Brynamman Colliery

Brynamman, Amman Valley 704137.

This drift mine was working as early as the 1840s as Brynamman Works, which opened adjacent to the Glynbeudy Tin Works. Between 1854 and 1858 it was owned by Llewellyn and Sons and then between 1859 and 1870 by Francis and Strick. It then appears to have been closed. In 1894 the Brynamman Coal Company opened a new entrance. It is possible that it then became Ynysdawella and was owned by the Rees Family who worked the Middle Vein. It was leased to Edward Lange in 1900 who abandoned it in 1905. It then pops up under the ownership of the Ynys Amman Colliery Co as Ynysamman between 1909 and its closure in 1914.

It is not on our lists for 1913 and 1917, but in 1918 it was owned by Brynamman Colliery Limited and in 1921 it was shown as being owned by the Pwllbach, Tirbach and Brynamman Anthracite Collieries Limited and employed 600 men with the manager being W. Samuel. By 1930 it was under the ownership of Henderson Welsh Anthracite Collieries Limited and employed 365 men working underground and 63 men working at the surface of the mine, W. Samuels was the manager. In 1934 this company controlled ten pits and employed 2,612 men, Brynamman employing 63 men on the surface and 365 men underground working the Red Vein and Peacock anthracite seams. This colliery had its own coal preparation plant (washery). It employed 480 men in the 1931 to 1933 period. In 1928 the Brass Slant employed 6 men and in 1933 it employed 64 men.

In 1934 Henderson’s Company was based at 81, Gresham Street, London and its directors were; Sir A. Cope, Sir D.R. Llewellyn, T.H. Henderson, T.P. Cook, D. Thomas, W. Peglar and W. Slark. It controlled ten collieries and employed 2,714 miners. This mine abandoned the Lower Vein and Little Brass Vein in 1934, the Middle Vein and Brynlloi in 1935, and the Big, Black, Peacock and Trigloyn seams in 1950.

It was not worked by the National Coal Board.

Some of the fatalities at this mine;

• 20/02/1879, David Bowen, Age: 43: Hitcher: Killed by a stone falling down the shaft.
• 8/09/1925, John Mahoney, Age: 37: Siding man: Placed empty wagon under the chute and was taken away loaded when empties were bumped and fatally trapped and crushed him.
• 10/12/1925, Philip Jones, Age: 40: Repairer: Opening out a heading when a stone fell and killed him.
• 16/12/1925, G.J. Jones, Age: 47: Traffic manager: Found lying at the side of the road after a journey of trams had passed him.
• 22/04/1927, William Griffiths, Age: 51: Repairer: Repairing on headway and was preparing to blast roof down and had removed some supports when a large stone detached from the edge and struck him.
• 19/05/1927, E.J. Davies, Age: 20: Collier: Working a slip in the side of the level when a piece of stone fell – back injured. Died 9th

 Some statistics:

• 1922: Manpower: 98.
• 1923: Manpower: 262.
• 1924: Manpower: 446.
• 1925: Manpower: 395.
• 1926: Manpower: 530.
• 1927: Manpower: 323.
• 1928: Manpower: 393.
• 1930: Manpower: 428.
• 1931: Manpower: 480.
• 1933: Manpower: 458.
• 1934: Manpower: 428.

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