Tonyrefail, Ely Valley (99908920)

This colliery consisted of three drifts into the No.3 Rhondda seam. It was situated approximately one hundred yards to the west of Collena Colliery. It worked the No.3 Rhondda seam at a thickness of 36”. It also worked the Hafod seam. In 1908/12 it employed 11 men underground and 1 man on the surface. In 1916 and 1917 it was managed by Joseph Hargreaves and employed 24 men. It was owned by E. Hammond who did not join the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association.

In 1918 it is managed by E. Hammond and employed 28 men underground and 8 men on the surface. It was working in 1920 with T.M. Jones as the manager but was not on the map of the Coalfield dated 1921. In 1922 it was back in production with the same manager and is shown as abandoning the No.2 Rhondda in June 1923. It is still shown in 1927 as still being owned by E. Hammond and employing 24 men. In 1930 it is listed under the ownership of the Caerlan Colliery (1930) Company of Port Talbot and was producing gas and house coals and employed 14 men working underground in the No.3 Rhondda and Hafod seams and one man at the surface of the mine. The manager was E. Morgan.

In 1932 it employed 24 men, in 1933 it employed 43 men with J. Evans as the manager and in 1934 it employed 70 men in a New Drift which was managed by J.F. Bell. The Colliery Guardian reported that it was to be put up for auction on the 10th of August 1933 and described it as having a mineral take of 239 acres and workings in the 38-inch thick Hafod seam, with a drift in the process to the No.2 Rhondda seam. The Caerlan abandoned the No.3 Rhondda and Hafod seams in 1928 while the Nos.2 & 3 abandoned the No.2 Rhondda seam in 1923. The New Caerlan abandoned the Hafod seam in 1935.

Some statistics:

  • 1900: Manpower: 82.
  • 1901: Manpower: none.
  • 1902: Manpower: none.
  • 1903: Manpower: 13.
  • 1905: Manpower: 19.
  • 1907: Manpower: 16.
  • 1908: Manpower: 12.
  • 1912: Manpower: 12.
  • 1916: Manpower: 24.
  • 1917: Manpower: 24.
  • 1918: Manpower: 36.
  • 1920: Manpower: 24.
  • 1921: Manpower: 27.
  • 1922: Manpower: 24.
  • 1923: Manpower: 33.
  • 1924: Manpower: 35.
  • 1927: Manpower: 32.
  • 1928: Manpower: 15.
  • 1929: Manpower: 24.
  • 1930: Manpower: 15.
  • 1932: Manpower: 24.

 

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

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