The No.6 Victoria pit was one of a series of pits sunk by the Monmouthshire Iron and Coal Company to feed their iron works a Victoria, Ebbw Vale. In 1848 the Works and the mines came under the control of the Ebbw Vale Works owners.

On Monday, 21st June 1848 that eleven miners stepped onto the cage at the pit top ready to descend the shaft The rope on the other cage at the pit bottom became detached from this cage and thereby negated the counterbalance effect needed in this type of winding and the eleven men plunged the 85 yards to their deaths.

Those that died were:

  • Hubert Chivers, aged 13.
  • James Davis, aged 39, married.
  • Richard Edwards, aged 26, single.
  • John Harris, aged 47,  married with 4 children.
  • John Morgan, aged 32, widowed.
  • William Owen, aged 18, single.
  • James Phelps, aged 29, single.
  • Emmanuel Stillman, aged 27, widowed.
  • David Thomas, aged 29, married with 2 children.
  • Isaac Williams, aged 23, single.
  • Richard Williams, aged 27, single.

Information from Ray Lawrence and used with his permission.

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