Cynon Colliery

Cymmer, AfanValley (Level 818845/Pit 824953)

In 1894/6 it was owned by David Rees and Company of Port Talbot and employed 30 men underground and 4 men on the surface of the mine. The manager was David Rees. This mine was also worked by the Cynon Colliery Company Limited which employed 303 men in 1907 and 500 men in 1920/2 with Thomas Redshaw as the manager. The pit was 20 feet in diameter and sunk to the No.2 Rhondda seam which it struck at a depth of 200 yards.

CynonvilleGardenVillage was constructed to attract labour for the colliery in 1910, but the start of WWI prevented the completion of the scheme after only two streets were built.

In 1915 the South Wales Coal and Iron Companies book published by the Business Statistics Company stated that the Cynon Colliery Company’s board of directors consisted of, James Railton, Chairman, D.A. Thomas, W.G. Morris, T.P. Rose Richards, P.H. Thomas, L.W. Llewellyn and J. Percy Jacob, managing director. It had assets of £121,340 and had made profits totalling £38,974 between 1907 and 1914. This company was merged into the Imperial Navigation Coal Company Limited in March 1920 for “purposes of management” This company was placed into liquidation in 1935. It was then based at Aberdare House, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff with the directors being; Sir David R Llewellyn, W.M. Llewellyn, H.H. Merrett, Sir John F Beale, T.J. Callaghan and J.H. Jolly. This was it’s only mine. This company was a member of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association. It worked the Field Vein for house and manufacturing coal and employed 373 men underground and 44 men on the surface in 1908 when it was managed by J. Beamand. In 1909 the Cynon employed 417 men and the Cynon No.1 employed 100 men, both were managed by J. Beamand.

Cynon employed 500 men in 1910, 500 men in 1913/16, when it was managed by Samuel Rees, and 460 men underground and 60 men on the surface in 1918. On the 13th of March 1914, 500 men returned to work at this colliery following an eleven month long strike – they lost £30,000 in wages and accepted similar terms to the ones originally offered. In 1920 it employed 500 men with the manager being Thomas Redshaw, but by 1923 it was on a maintenance and pumping basis with only 7 men working there.

The Cynon Level was working in 1938 and employed 17 men underground working the Wernpistyll Rider/No.2 Rhondda and 5 men on the surface in 1943/5 when it was owned and managed by J. Evans. It employed 31 men in 1947 when it closed. The manager at that time was W. Rees.

It was worked as a small mine under license from the National Coal Board in the 1950s and 1960s by the Cynon Colliery Company.

Just some of those that died at this mine;

• 28/03/1896, Richard Davies, Age: 46: Collier: Fall at the mouth of top hole, 19ft x 4ft x 10ins. thick, No prop.
• 5/07/1910, David Evans Age: 27: Haulier: Crushed by tram through the horse being unable to hold it on a down ride, owing to drag chain not having been attached.
• 6/07/1911, John David, Age: 24: Haulier: Fall of the roof.
• 21/08/1911, John Stone, Age: 45: Collier: Fall of the roof at the working face. Died 30th Aug. 1911.
• 28/09/1911, Thomas W Williams, Age: 21: Haulier: Owing to the breakage of a coupling five trams ran down a gradient of one in four and crushed Williams standing on the double parting.
• 8/01/1913, Homer Morgan, Age: 27: Collier: He was found suffocated by natural gas.
• 15/12/1914, Benjamin Evans, Age: 37: Collier: Fall of the roof.

Some statistics:

• 1896: Manpower: 34.
• 1899: Manpower: 71.
• 1900: Manpower: 96.
• 1901: Manpower: 74.
• 1902: Manpower: 143.
• 1903: Manpower: 209.
• 1905: Manpower: 285.
• 1907: Manpower: 303.
• 1908: Manpower: 417.
• 1909: Manpower: 517.
• 1910: Manpower: 500.
• 1911: Manpower: 595.
• 1912: Manpower: 605.
• 1914: Manpower: 500.
• 1918: Manpower: 520.
• 1920: Manpower: 500.
• 1922: Manpower: 500.
• 1923/4: Manpower: 7 pumping.
• 1943: Manpower: 22.
• 1947; Manpower: 31.
• 1950: Manpower: 50.

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