Ferndale No 9 Pit, Tylorstown

Ferndale, Rhondda Fach Valley (ST 0023 9690)

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David Davis encouraged by his successes over the mountain in the Cynon Valley at Blaengwawr and Abercwmboi, in 1857 leased the mineral rights for 500 acres in the then virgin Rhondda Fach Valley at Blaenllechau. By 1919 this had grown to seven square miles of mineral take. His intention was to work the No.3 Rhondda seam, but all his attempts to exploit this seam failed and he abandoned it, and almost the Rhondda Fach Valley.

His sons had more faith in the area and urged Davis to sink deeper to the unproven steam coal seams which were being worked successfully a few miles away in the Cynon Valley. The sinking of the Ferndale No.1 pit started in 1859 and continued until the Four-Feet seam was struck at a depth of 278 yards in June 1862. It was later deepened to 400 yards. The venture had a cautious start and in 1864 only 11,138 tons of coal was produced. In 1866 Davis’ sons, Lewis and David were brought into partnership and the company David Davis and Sons Limited was formed. Shortly after this, in May 1866 David Davis senior died.

This company was a member of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association.

The highly ambitious brothers then entered a period of tremendous growth; output reached 239,000 tons of coal in 1870, and in that year the Ferndale No.2 Pit was sunk, followed by the No.4 Pit in 1874, the Upper Fan Pit in 1875, the Middle Fan Pit in 1879 the Lower Fan Pit in 1884. Ferndale No.5 Pit was sunk in 1889, Boedringallt was purchased in 1890 and re-named No.3 Pit (at the end of its useful life with this company it was purchased by the Cory Brothers and resumed its original name), The No.8 (Tylorstown) Pit was bought and deepened in 1892. This pit was originally sunk by Thomas Wayne in 1858 and was also called Pontygwaith or Cynllwynddu.

The Nos. 6 & 7 Pits were originally called Pendyrys and were sunk in 1873 by Alfred Tylor, they were also known as Tylors pit. Purchased in 1894 and became known as Tylorstown Nos. 6 & 7. The last of the series, the Tylorstown No.9 Pit was sunk in 1907.

In 1878 the manager of the No.1 Pit was J. Meredith of the No.2 Pit was W. Thomas, with the No.4 Pit being managed by W. Rosser. In 1896 the manager of the No.1 Pit and No.5 was D.W. Thomas, of No.2, 4 and 8 was David Hannah, of No.3 was David Davies, of the No.6 and 7 was John W Evans. In 1908 the manager of the No.1 was Thomas John, No.1 was Thomas John, No.2/S was D.W. Thomas, No.3 was J. Jones, No.4 was Gwilym Jones, No.6 was Thomas Holder, No.7 was Stephen Davies, and Nos. 8/9 was William Griffiths. Lewis Davis died in 1888 and control of the company devolved to his son Frederick Lewis Davis, two years later David Davis and Sons Limited was converted to a Limited Liability Company. In 1898 the pits had a siding capacity for 124 full wagons, 152 empty wagons, and 127 other wagons.

Electrification of the collieries was carried out by the Company in 1908 with an electric winder being installed in the new No.9 Pit, the steam ventilation fans being replaced by electric ones, and all aspects of colliery machinery; haulages, pumping and surface plant changing to electric motors. To provide electricity the Company constructed its own power plant by the Nos. 8 & 9 Pits. By 1914 the Company employed 5,654 men with an annual output of 1,750,000 tons of coal.

In 1915 the Business Statistics Company published a book called the South Wales Coal and Iron Companies which reported that this company:

was formed in 1890 to purchase the Ferndale and Bodringallt Collieries, and in 1894 acquired the Tylorstown Collieries. The properties are known as the Ferndale and comprise nine winding pits, all situated in the Rhondda Valleys.The Company, has acquired the entire Share Capital of the Welsh Navigation Steam Coal Co, Ltd (the Proprietors of the Coedely Collieries) for the sum of £314,850 and nine tenths of the share capital of John Lancaster and Co, Ltd, a company owning collieries in Monmouthshire. The annual output of the Welsh Navigation Steam Coal Co, Ltd is about 400,000 tons, and of John Lancaster and Co, Ltd about 1,300,000 tons.

 The book continued to state that the company had assets of £1,110,918 and had made a profit of £2,291,427 between 1889 and 1914. The board of directors at that time were; Frederick Lewis Davis, Chairman, David Hannah, Jules Vasse, Thomas Vivian-Rees, Harry Leonard Warner and John Bell White.

