Abercarn Colliery

Organised coal mining operations began at Abercarn in 1836 by the Monmouthshire Iron and Coal Company (also known as the Victoria Company as their Ironworks at Ebbw Vale). They intended to sink six coal pits in the Abercarn district, but only two were completed; No. 1 and No. 6 or Cwmcarn pit (not to be confused with the Cwmcarn colliery) No.6 was a shallow pit at 63 yards to the Rock vein seam. The coal being taken by tramroad to the Monmouthshire canal at a point near Pontywaun Bridge

During the early 1840's the Abercarn colliery was taken over by Messrs. Allfrey of Newport, but later in the decade it was in the hands of the Abercarn and Gwithen Company. The chairman of this company was Sir Benjamin Hall M. P., after whom the famous Big Ben (the bell that chimes the clock at Westminster) was named. He was also the husband of Lady Llanover, a great promoter and lover of the Welsh language, a most unusual virtue for a member of the English aristocracy. Although in her later life her religious beliefs led her to purchase many of the public houses in the area, which she then converted to Temperance establishments.

At these collieries a social scheme was set up, which was financed by a small compulsory deduction from wages. This fund provided excellent amenities and welfare facilities including, schools, reading rooms, sickness benefit, and more attention was paid to the workmen's housing. This resulted in improved labour relations, with a more contented and an educated workforce and at no cost to the employer.

The Ebbw Vale Co Ltd. took over the colliery in 1862 and they added another shaft (No 2 pit) to the rich Blackvein seam.

On February 8th 1867, in a twelve-hour day the colliers raised 1,369 tons of coal, after which the men were cheered on their way home and later treated with "home brewed" at the drill hall.

A new shaft was sunk in 1877 some distance away at Cwmcarn to help with ventilation. This shaft was later to become part of the Cwmcarn colliery.

On the morning of September the 11th, 1878, there were 325 men and boys working underground when a massive explosion ripped through the workings, 268 of them perished in the worst colliery disaster recorded in Gwent.

Because of the ensuing raging underground fires and with the fear of further explosions, the two rescue teams, one of who had descended the Cwmcarn shaft were ordered back to the surface. The colliery manager along with government mines inspectors made the unenviable decision to flood the mine with waters from the nearby Monmouthshire Canal. It took two months and 35 million gallons of water before the engineers were satisfied that the fires had been extinguished. The water then had to be pumped out before the grim task of removing the bodies could begin. Not all the bodies were recovered many were left entombed. One skeleton was uncovered some 27 years later complete with working clothes and boots.

A first class gold Albert Medal was presented to John Harris for saving lives in this disaster. He went down the pit with a rescue team but having descended to a depth of 295 yards, the cage became stuck in the damaged shaft. Harris bravely climbed out of the cage and slid down one of the guide-ropes, remaining at the bottom for many hours until he knew that all those still alive had been rescued. Two gold and seven bronze medals were awarded for bravery after this explosion, which was considered to be Gwent's worst.

Another explosion at the neighbouring Risca colliery in 1880, killing 120 men brought the total number killed by gas explosions alone between the Prince of Wales and the Risca collieries to 591.

In 1894 the United National Collieries took over Abercarn, by which time the nearby Quarry Pit, which worked the Elled Seam was included. At this time there were 1,079 employed at Abercarn producing from the Blackvein and the Five Feet seam and 239 at the Quarry Pit, shortly afterwards the Quarry Pit was listed as suspended.

By 1908 Quarry pit was in the hands of the Elled Coal Co. a subsidary of the Ebbw Vale Company and at this time there were 24 men employed. While at the Prince of Wales the workforce numbered 1,154.

From a report 1923, Abercarn and the Quarry pits employed a total of 1,384 men, producing from the Black Vein, Rock Vein, No. 8 and Five Feet seams.

Partridge, Jones and John Paton became the owners in 1936, by which time production was on a very small scale employing only 35 men. Later it was maintained as a pumping and ventilation pit for Cwmcarn Colliery and the pithead offices were used as the administration centre by the N.C.B. for the South Wales No. 6 area.

