RootsChat.Com
Wales (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Wales => Breconshire => Topic started by: Old Mother Reilly on Monday 01 September 08 11:29 BST (UK)
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Could any knowledgable Rootschatter tell me where, in their opinion, a coal miner living in Brynmawr about 1880-1920 would have worked? Any ideas as to likely pits?
I don't know how far miners in this area would have travelled to work at this time. If they were allowed to travel on the local tram/railways my guess is a miner might work quite a way from his village - does anyone know if miners travelled in this way?
Another query I have is where a miner would be entered on the census if he happened to be working the night shift - would he have been entered as resident at his lodgings/house or did the pit turn in a list of those working that night?
Also does anyone know if any searchable workforce records exist for mines in this area?
Any facts would be useful as my knowledge of this area is tourist-level only.
Thanks!
Rachel
Rachel
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The main coal deposits in South Wales lie to the South of the Crickhowell area but there are coal levels which just come into this corner of Breconshire. It is known that coal was dug from the hillsides around Llanelly since at least 1600 if not earlier.
By the early years of Queen Victoria's reign there were three collieries in production in the area.
The collieries at Gellifelen and Llwyn-y-pwll employed about a hundred men at this time. There was also another colliery North of Brynmawr called Ellwoods which was managed by a Scotsman.
These local collieries produced coal for the local ironworks and also transported coal to Brecon by canal barge. When the local iron smelting finished this was a problem but the building of the railway down the Clydach valley meant that these local collieries could send their coal further afield.
Quite a lot of history here.
http://www.thomasgenweb.com/brynmawr_history.html
Also a Brynmawr forum for Genealogy.
http://www.spuripedia.co.uk/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=3
Cas
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Thanks for that, Cas (stallc) - I'm off to have a look at those links (I did search but these sites didn't come up - must work on my g===ling technique!)
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Just try 'Brynmawr history', in your search engine, there is a lot more out there if your interested. List of collieries in 1880 Britain. Includes the area you need.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cmhrc/list80.htm
Best wishes
Cas :)
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You could also try www.welshcoalmines.co.uk
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Thank you, Ozlady - I have been getting acquainted with that site recently!
I have now found maps aqnd documents showing Blaenavon as the being at the edge of the coalfield and it seems that, at the time in question, someone living in Brynmawr/Blaenavon would almost certainly have worked at "Big Pit" at some time - now the mining museum. I have asked and they told me they have no surviving employment records for the 1890s-1900s :( . But never mind, I have the consolation of having narrowed down the field and also of having (albeit in ignorance!) taken the gt-gt-grandson of the miner in question down that very pit! Can't do that for the Wigan miners on my side of the family as their pits are all blocked up long since.
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He might have worked at the Big Pit or one of the others in the Bleanavon area, however there were many small local pits in and around Brynmawr. Llwyn y pwll and Wainavon Slope employed many local men as well as the Griffin mines in Baina