In 1916 the company was sold to Lord Rhondda’s Cambrian Trust Limited, and at that time was producing 1,900,000 tons of coal annually. In 1913 the manager of the No.1 Pit was Thomas John, of the Nos. 2, 3 & 5 Pits was D.W. Thomas. The manager of the No.4 Pit was Gwilym James, the No.6 Pit was managed by Thomas Holder, the No.7 Pit by Stephen Davies, and the Nos. 8 & 9 Pits were managed by W.M. Griffiths. In 1916/19 the managers were; No.1, T. John, No.2, D. Thomas, No.3, J. Jones, No.4, G. James, No.6, W. Emerson, No.7, J. Lewis, No.8, W. Griffiths, No.9, J. Jones. No.5 was managed by D. Thomas in 1916 and by T. John in 1919. In 1923 the managers were; No.1, W. Jones. No.2, G.W. James, No.5, Stephen Davies. No.7, James Lewis, No.8, William Pirie,No.9, F. Hannah.

In 1927 the managers were; No.1, G.W. James, No.2, F.C. Beale, No.5, G. James, No.6, John James, No.7, James Lewis, No.8, William Pirie, No.9, F. Hannah. In 1930 the managers were; No.1/5, G.W. James, No.2, F.C. Beale, Nos. 6/7, J.S. Lewis, No.8, William Pirie, No.9, F. Hannah. Closure was threatened in 1921 when the owners posted notices stating that unless productivity increased the collieries would shut down.

The Cambrian Combine was absorbed into the Welsh Associated CollieriesLimited in 1927, which in turn merged with Powell Duffryn in 1935 to form Powell Duffryn Associated Collieries Limited. At that time the Ferndale Pits employed 4,115 men and produced one million tons of coal from the Two-Feet-Nine, Four-Feet, Six-Feet, No.1 Bute, No.2 Bute, Yard, Two-Feet-Eight and Five-Feet seams.

The managers in 1935 were; No.1 Pit, F.C. Beale. The Nos. 2 & 5 Pits was A.S. Rose. The Nos. 6 & 7 Pits was J.S. Lewis. No.8 Pit, G. Jenkins. No.9 Pit, F. Hannah and in 1938; No.1 and 5 was A.L. Green, No 8 and 9 was F.E. Hannah. The Nos. 6 and 7 were temporarily closed at that time. Powell Duffryn closed most of the pits as production units in the 1930s and by Nationalisation in 1947 only the Nos. 1, 5 and 9 Pits were still in production.

In 1944 water infusion to suppress airborne dust was tested in the No.5 Pit’s, Yard seam “A” Conveyor. This coalface was a double unit, 260 yards long and manned by forty colliers. The seam was 42 inches thick and produced 250 tons of coal per shift. The infusion test reduced dust levels by approximately 77%.

At nationalization in 1947 the collieries were placed in the National Coal Board’s, South Western Division’s, No.4 (Rhondda) Area’s, No.1 Group. At that time the No.1 Pit was working the Yard and Two-Feet-Eight seams, the No.5 Pit was working the Yard and Two-Feet-Nine seams and the No.9 Pit was working the Two-Feet-Eight, Yard and Gellideg seams with the manager being T.G. Jones.

The Nos. 6 & 7 Pits were on a maintenance basis with the manager being R. Phillips. These collieries had their own coal preparation plant, with a road transport depot and a coalface prop repair workshop. The manager in 1949 was T.G. Jones. In the period between 1948 and closure, a National Union of Mineworkers survey showed that 38% of the men working at these pits had some degree of pneumoconiosis.

In 1954 the Nos. 1 & 5 Pits were working the Two-Feet-Eight and Six-Feet seams, and the No.9 Pit the Yard, Five-Feet, Two-Feet-Eight and Nine-Feet seams. The manager was now G. Burrows.

In 1954/55 the Nos. 1 & 5 Pits were one of 42 collieries that concerned both the NUM and the NCB over the high levels of accidents. Typical of the individual fatalities throughout the Coalfield was that of D.M. Smith who was a cutter man in the V District of the Five-Feet seam in the No.9 Pit and died under a fall of roof on the 28th of December 1955.

