Llyn Colliery

Nantyglo, Ebbw Fach Valley 190109

The 1888 list of mines showed that this colliery was owned by the Cory Brothers and Company Limited, which is surprising because they didn’t appear to venture into the Monmouthshire part of the Coalfield. It was managed for them by H. Davies.

It was owned by the Gelli and Tynybedw Colliery Company in 1890 when, on the 30th of September, Robert Jenkins, aged 25 years, and a collier, died under a roof fall. “The place appeared to have been fairly well propped and secured. The stone, a heavy one knocked out and broke down several props &c. The man worked alone in the stall and the accident was only noticed casually by one of the hauliers when he came to a neighbouring place.“

There must have been a change of ownership in that year for J.P. Jones is also shown as owning and managing a Llyn Colliery at Nantyglo. It appears to have abandoned the Yard seam in May 1892. This was the same year that the Gelli and Tynmybedw Colliery Company owned a Llyn (this company was probably owned by the Cory Brothers). It was also the year, on the 23rd of January that Richard Overton, aged 57 and a collier died under a roof fall. “In the Yard vein (which is only 20 inches thick) a stone shaped like a pigs back 2ft wide 5ft long and 14 ins. thick in the middle fell from the roof on him in his working place.”

In 1900/2 it is owned by T. & E. Williams and managed by Sylvanus Jones, in 1911 the owners were Williams & Smith, and in 1913 and 1917 by the Waen Nantyglo Colliery Company. This company was not a member of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association.

This colliery employed 47 men working underground and 4 men working at the surface of the mine in 1900, 131 men in 1907 and 330 men in 1913 when it was managed by W. Thomas. In 1918 it employed 124 men underground and 7 men on the surface, W. Thomas was still the manager.

It abandoned the Yard seam yet again in January 1916 and the Meadow Vein in October 1917.

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