Braichycymmer Colliery

National Grid Reference 90359070

This was the name for a series of levels that worked the outcrop in this area. It was also the name of a pit that was also called the Victoria and was the third shaft of Ffaldau Colliery. It was sunk to work the Two-Feet-Nine and Six-Feet seams to the west of the Garw Valley. The levels worked the Pentre Rider seam which was locally called the Victoria seam. It had a thickness of between 28 inches to 35 inches. The No.3 Rhondda seam was also extensively worked at a thickness of up to 42 inches. The New Drift worked the Upper Yard seam. Braichycymmer Colliery was listed in 1878 as under the ownership of the Braichycymmer Coal Company and at that time was managed by H. Harries. In 1888 the colliery was owned by James & Edwards.

In 1896 the No.3 level was owned by the Braichycymmer Collieries and employed 83 men underground and 11 men on the surface and was managed by David John, the Braichycymmer Darran level was owned by the Braichycymmer Darran Colliery Company and employed 69 men underground and 13 men on the surface with the manager being Edward Lawrence, while the Braichycymmer Pit was owned by the Ffaldau Colliery Company and employed 383 men underground and 52 men on the surface, the manager was William Johnson. In 1899 the pit employed 410 men and the level 99 men and was managed by Samuel Llewellyn.

In 1900 the pit employed 691 men and the level 93 men. In 1901 and 1902 Samuel Llewellyn’s Braichycymmer employed 71 and 73 men respectively, the Ffaldau Collieries c Pit employed 576 and 503 men respectively and in 1903 it employed 524 men, while the Darran Collieries Company, employed 264 men in 1901 and 549 men in 1905. In 1903 the Braichycymmer No.3 that was owned by the Garw & Braichycymmer Collieries Limited of Swansea employed 56 men, and in 1905 it employed 11 men. In 1907 the pit was managed by W. Johnson and employed 630 men and in 1908 it employed 562 men underground and 76 men on the surface, while a level employed 243 men underground and 53 on the surface, the manager was O. Powell. In 1910 it employed 730 men and in 1911 the pit employed 671 men, the manager was still William Johnson and in 1912 it employed 678 men. In 1910 Cyrlas Davies’level employed 9 men.

In 1912 the colliery was owned by the New Braichycymmer Collieries (1910) Limited who employed 72 men in that year and in 1913 it employed 115 men producing house and manufacturing coals under the management of W. Evans. In 1916 the manpower had dropped to 40. In 1918 the pit employed 812 men working underground and 183 men working at the surface with the manager now being W.J. Oliver. Also listed in 1912 was the Braichycymmer colliery which was owned by W.C. Williams of Porthcawl and employed 8, men, in 1918 it 27 men underground, and Braichycymmer level employed 209 men underground and 51 men at the surface and was managed by W. Samuel, while yet another level was managed by I. Thomas and employed 122 men working underground and 19 men working at the surface of the mine.

In 1920 the New Braichycymmer (1910) Company employed 115. In 1921 there were three Braichycymmers recorded; one was owned by the Ffaldau Colliery Company and was linked to Ffaldau Colliery, it produced steam and manufacturing coals and in 1923 employed 1,176 men working underground and 203 men at the surface and produced 300,000 tons of coal. The manager was H.H. Johnson. Cyrlas W Davies employed 29 men in a Braichycymmer in 1923 and the International Coal Company employed 356 men in one called the New Drift. In 1922 C. Williams still owned one, the No.3 that employed 30 men, and in 19234 it employed 28 men. Another was owned by the Garw and Braichycymmer Collieries Limited. No collieries of this name were listed in 1932 or 1935 but in 1945 the pit was managed by V.C. Jones and employed 457 men working underground and 138 men working at the surface.

On Nationalisation in 1947 the NCB lists this pit along with Ffaldau Colliery. The manager at that time was still V.C. Jones. Please also see the page on Ffaldau Colliery.

Some of those who died at these mines;

• 14/2/1910, Thomas Pearn, aged 32, screenman, was struck by a lever.
• 17/2/1910, Henry Sias, aged 46, rider, run over by trams.
• 14/10/1910, Samuel Jones, aged 24, haulier, rooffall.
• 26/11/1910, David Morgan, aged 44, collier, roof fall.
• 21/6/1911, John Jones, aged 26, repairer, roof fall.
• 17/7/1911. John Brown, aged 25, rider, haulage incident.
• 8/5/1925, Alfred Ruck, aged 22, holder-up, scalded to death.
• 23/7/1925, Albert Jones, aged 43, repairer, roof fall.
• 29/11/1928, Edward Harris, aged 34, haulier, roof fall.

This information was supplied by Ray Lawrence and is used here with his permission.