In 1955 out of a total of 583 men employed at the Nos. 1 & 5 Pits, 238 of them worked at the coalfaces, this figure rose to 368 men at the coalfaces in 1956, 247 men at the coalfaces in 1957 and 222 men on the coalfaces in 1958. The Nos. 1 & 5 Pits were closed in 1959, and the No.9 Pit in October 1960.

Generally, the coal from these collieries was classed as types 201 B and 202, Dry Steam Coal usually non-caking and low volatile. Ash content was around 5% to 9 while the sulphur content was between 0.6% to 1 .5%. These coals were used for steam raising on ships, locomotives, power stations, central heating etc.

  • Ferndale No.1 Pit: Opened in 1862 and closed in 1959. It was 15 feet in diameter and 40 yards from the No.5 Pit.
  • Ferndale No.2 Pit: Opened in 1870 and closed in 1935. It was 40 yards from the No.4 Pit and 1,465 yards north of No.1 Pit.
  • Ferndale No.3 Pit: Sunk in 1864, bought by D. Davis in 1890. It was 14 feet in diameter.
  • Ferndale No.4 Pit: Sunk in 1876 and closed in 1935.
  • Ferndale No.5 Pit: Sunk in 1889 and closed on the 29th of August 1959. It was also 14 feet in diameter.
  • Ferndale No.6 Pit: Sunk in 1873, to D. Davis in 1894, closed in 1935.
  • Ferndale No.7 Pit: as No.6 Pit.
  • Ferndale No.8 Pit: Sunk in 1858, to D. Davis in 1892, closed 1935.
  • Ferndale No.9 Pit: Sunk in 1907 and closed in 1960.

On the 8th of April 1913, a roof fall in the No.8 Pit buried five men under 150 tons of stone.  Two were killed instantly and two died of their injuries later.  They were; Lewis Davies aged 29 years, James Davies aged 32, Llewellyn Thomas aged 32 and John Evans aged 27 years.

Besides the multiple disasters, many, many miners died through individual accidents.  Using 1903 as a typical year; on the 15th of January in the No.5 Pit, Walter Evans aged 31 years and a collier died under a roof fall.

  • On the 16th of January in the No.5 Pit, Hebert Brown aged 20 years and a rider was killed by trams.
  • On the 21st of January in the No.7 Pit, William Rees aged 31 years and a hitcher was run over by trams and killed.
  • On the 5th of February in the No.2 Pit, David Evans aged 18 years and a collier died under a roof fall.
  • On the 23rd of March in the No.5 Pit, William John aged 44 years and a repairer died in an explosion.
  • On the 3rd of April in the No.1 Pit, W.T. Powell aged 27 years and a fireman was run over and killed by trams.
  • On the 13th of July in the No.8 Pit, Robert Jones aged 20 years and a labourer died ina haulage accident.
  • On the 19th of September in the No.5 Pit, John Dowdeswell aged 30 years and a rider was run over and killed by trams.
  • On the 22nd of December in the No.8 Pit, George Parker aged 28 years and a ripper was killed under a roof fall.

 

Some of the others that died in the Ferndale and Tylorstown pits:

