Near Aberdare, Cynon Valley (02670218)

This pit was sunk by Matthew Wayne in 1837 to the Nine-Feet seam which it found at a depth of 489ft 8” (150.52 metres). This seam was 13 feet 5 inches thick. The Gorllwyn seam was met at a depth of 92 feet 1 inch and consisted of 17 inches of coal, 22 inches of dirt and then 14 inches of coal. The Two-Feet-Nine seam was at a depth of 315 feet 3 inches and was 27 inches thick, the Four-Feet seam was at a depth of 334 feet 3 inches and had a thickness of 48 inches.

It was separate from his Gadlys Iron Works and was worked by the Aberdare Colliery Company whose board consisted of three Waynes and three local landowners. Thomas Powell owned a colliery of this name in the 1840s, and it became part of Powell Duffryn when that company was formed. It produced 62,771 tons of coal in 1863. From then on its history becomes vague, there is an Abernant Colliery, owned by Fothergill and Company in 1858/70, as well as Abernantygroes owned by P.D, neither is it listed in 1878, but a mine is listed as plain Abernant in the 1880s.

In 1898 amongst Powell Duffryn’s listings are Abernant Pit, Abernant Level and Abernant No.9 (which was closed in January 1909 and had a manpower of 350 on closure), all are in the Aberdare area. Not listed in 1913 or 1917, but on the 1921 map of the coalfield, the No.9 pit is shown which closed in 1935. I can find no trace of it after this date. Based on the Nine-Feet seam its coals were classed as type 202/3 Coking Steam Coal, weak to medium caking, low volatile, with low ash and low sulphur content. Its uses were for steam raising and foundry and blast furnace coke.

Just a few of those who died at this mine:

  • 1/11/1855 John Jones, aged 23 years, a collier, fall of roof.
  • 20/4/1857 Jonah Thomas, aged 33 years, fall of roof.
  • 29/12/1857 Robert Roberts, aged 25 years, fell of staging in shaft.
  • 11/4/1858 Thomas Lewis, aged 18 years, a collier, fall of roof.
  • 7/6/1858 Stephen Prosser, a collier, fall of roof.
  • 12/6/1858 John Thomas, aged 12 years, Doorboy, run over by trams 2/4/1859 Thomas Morris, a collier, fall of roof.
  • 30/7/1859 Richard Edwards, aged 18 years, a collier, fall of roof.
  • 19/9/1859 Thomas Griffiths, a collier, shaft incident.
  • 11/3/1863 Llewellin Griffiths and Thomas Powell, both colliers, killed in an explosion of firedamp.
  • 10/8/1864 Thomas Adams, aged 34 years, a collier, explosion of firedamp, 2 killed.

 

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

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