Glenavon Colliery

Cymmer,  Afan Valley 87754/95709

This mine was also known as The Squint and was opened in 1899.

In 1900 a heading in the Glenavon Colliery was opening up new workings in the direction of the old workings of the Caerau Colliery. Water from the old workings broke through the coal barrier and drowned, Thomas Curtis aged 58 years, Rees Jenkins aged 24 years, David Jenkins aged 43 years, David Jones aged 52 years and Evan Jenkins aged 36 years.

The Glenavon Garw Collieries Limited of Post Office Chambers, Port Talbot was owned by R. McEwen and W.F. Gibb and was incorporated in 1907. They opened up the Glenavon Colliery into the No.2 Rhondda seam which it extensively worked at a thickness of between 32 inches and 40 inches.

In 1908 it employed 98 men underground and 21 men on the surface with the manager being J.E. Hughes. This company was a member of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association.

On the 24th of January 1911, Arthur Cross, aged 59 years and a collier died under a fall of roof, and on the 10th of July 1911, Frank Hill, aged 42 years and also a collier, also died under a fall of roof.

The level was still managed by J.E. Hughes and employed 176 men in 1913, while in 1915 it was managed by I.H. Williams and employed 117 men. In 1916/18/19 it was managed by W. Charles and employed 61 men underground and 8 men on the surface. In 1923/7 T.L. Bonnell was the manager and in 1923 it employed 84 men this figure rising to 170 men in 1927. In 1929 this company, the agent and the manager were fined £5 each, and the under-manager was fined £2.50 for a breach of the Coal Mines Act in which they allowed the pit to work for two days with only one shaft in operation. In 1930 W.H. Evans was the manager and it employed 115 men working underground and 13 men working at the surface of the mine.

In 1934 the directors of the company were; R. Gibb, R. McEwan, C.I. Clay, E.R. Moxey and T. Gibb with W.F. Gibb as the company secretary. The company controlled six collieries producing 850,000 tons of coal and employing 3,338 miners.

In 1935, 13 men were working on the surface, and 115 men underground producing house and steam coals. The manager at that time was H. Davies. In 1943/5 E. Thomas was the manager and it employed 83 men underground working the No.2 Rhondda seam and 21 men on the surface.

It was not worked by the National Coal Board.

Some statistics:

• 1899: Manpower: 16.
• 1900: Manpower: 63.
• 1901: Manpower: 168.
• 1902: Manpower: 166.
• 1903: Manpower: 69.
• 1905: Manpower: 118.
• 1907: Manpower: 120.
• 1908: Manpower: 119.
• 1909: Manpower: 119.
• 1910: Manpower: 151.
• 1911: Manpower: 125.
• 1912: Manpower: 182.
• 1913: Manpower: 176.
• 1915: Manpower: 117.
• 1916: Manpower: 69.
• 1919: Manpower: 69.
• 1920: Manpower: 70.
• 1922: Manpower: 70.
• 1923: Manpower: 84.
• 1924: Manpower: 95.
• 1927: Manpower: 96.
• 1928: Manpower: 105.
• 1929: Manpower: 170.
• 1930: Manpower: 128.
• 1932: Manpower: 170.
• 1933: Manpower: 55. Bottom Level: 9.
• 1934: Manpower: 128.
• 1940: Manpower: 128.
• 1942: Manpower: 136.
• 1943: Manpower: 104.
• 1945: Manpower: 104.

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