  • 08/12/1866: Thomas DEVON, Age: 35, Sinker: Fell down the shaft while walling it.
  • 8/08/1867: Charles CROWLEY, Age: 23, Labourer: Ferndale: Killed by trucks.
  • 21/05/1868: D. DAVIES, Age: 38, Collier: Killed by fall of roof.
  • 15/12/1871: John DAVIES, Age: 19, Haulier: Killed by trams on self-acting incline.
  • 15/01/1872: P. WILLIAMS, Age: 29, Collier: Killed by trams.
  • 27/03/1874: E. EDWARDS, Age: 33, Collier: Killed by fall of stone.
  • 12/11/1874: S. THOMAS, Collier: Ferndale: Killed by fall of coal.
  • 29/11/1875: D. MOSES, Labourer: Killed by falling from pit bank on to railway.
  • 23/05/1876: J. LEWIS. Labourer: Killed by an explosion of gas in a sinking shaft.
  • 23/05/1876: A. JENKINS. Labourer: Killed by an explosion of gas in a sinking shaft. 2 killed.
  • 24/06/1876: John WHITTINGHAM, Age: 14, Collier: Killed by fall of coal.
  • 28/09/1876: William ISAAC, Age: 52, Collier: Killed by trams.
  • 26/03/1877: Henry HOPE, Age: 14, Haulier: Killed by a kick from a horse.
  • 23/05/1877, Frederick STONE, Age: 20, Haulier: Killed by trams.
  • 27/02/1878: Joseph THOMAS, Age: 27, Collier: Killed by fall of roof.
  • 20/03/1878: David JONES, Age: 18, Collier: Ferndale No.4: Killed by falling out of cage.
  • 6/07/1878: PRICE David, Age: 24, Collier: Ferndale No.4. Killed by fall.
  • 18/07/1878: James WEBBER, Age: 25, Collier: Ferndale No.1: Killed by fall of roof.
  • 31/01/1879: David HARDING, Age: 54, Labourer: Ferndale No.1: Killed by fall of top coal.
  • 9/08/1879: David JONES, Age: 62, Labourer: Ferndale No.4: Killed by fall of roof.
  • 27/08/1879: Lewis JONES, Age: 35, Haulier: Ferndale No.2: Fell under two trams.
  • 19/12/1879: Daniel DAVIES, Age: 44, Repairer: Tylors: Killed by fall of roof.
  • 3/03/1880: William PRICE, Age: 60, Collier: Ferndale No.2. Fall of coal.
  • 09/08/1880, Joseph HUGHES, Age: 16, Haulier: Ferndale No.4: Falling in front of a horse and trams.
  • 23/08/1880: John JONES, Age: 37, Collier: Ferndale No.2. Killed by fall of stone.
  • 16/11/1880: Henry WILLIAMS, Age: 34, Collier: Ferndale No.2. Fall of roof.
  • 7/12/1880: Isaac ARTHUR, Age: 30, Hitcher: Ferndale No.2: Killed by a piece of coal falling down shaft.
  • 27/01/1881: David WILLIAMS, Age: 55, Roadman: Ferndale No.2. Roof fall.
  • 10/02/1881: Thomas THOMAS, Age: 35, Collier: Ferndale No.2. Killed by a lump of coal falling down the shaft.
  • 31/10/1881: Henry HOLLAND, Age: 26, Hitcher: Ferndale No.1: Crushed by cage.
  • 9/01/1882: Henry LEWIS, Age: 32, Day fireman: Ferndale No.1: Stuck by a journey.
  • 28/04/1882: William PRICE, Age: 28, Collier: Ferndale No.1. Fall of roof.
  • 22/05/1882: George SMITH, Age: 16, Collier: Ferndale No.2: Fall of roof.
  • 6/06/1882: David THOMAS, Age: 50, Collier: Ferndale No.1: Fall of roof.
  • 9/09/1882: David OWEN, Age: 21, Haulier: Ferndale No.1: Crushed when riding on a tram.
  • 6/10/1882, Richard HOPKINS, Age: 61, Labourer: Ferndale No.2: Crushed by a tram.
  • 8/12/1882: William GEORGE, Age: 29, Waste man: Ferndale No.1: Fall of roof.
  • 20/02/1883: Benjamin WATKINS, Age: 26, Brakeman: No.1. Crushed by railway waggons.
  • 13/06/1883, John MORGAN, Age: 35, Collier Colliery: Ferndale No.2: Fall of roof.
  • 5/07/1883, David LEWIS, Age: 25, Labourer: Ferndale No.1. Fall of roof.
  • 8/07/1883, William JONES, Age: 12, Door boy: Ferndale No.1. Fell down shaft.
  • 15/10/1883, J. COOPER, Age: 40, Labourer: Fell down shaft.
  • 27/10/1883: D. EVANS, Age: 22, Rider: Tylors. Fell under trams.
  • 01/11/1883, H. FRANCIS, Age: 34, Repairer: Fall of roof.
  • 15/12/1883: J.M. CORICAN, Age: 26, Labourer: Fall of coal.