"Abercarne, Wednesday night. Nine o'clock.......It was about five minutes to twelve when the inhabitants of the valley were startled by the reverberation of three distinct explosions, which were heard for a long distance off......A dense volume of smoke issued from the mouth of the shaft, and fierce flames were clearly distinguishable......In a remarkably short space of time the roads leading to the pit were crowded with men, women, and children - wives, mothers, brothers and sisters who were hastening forward to ascertain what had really happened......Searching parties were without delay then formed......These gentlemen entered the cage, and were carefully let down to the bottom. But what a picture was presented to their gaze!......Dead bodies lay in heaps on the roadways, dark. shapeless, charred masses, which a short time ago were moving about, animate with life. Here and there could be clearly seen the terrible results of the explosion. The brattices, of course, had been blown to pieces; overturned trams were strewed about, and by the faint light of the safety lamps could be seen, inter-mingled with the dead human bodies, those of the horses, who, along with the colliers, had met a fearful death......The first exploring party remained down a long time, and I am happy to say that in the interval a portion of the miners were enabled to make their escape. Eighty-two of the poor fellows were crowded together at the bottom of the shaft struggling with each other to get up first. Some of them severely burned, and the fearful look which hung about their faces as they were drawn up the shaft to the open air again will perhaps never be forgotten by those who were ready and willing to help them as they left the cage......But the rejoicing on the part of some of those on the bank proved to be short-lived, for, alas, several of the 82 colliers, though brought up from the fiery tomb had received a shock to the system, and the after-damp had so effectively done its work, that shortly after death released them from their sufferings......It will thus be seen that 373 men entered the pit in the morning; 23 afterwards left work, and after the explosion seven bodies were found, while 82 colliers were rescued. The number left in the pit, upon this calculation, is therefore, 262, and no hope whatever is entertained that they are alive. The disaster is, perhaps, the most terrible one that has happened in South Wales and Monmouthshire"

A view of Abercarn showing the Gwyddon colliery and the Tin works in the left background.

In may of the collieries of South Wales , the truck system is prevalent, and the general social position of the colliers is anything but creditable to the proprietors; but the Abercarn colliery, belonging to Sir Benjamin Hall, is interesting, as showing how much good can be effected by a proprietor who studies the comfort of those under his employ. This colliery is one of the numerous group which send their mineral treasures to Newport for shipment. The Abercarn and Gwythin collieries, which form pretty nearly one concern, are placed under the management of a gentleman who travelled into various parts of Europe and America, with a view of introducing all available colliery improvements which might suggest themselves to his mind. The collieries comprise pits of two kinds of coal; the bituminous coal for household purposes and for gas-making, and the strong, durable, anthracite coal for steam engines. Wherever machinery can be employed in the works, it is so; and the operations are conducted with a degree of quite and of cleanliness not usual in collieries. This use of machinery, so far from being injurious to the workmen, is part of a system which contributes to their comfort, as well as to the general perfection of the works. All the colliers' houses belong to the proprietor of the works. They are thoroughly drained and sewered (a most rare quality in South Wales), and are built with an attention to domestic comfort far above the usual level of colliers' cottages. There is a public bake-house, with fuel and attendants provided free of charge; public baths and washhouses, also free of charge, a scientific institution and reading-room, to which a very small quarterly payment admits the colliers and their families; and national schools, English and Welsh, sufficient to educate the children of the colliers. The men have a well-managed sick society, under their control. There is no approach to the truck system; and all wages are paid on Fridays, that the weekly purchases of the collier's family may be made on Saturday instead of Sunday morning.

The Bituminous coal mentioned above was produced from the No.6 or Cwmcarn pit at 63 yards deep. Abercarn No.1 pit at 310 yards was the source of the "Anthracite" coal.

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Davies, Henry	Collier, Abercarn Colliery	1st Class
Harris, John	Mason, Abercarn Colliery	1st Class
Harris, Lewis	Collier, Abercarn Colliery	2nd Class
Herbert, Thomas	Pumpman, Abercarn Colliery	2nd Class
Morgan, Charles	Collier, Abercarn Colliery	2nd Class
Moseley, Miles	Overman, Abercarn Colliery	2nd Class
Preen, Charles	Collier, Abercarn Colliery	2nd Class
Simons, William	Pumpman, Abercarn Colliery	2nd Class
Walters, William	Collier, Abercarn Colliery	2nd Class