thomas Colliery.
PWLL BACH COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
This pit was also called the Colliers Row Pit and worked the Bute and Nine-Feet seams for the Crawshays.
PWLL PATCH COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
This mine was used to feed the Cyfarthfa Works and consisted of a shallow pit that was sunk down to work the Nine-Feet and Four-Feet seams. It was connected to the Glyndyrys and Cwm Levels.
PWLL PHIL REES COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
This was an early water balance pit situated near the Ynysfach Iron Works.
PWLL TASKER COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
Another of the Cyfarthfa pits, this one was 50 yards deep to the Nine-Feet seam.
PWLL-Y-MYNYDD COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
This mine is claimed to have been the first pit sunk in this area in 1828. Worked by the Cyfarthfa Iron Company, the closure date is uncertain.
RACE LACE COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
This level worked under the Anglicised version of the Rhas Las (Nine-Feet) seam name in the 19th century.
RHYDYCAR COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
A pit sunk to the steam coal seams of the Lower and Middle Coal Measures which it found at a depth of 60 yards. It mainly worked the Gellideg seam. It was worked in the 19th Century by the Plymouth Iron Works Company and abandoned in March 1924.
ROBBINS COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
This mine was worked in the mid-1800s by the Cyfarthfa Iron Company.
SOAP COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
A small 19th-century mine that presumably worked the Soap Vein.
TASKERS COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
This mine was one of the many used to feed the Cyfarthfa Iron Works. It was closed in March 1924. Also, see Pwll Tasker.
TIRTWMBWL COLLIERY
Merthyr Vale 080994
This small level abandoned the No.1 Rhondda Rider seam in September 1912.
TWYN-Y-WAUN (TYN-Y-WAUN) COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
This mine was owned by the Tynywaun Colliery Company in 1917. This company was not a member of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association. It was a drift mine that worked the Upper-Nine-Feet seam at a thickness of 46 inches. It found that the Six-Feet seam had a thickness of 13 feet of mixed coal and dirt, the Red Vein was 21 inches thick, and the Lower-Nine-Feet seam was nine feet thick. The Bute seam was 30 inches thick, the Seven-Feet seam was 76 inches thick and the Five-Feet/Gellideg seam was 13 feet 6 inches of mixed coal and dirt. In this area and through 1,200 feet of strata there was a total thickness of 97.5 feet of coal in 18 seams. This mine was not shown on Gordon’s 1921 Map of the Coalfield.
YNYSFACH COLLIERY
Merthyr Tydfil
This was a 19th-century mine that was situated near the Ynysfach Iron Works.
Information supplied by Ray Lawrence and used here with his permission.
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