  • 04/05/1884, John LEWIS, Age: 15, Collier: Ferndale No.4: Fell under tram.
  • 23/09/1884: Robert WILLIAMS, Age: 62, Labourer: Ferndale No.4: Crushed by tram.
  • 19/11/1884: Evan WATKINS, Age: 21, Collier. Crushed by tram.
  • 02/12/1884, William PHILLIPS, Age: 28, Hitcher: Ferndale. Fell under trams.
  • 16/01/1885 William ROBBINS, Age: 16, Collier: Fell into machinery.
  • 21/03/1885, David JONES, Age: 27, Collier Colliery: Ferndale No.2: Fall of coal.
  • 23/10/1885: Denis SULLIVAN, Age: 64, Labourer: Ferndale No.4: Fell off truck on surface.
  • 7/11/1885: Vaughan DAVIES, Age: 66, Labourer: Ferndale No.4. Crushed by tram.
  • 25/12/1885: Thomas JONES, Age: 36, Collier: No.4. Fall of stone.
  • 16/02/1886: William LLEWLLYN, Age: 34, Collier: Ferndale No.5: Fall of clod and stone.
  • 26/05/1886, Evan MAINWARING, Age: 50, Collier: Ferndale No.2: Killed by a fall of stone.
  • 20/08/1886: William SAMSON, Age: 33, Collier: Ferndale No.4: Fall of roof.
  • 14/12/1886: Henry HILLIER, Age: 18, Collier: Ferndale No.2: Strained himself lifting a lump of coal at the face he worked four turns afterwards and was then confined to bed and died from the effects.
  • 24/01/1887, David JONES, Age: 46, Collier: No.4 Ferndale: Fall of roof.
  • 18/02/1887, John FRANCIS, Age: 20, Haulier: No.4 Ferndale: A large fall of roof 2 killed.
  • 2/04/1887: Lewis LEYSHON, Age: 38, Collier boy: No.1 Ferndale: fall of coal.
  • 5/05/1887: Thomas WILLIAMS, Age: 60, Labourer: Ferndale No.2: Fall of stone from roof.
  • 9/07/1887: Robert MORRIS, Age: 32, Hitcher: No.1 Ferndale: Struck on head by something (probably a stone) falling down the shaft while he was in the act of crossing the bottom and the cages running in the shaft.
  • 1/11/1887: William THOMAS, Age: 29, Haulier: No.1 Ferndale The horse which he was driving kicked him.
  • 13/03/1888: Gwillym THOMAS, Age: 13, Collier boy: Ferndale No.1. Fall of coal.
  • 3/08/1887, Thomas STEVENS, Age: 28, Banksman: No.1 Ferndale, fell down the pit.
  • 14/10/1887: Thomas JONES, Age: 40, Collier: No.2 Ferndale: Fall of coal.
  • 7/01/1888, John DAVIES, Age: 18, Haulier: Ferndale No.1 run over trams. 2 killed.
  • 7/01/1888: Robert COLLARD, Age: 28, Haulier: Ferndale No.1: run over by trams.
  • 14/01/1888: John WALL, Age: 51, Coal trimmer: Ferndale No.5. Crushed by wagons.
  • 20/08/1888, David ROGERS, Age: 42, Collier: Ferndale No.5: Roof fall.
  • 4/10/1888: John DALEY, Age: 45, Night hitcher: Ferndale No.4: Crushed by carriage descending upon him.
  • 19/10/1888, John DAVIES, Age: 53, Block layer: Ferndale No.1: Fall of roof (strong rock)
  • 20/03/1889, Henry BARROW, Age: 18, Labourer, Ferndale No.1. Fell out of cage while ascending along with others.
  • 8/05/1889: Thomas DAVIES, Age: 45, Mechanic: Ferndale No.2: Run over by full wagons.
  • 11/05/1889: James WEBBER, Age: 17, Labourer, Ferndale No.1. Roof Fall.
  • 14/05/1889, David WALTERS, Age: 62, Collier: Ferndale No.4 Fall of roof.
  • 07/03/1890: Rees Jones DAVIES, Age: 16, Collier boy: Ferndale No.5: Fall of roof.
  • 22/03/1890: Evan EVANS, Age: 35, Collier: Ferndale No.3: Fall of roof.
  • 15/08/1890: John MORGAN, Age: 54, Collier, roof fall.
  • 7/01/1891: Alfred SUMMERS, Age: 25, Brakeman: Ferndale No.1: Crushed by wagons.
  • 1/05/1891: Edward HEMMINGS, Age: 20, Haulier: Ferndale No.5: Crushed between empty tram and side.
  • 13/06/1891: John ROBERTS, Age: 40, Repairer: Ferndale No.1: Fall of coal.
  • 26/06/1891, John HUGHES, Age: 26, Repairer: Ferndale No.4. Found under trams.
  • 11/09/1891, William WILLIAMS, Age: 25, Haulier: Ferndale No.4. Fall of roof.
