According to National Coal Board records this level was opened in 1873, and according to the His Majesty’s Inspectors Report on the explosion it was opened in 1869, although we can find no record of it until 1882 when it was worked by Cory, Yeo and Company along with the Graigola Colliery. It was worked in its early days under the name of Birch Rock.

Birchrock was opened in 1868 and by 1869, on the 4th of November, Thomas Thomas, aged 55 years and a collier was run over and killed by runaway trams. It was then owned by the Birch Rock Colliery Company. One of the numerous levels opened to work the Graigola seams in this area. This seam was easily accessible near its outcrop and had one of the lowest ash contents of any coal found in the Coalfield. The lower leaf of the seam had an average thickness of around 32 inches.

It was listed in 1878 as being managed by Thomas Rees and owned by the Birch Rock Coal Company. It consisted of the Lower Level at NGR 262362/204224 and the Upper Level at 263505/205427.

On the 12th of September, 1883, L. Thomas, aged: 22 years, and a collier, was run over and killed by trams. In 1884 it was owned by Cory, Yeo and Company and managed by David Williams. While another fatality occurred on the 13th of August 1890, when Daniel Hopkins, a greaser, aged only 14 years of age, was crushed between trams and killed.

In 1893 it was owned by the Graigola Merthyr Company of Swansea but was listed as standing idle since June 1892. In 1896 it employed 68 men underground and 20 men on the surface with Owen Morgan as manager. In 1898 it is shown again under the ownership of the Birch Rock Coal Company. In 1903 it was listed as Birch Rock or Graig Merthyr with only Graig Merthyr listed from 1904.

Some statistics:

  • 1889: Output: 23,496 tons.
  • 1894: Output: 27,983 tons.
  • 1896: Manpower: 88.
  • 1899: Manpower: 130.
  • 1900: Manpower: 200.
  • 1901: Manpower: 323.
  • 1902: Manpower: 316.
  • 1903: Manpower: 372.

Graig Merthyr worked the lower leaf of the Graigola seam at a section of 32 inches and in 1908 employed 678 men underground and 123 men on the surface with D.J. Davies as manager. In 1913 it was owned by the Graigola Colliery Company, was managed by D. J. Davies and employed 630 men along with Cefn Drim Colliery. By 1917 this company had become the Graigola Merthyr Company Limited of Cambrian Place, Swansea, which was a member of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association.

In 1918 D.J. Davies was still the manager. An advert for the Company at that time stated:

“The Graigola Merthyr Co.Ltd., (Late Cory, Yeo & Co..)
Head Offices:- Cambrian Place, Swansea.
Works:- King’s Dock, Swansea.
Manufacturers and Shippers of Graigola Merthyr Patent Fuel
Annual Manufacture of Patent Fuel, 600,000 to 700,000 tons
Supplied to Important Foreign Railways and Steamship Companies and
Extensively Used for Industrial Purposes Unrivalled for Low Percentage of Ash
Proprietors and Shippers of; Cwm, Graigola Merthyr & Cardiff Graigola
Steam Large, Cobbles, Walnuts and Beans
Largely Employed Abroad for Domestic and General Steam Purposes.

In 1923 the manager was J.L. Evans, while in 1935 the colliery employed 185 men on the surface and 500 men underground, the chairman at that time being D.R. Llewellyn, with amongst the Board, two other Llewellyns, Griffith and W.M and Viscountess Rhondda. The manager of the colliery was J. Evans. The manager in 1943/5 was still J.L. Evans.

  • On the 3rd of July 1873, John John, aged 40 years and a collier, died under a roof fall.
  • On the 25th of July 1873, George Beynon, aged 41 years, and a collier, along with another man, also died under a roof fall.
  • John Morgan Thomas aged only 13 years and a haulier boy died when he was run over by trams on the 13th of June 1879.
  • On the 26th of May 1909 there was an explosion of gas at this colliery but no-one was hurt. On the
  • First of October 1909 at 3.30 am there was another explosion but this time five miners died and one was injured. Those that died were Arthur Schroeder aged 41 years, Edward Mandray aged 43 years, John Whelan aged 42 years, David Rees aged 36 years and Samuel Jones aged 50 years.
  • On the 10th of April 1926, William J. Williams, aged 36 years and a collier, died under a roof fall.
  • On the 13th of April 1927, when W. J. Davies, aged 48 years and a collier, also died under a roof fall.

Along with the Nation’s other coal mines, Graig Merthyr was Nationalised in 1947 and was placed in the National Coal Board’s, South Western Division’s, No.1 (Swansea) Area, No.3 (Felinfran) Group, and at that time employed, along with Cefn Drim, 191 men on the surface and 505 men underground. The manager was still J.L. Evans who was still there in 1949. This colliery had its own coal preparation plant (washery).

In 1954 manpower had dropped to 131 on the surface and 520 men underground the manager was now D.W. Griffiths. In 1955 there were 290 men working at the coalfaces in this colliery, this figure became 270 men in 1956 and 306 men at the coalfaces in 1958. In 1961 this colliery was still in the No.1 Area’s, No.3 Group along with Felinfran, Clydach Merthyr and Daren collieries. The total manpower for this Group was 1,449, while total coal production for that year was 478,452 tons. The Group Manager was D. Griffiths while the Area Manager was J.G. Tait. The manager in 1969 and on to closure was H.E.G. Roberts.

Graig Merthyr Colliery was closed on the 23rd of June 1978 due to the exhaustion of its coal reserves.

Some statistics:

  • 1905: Manpower: 266.
  • 1907: Manpower: 459.
  • 1908/9: Manpower: 495.
  • 1910: Manpower: 549.
  • 1911: Manpower: 422.
  • 1912: Manpower: 575.
  • 1913: Manpower: 630.
  • 1915: Manpower: 760 with Cefn Drim.
  • 1918: Manpower: 678.
  • 1920: Manpower: 1,030.
  • 1922: Manpower: 980.
  • 1923: Manpower: 871.
  • 1924: Manpower: 903.
  • 1925: Manpower: 950.
  • 1926: Manpower: 950.
  • 1927: Manpower: 950.
  • 1928: Manpower: 950.
  • 1929: Manpower: 625.
  • 1930: Manpower: 800.
  • 1931: Manpower: 820.
  • 1932: Manpower: 846.
  • 1933: Manpower: 702.
  • 1935: Manpower: 685.
  • 1937: Manpower: 706.
  • 1938: Manpower: 710.
  • 1940: Manpower: 685.
  • 1945: Manpower: 664.
  • 1947: Manpower: 694.
  • 1949: Manpower: 690. Output: 215,000 tons.
  • 1953: Manpower: 641. Output: 265,000 tons.
  • 1954: Manpower: 651. Output: 222,846 tons.
  • 1955: Manpower: 665. Output: 231,654 tons.
  • 1956: Manpower: 651. Output: 229,612 tons.
  • 1957: Manpower: 707. Output: 247,748 tons.
  • 1958: Manpower: 767. Output: 255,548 tons.
  • 1960: Manpower: 736. Output: 277,728 tons.
  • 1961: Manpower: 739. Output: 268,859 tons.
  • 1962: Manpower: 723.
  • 1964: Manpower: 780.
  • 1965: Manpower: 783.
  • 1969: Manpower: 724.
  • 1970: Manpower: 695.
  • 1971: Manpower: 633.
  • 1972: Manpower: 605.
  • 1974: Manpower: 605.

 

A Graig Merthyr Colliery then pops up again in the 1992/6 period when it worked the Graigola seam and was owned by the Graig Merthyr Colliery Company of Pontardulais.

 

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

 

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