Welsh Coal Mining disaster 1894

[steve_b_wales]

I was just reading about this. The colliery was approx' five miles from my home town.

The Albion Colliery in Cilfynydd, Pontypridd (Mid Glamorgan) was at the time, 23 June 1894, the site of the greatest mining disaster in Welsh history (and it remains the second highest after Senghenydd in 1913). A firedamp explosion ripped through the mine causing the death of 290 men and boys and 123 horses. Eleven bodies remain unidentified. Sinking of the mine had only started in 1884 and the pit was in operation from 1887 until it closed in 1966. 

[Miserableolgit]

Tragic. One of many.

[Vince Green]

12 hours ago, Miserableolgit said:

Tragic. One of many.

Very many back in those days. The only difference with these ones was the scale of the disaster made them memorable.  In South Wales men died literally every day in accidents.

There was no compensation for the families so the loss of the breadwinner had dire consequences for the whole family.

[Miserableolgit]

5 hours ago, Vince Green said:

Very many back in those days. The only difference with these ones was the scale of the disaster made them memorable.  In South Wales men died literally every day in accidents.

There was no compensation for the families so the loss of the breadwinner had dire consequences for the whole family.

Indeed. My grandfather [d. 1967] was Welsh worked down the mines. According to mum he was apparently involved in a collapse. He lived to tell the tale and marched up to London during the 1920's unrest but never made it home settling in Hertfordshire instead.

[steve_b_wales]

On 24/06/2024 at 11:33, Vince Green said:

Very many back in those days. The only difference with these ones was the scale of the disaster made them memorable.  In South Wales men died literally every day in accidents.

There was no compensation for the families so the loss of the breadwinner had dire consequences for the whole family.

Very true Vince.

[Aled]

Yep very true, my Tadcu had to leave school at 14 to support his family due to the death of his Father, he however got lucky and through Coleg Harlech scholarship and my Mamgu's support (she was a teacher and they put off getting married until he graduated, she paid the rest of his Uni fees) he got a degree from Aberystwyth University. 

Edited June 27 by Aled

[ant1]

hi steve have listen to the price of coal by david alexander on you tube.

[Vince Green]

On 24/06/2024 at 16:47, Miserableolgit said:

Indeed. My grandfather [d. 1967] was Welsh worked down the mines. According to mum he was apparently involved in a collapse. He lived to tell the tale and marched up to London during the 1920's unrest but never made it home settling in Hertfordshire instead.

In the 20s and 30s a huge amount of house building was taking place in the London suburbs. There was an influx of Welsh and Geordie ex miners who came to do the labouring. It was better than going down the mines and they were real grafters  Digging foundations and drains must have seemed like a breeze to them.

As a throw back to those days there is still a Welsh language church in Harrow Middx