  • 11/09/1891: David MOSES, Age: 69, Roadman: Ferndale No.1. Run over by tram.
  • 29/10/1891: Evan MORRIS, Age: 29, Labourer: Ferndale No.1: Fall of roof.
  • 29/10/1891: William LLEWELLYN, Age: 26, Collier: Ferndale No.1. Fall of roof.
  • 11/11/1891, James WILTSHIRE, Age: 21: Waggon shifter: Ferndale No.2. Run over by wagons.
  • 2/12/1891, John PATES, Age: 38, Asst. timber man: Ferndale No.2: Fall of roof.
  • 14/01/1892, James THOMAS, Age: 39, Pitman: Ferndale No.2: Fell off cage.
  • 30/01/1892, William WILLIAMS, Age: 46, Collier: Ferndale No.4: Fall of side.
  • 25/02/1892: Benjamin BOWEN, Age: 27, Haulage man: Ferndale No.3: Fell out of cage.
  • 24/04/1892, Phillip LEWIS, Age: 13, Door boy: Ferndale No.5. Found fatally injured between two trams.
  • 30/04/1892. Owen WILLIAMS, Age: 71, Labourer: Ferndale No.3: Run over by trams.
  • 23/05/1892, Samuel HARRIS, Age: 22, Collier: Ferndale No.2. Fall of roof at face.
  • 19/08/1892, David JONES, Age: 28, Collier: Ferndale No.3: Fall of roof.
  • 15/12/1892, Thomas STEPHENS, Age: 20, Collier: Ferndale No.4. Fall of roof.
  • 26/01/1893, Donald FLAHERTY, Age: 69, Labourer: Ferndale No.4: run over by wagons.
  • 8/04/1893: Thomas DAVIES, Age: 18, Repairer: Ferndale No.3, was crushed by cage.
  • 23/06/1893: James PRITCHARD, Age: 58, Labourer: Ferndale No.1: Fall of roof.
  • 10/10/1893: Gwynne THOMAS, Age: 53, Collier: Ferndale No.4: Fall of roof.
  • 23/11/1893: William JONES, Age: 21, Engine driver: Ferndale No.3. Fell off front of journey and was run over.
  • 14/12/1893, Rowland REES, Age: 41, Labourer: Ferndale No.3: crushed against the byatt.
  • 25/01/1894: Henry SHELL, Age: 24, Asst. hitcher: Ferndale No.3: While crossing the shaft bottom from one side of the shaft to the other when the descending cage came down on them.
  • 12/02/1894: Edward WILKINSON, Age: 14, Collier boy: Ferndale No.7: Fall of roof.
  • 19/04/1894: David DAVIES, Age: 50, Overman: Ferndale No.6 Fell from lodge room.
  • 17/05/1894: John THOMAS, Age: 30, Collier: Ferndale No.1. Fall of side.
  • 21/05/1894, David EVANS, Age: 50, Collier: Ferndale No.1. Fall of side.
  • 6/10/1894, Alfred LLOYD, Age: 35, Hitcher: Ferndale No.7: Crushed by cage.
  • 18/12/1894: Enoch John, Age: 41, Hitcher: Ferndale No.2. While crossing the shaft bottom when cages were in motion the cage descended on him and crushed him.
  • 23/03/1895: Charles CROCKETT, Age: 38, Incline man: Ferndale No.3: crushed by wagons.
  • 21/05/1895: David POWELL, Age: 26, Collier: Ferndale No.1: crushed by trams.
  • 24/05/1895, John NICHOLES, Age: 26, Collier: Ferndale No.5: Fall of roof.
  • 27/07/1895: Thomas REES, Age: 32, Collier: Ferndale No.1: Fall of clod.
  • 30/07/1895: David JAMES, Age: 50, Banksman: Ferndale No.7: Struck by landing plate on top of shaft, the cage having caught it owing to jerking caused by the full tram having fallen out just before cage arrived at surface.
  • 13/09/1895: David LEWIS, Age: 16, Collier boy: Ferndale No.3 Run over by trams.
  • 18/10/1895, William THORNE, Age: 18, Brakeman: Ferndale No.8: Crushed by a wagon.
  • 27/03/1897: Rees PRICE, Age: 29, Hitcher: Ferndale No.4: Struck by a lump of coal falling down the shaft.
  • 28/04/1897: John JONES, Age: 50, Collier: Ferndale No.7: Fall of side at face of coal.
  • 17/05/1897, William LLEWELLYN, Age: 25, Haulier: Ferndale No.5: Found dead under the loaded tram.
  • 20/06/1897, Michael BARRY, Age: 30, Asst. repairer: Ferndale No.8: Fall of roof.
  • 2/07/1897: William BENYON, Age: 29, Haulier: Ferndale No.7: Fell under full tram.
  • 21/07/1897: William QUARTERLY, Age: 18, Haulier: Ferndale No.5: Run over by tram.
