Gilfach Goch, Ogmore Valley

A mineral survey carried out around 1866 estimated that this mine had a total thickness of 40 feet of workable coal in seams of two feet and over. This mine consisted of the No.1 Drift, No.1 Level and Pit that were listed in 1878 as being owned by the Glamorgan Coal Company and managed by R. Williams. It was worked for both coal and fireclay.

On the 30th of October 1892, 300 men went out on strike when their claim for an extra penny for filling only clean coal was refused. The owners immediately issued notices to quit for those strikers who lived in company houses.

On the 12th of June 1894, William Davies, aged only 13 years, and a collier’s boy, died under a roof fall, while on the 21st of August 1894, Edward Scammel, aged 22 years, and a collier, also died under a roof fall.

In 1896 it employed 224 men underground and 63 men at the surface of the mine and was managed by Gomer Evans, in 1900 it employed 16 men and in 1907 it employed 137 men. In 1908/9 they employed 25 men underground and 21 men on the surface with the manager being R. Edwards, in 1911 it employed 75 men when the manager was Sam Price. In 1913 it employed 120 men. In 1916 it employed 120 men and was managed by T. Tanner. In 1918 they employed 144 men underground and 30 men on the surface. It employed 120 men in 1920. It was still listed in 1921, but not in 1932.

Fireclay was the soil which the forests that became the coal seams grew in, and these have been preserved below the coal seams in many areas and in some cases were thick enough to be worked economically. This fireclay was useful as a refractory material, used for lining furnaces, and also had domestic uses.

Some statistics:

  • 1889: Output: 94,951 tons.
  • 1894: Output: 31,000 tons.
  • 1896: Manpower: 287.
  • 1899: Manpower: 237.
  • 1900: Manpower: 348.
  • 1901: Manpower: 363.
  • 1903: Manpower: 212.
  • 1905: Manpower: 10.
  • 1907: Manpower: 137.
  • 1908: Manpower: 46.
  • 1909: Manpower: 46.
  • 1910: Manpower: 90.
  • 1911: Manpower: 75.
  • 1912: Manpower: 132.
  • 1913: Manpower: 120.
  • 1913: Manpower: 120.
  • 1918: Manpower: 174.
  • 1920: Manpower: 120.

 

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

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