  • 15/10/1897: John JONES, Age: 62, Ripper: Ferndale No.1: Fall of roof on road.
  • 16/09/1898 Robert HUGHES Age: 27, Collier: Ferndale No.7: Run over by journey.
  • 16/09/1898: John GRIFFITHS, Age: 40, Shackler: Ferndale No.4: run over by passing tram.
  • 22/09/1898, Morgan GRIFFITHS, Age: 24, Haulier: Ferndale No.5: Fall of roof.
  • 2/11/1898: David THOMAS, Age: 39, Repairer: Ferndale No.2 Fall of side.
  • 21/11/1898: D.R. REYNOLDS, Age: 19, Rider: Ferndale No.8: Struck by runaway trams.
  • 25/05/1899: Thomas PRICE, Age: 39, Hitcher: Ferndale No.3: Crushed against cage.
  • 17/11/1899, Howell BENYON, Age: 21, Collier: Ferndale No.2: Fall of side at face.
  • 10/02/1910: Evan DAVIES, Age: 46, Collier: Ferndale No.7: Fall of side.
  • 9/05/1910, Samuel JONES, Age: 24, Haulier: Fall of roof.
  • 20/06/1910: Thomas FORD, Age: 19, Rider . Crushed by trams.
  • 31/08/1910, Ivor JENKINS, Age: 23, Rider: Ferndale No.9: Knocked down by trams.
  • 22/09/1910, Robert LEWIS, Age: 58, Door keeper and lamp lighter. Crushed by trams.
  • 20/10/1910, B.G. JONES, Age: 60, Labourer: Ferndale No.5 Fall of roof on stall road.
  • 29/10/1912, William HICKS, Age: 40, Repairer: Ferndale No.7: Crushed by trams.
  • 19/11/1910, William LOCKE, Age: 25, Carpenter: Ferndale No.5: fell down shaft.
  • 6/04/1911, John HARRIS, Age: 67, Airway man: Ferndale No.4: crushed by trams.
  • 10/08/1911, Albert JONES, Age: 22, Collier: Ferndale No.8: Fall of roof.
  • 25/11/1911, G.H. EVANS, Age: 24, Collier: Ferndale No.5: Fall of roof.
  • 20/04/1912, William GARDENER, Age: 45, Day haulier: Ferndale No.2: Fall of roof.
  • 11/09/1912: James CARTER, Age: 62,: Lamp station man: Ferndale No.8, run over by trams.
  • 1/01/1912, Joseph CLEARY, Age: 46, Haulier. Ferndale No.8: He was run over by a tram.
  • 4/12/1912, Thomas JONES, Age: 43, Hitcher: Ferndale No.5: Crushed by the cage.
  • 28/01/1913: William FENNELL, Age: 28, Night haulier: Ferndale No.7: Fall of roof.
  • 8/04/1913: James DAVIES, Age: 32, Collier: Ferndale No.8: Fall of roof.
  • 8/04/1913, Lewis DAVIES, Age: 29, Collier: Ferndale No.8: Fall of roof.
  • 8/04/1913, John EVANS, Age: 27,Asst. repairer: Ferndale No.8: Fall of roof.
  • 19/04/1913, Fred COLLINS, Age: 21, Night labourer: He was crushed between a horse and the side of the road.
  • 28/05/1913, James HUNT, Age: 25, Collier: Ferndale No.2: Fall of roof.
  • 06/06/1913: Robert EDWARDS, Age: 47, Repairer. Dropped dead in pit – no accident.
  • 7/02/1914: Robert BEVAN, Age: 20, Haulier: Ferndale No.8. Run over by trams.
  • 21/03/1914: William FEAR, Age: 20, Shackler: Ferndale No.2, crushed between trams.
  • 26/05/1914: Benjamin DANIEL, Age: 55, Night labourer: Ferndale No.7, crushed by a tram.
  • 29/05/1914, Thomas LIVINGSTONE, Age: 21, Day haulier: Ferndale No.1: Fall of roof.
  • 07/07/1914, David JONES, Age: 30, Repairer: Ferndale No.2: Fall of side.
  • 16/07/1914, Arthur JONES, Age: 34, Collier: Ferndale No.2: Fall of roof.
  • 12/09/1914, Thomas ARTHUR, Age: 40, night rider: Ferndale No.7: Crushed by trams.
  • 2/10/1914: Trevor DAVIES, Age: 17, Collier boy: Ferndale No.8: Crushed by trams.
  • 16/10/1914, Charles LEACH, Age: 26, Collier: Ferndale No.5: Fall of roof.
  • 12/12/1914, William GLOVER, Age: 21, Collier: Ferndale No.4. Roof fall.
  • 24/02/1925: David ROBERTS, Age: 56, Ripper: Ferndale No.1: Fall of rippings.
  • 4/11/1925: John POKE, Age: 56, Haulier: Ferndale No.5: Kicked by horse.
  • 14/12/1925: Rees REYNOLDS, Age: 42, Haulier, run over by trams.
  • 13/02/1934: William BAILEY, Age: 32, Collier: Fall of roof.

 

Manpower

Date No.1 No.2 No.3 No.4 No.5 No.6 No.7 No.8 No.9
1867 350
1870 596
1896 939 674 930 792 853 242 872 615
1899 808 733 789 590 799 336 835 660
1900 880 647 775 629 851 390 889 171
1901 880 482 810 622 868 411 856 759
1902 878 510 768 600 863 518 844 780
1903 925 455 562 642 840 509 874 784
1905 1023 369 595 580 1006 560 874 886 83
1907 1025 500 607 503 1033 454 948 1060 95
1909 999 532 1904 1098 560 1033 1112 207
1910 1035 965 631 187 1074 564 1054 1104 471
1911 1048 1013 635 177 1075 575 1059 1032 40
1912 1135 1022 590 137 1136 611 1132 1155 767
1913 1128 975 607 115 1089 595 1070 1144 650
1915 1082 787 481 1145 617 1024 1098 788
1916 1889 393 353 429 995 528 1012 1044 741
1919 784 933 236 775 558 1000 1100 790
1920 784 933 236 775 558 1000 1100 790
1923 1099 993 1032 1123 1218 805
1924 1168 918 121 1028 568 1098 1258 770
1925 1168 918 121 1028 568 1098 1258 774
1926 900 500 1028 568 800 1100 774
1927 341 419 770 553 540 780 682
1928 341 419 770 553 540 780 682
1929 493 440 870 553 540 980 760
1930 1333 465 645 555 1029 702
1931 1191 513 1239 531 777
1933 506 707 480 449 552 582
1934 547 13 761 534 461 566 727
1935 582 522 610 541 582 633 650
1936 623 684 684
1937 233 615 38 1066
1938 248 696 775
1940 805
1941 797 (see 1) 703 (see 8)
1942 963 (see 1) 797 (see 8)
1943 253 364
1944 997 (see 1) 724 (see 8)
1947 316 620 716
1948 913 749
1950 996 801
1953 685
1954 586 724
1955 586 715
1956 568 670
1957 556 678
1958 500

 

Output of coal:

  • 1864: 11,138 tons.
  • 1870: 234,000 tons.
  • 1889: No.1: 284,029 tons, No.2: 149,321 tons, No.3: 231,764 tons, No.4: 199,683 tons, No.5: 209,001 tons.
  • 1894: No.1: 257,097 tons, No.2: 270,797 tons, No.3: 241,435 tons, No.4: 96,817 tons, No.5: 271,560 tons, No.7: 282,075 tons, No.8: 104,000 tons.
  • 1914: 1,750,000 tons.
  • 1916: 1,900,000 tons.
  • 1923: 1,250,000 tons.
  • 1935: 1,000,000 tons.
  • 1948: 425,000 tons.
  • 1954: No.5: 146,001 tons. No.9: 205,553 tons.
  • 1955: No.5: 150,530 tons. No.9: 144,078 tons.
  • 1956: No.5: 126,394 tons. No.9: 149,819 tons.
  • 1957: No.5: 128,564 tons. No.9: 164,097 tons.
  • 1958: No.5: 124,682 tons. No.9: 150,387 tons.

 

This information has been provided by Ray Lawrence, from books he has written, which contain much more information, including many photographs, maps and plans. Please contact him at welshminingbooks@gmail.com for availability.

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