Some Captured History of Glanamman and GarnantGellyceidrim CollieryLooking at an Ordnance Survey Map from 1881, it is apparent that there were several pits sunk in the immediate area of what was to become the Gellyceidrim colliery. Information on these old coal workings is not readily available but we know that there was a colliery by the name of Gellyceidrim at Glanamman as far back as 1852, as the Cambrian newspaper reported that there had been an explosion there in its 9th April 1852 edition. There is a record from 1869 of "Gelly Ceidrim" colliery at Cwmamman, in the ownership of the Executors of the late Joseph Martin; an industrialist from Glyncollen Hall, Swansea who died in August of 1850. The 28th February 1873 edition of the Cambrian newspaper contained an advertisement for the sale of Farms, Minerals and Colliery at Brynbach and Pistill Llwyd in the Parish of Betws. The estate consisted of 100 acres of land, leased to the late Joseph Martin. The colliery closed sometime before 1880. The Gelliceidrim Colliery Company opened the Gellyceidrim (also spelt Gelliceidrim and Gelli-caedrum), Number 1 slant in 1891. The company, who had their offices at 14 Cambrian Place, Swansea, were members of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association. Gellyceidrim Colliery produced top quality anthracite coal and by 1896 there were 181 men employed at the colliery. When Gellyceidrim opened, the colliery used the sidings of the old Middle Amman Colliery (sited near to the Gellyceidrim), as the sidings from the previous Gelly Ceidrim workings had been removed. In 1900 they also took over the sidings of the Dynevor Colliery (sited near what is now Glanamman Garage). The sidings from both collieries were expanded. The "sidings" were where the coal was loaded onto the railway trucks. Later, the Gelliceidrim Colliery Company became a subsidiary of Cleeve's Western Valleys Anthracite Collieries Ltd; colliery and steamship owners and exporters. Cleeve's had offices at Swansea, London, Cardiff, Newcastle, Hull and Llanelly, with agents at Rouen and Paris. They produced a variety of different sized coal and advertised "Specially prepared anthracite for gas producer plants" and "Steamers Bunkered". . Mr E. R. Fisher became manager of Gellyceidrim Colliery in 1904. He was the son of Robert C. Fisher, an eminent mining engineer who died at Garnant railway station after carrying out an investigation into the disaster at Garnant Colliery in 1884. In 1908, there were 510 men working at Gellyceidrim Colliery; 433 underground and 77 above ground. The under-manager at that time was David Lewis. By 1913, the number of men who were employed at Gellyceidrim Colliery had grown to 583.
Gellyceidrim Colliery c.1910 On Monday the 24th of November 1913, twenty two employees at the colliery were taken to court by the Gellyceidrim Colliery Company for breach of contract when they caused a stoppage due to some form of dispute. At the commencement of the proceedings, which took place at Ammanford, the company's representative asked for the matter to remain in abeyance for a few minutes so that he and the workmen's representative could discuss it. After a long consultation in the magistrates room, Mr Kenshole, the colliery representative, informed the hearing that a settlement had been reached which was satisfactory to both parties and which would result in a similar difficulty being avoided in the future. The workmen's representative, Mr Clark Williams, told the court that during Mr. E. R. Fisher's period of management, the relationship between the men and the management had been exceedingly cordial and that he hoped that the settlement would be the means of preserving that amicable spirit between the two parties. The magistrate who chaired the hearing, Alderman W. N. Jones voiced his approval that in the interest of the Valley and the coalfield generally, an agreement had been reached. Due to a shortage of timber during the Great War, in 1916 the Gellyceidrim Colliery Company bought the trees which were growing on Tirbach Farm, Garnant. Pit props were essential to the continuation of coal production. Of the 513 men who worked at Gellyceidrim Colliery in 1918, 418 worked underground and 95 were employed above ground. At that time, E. R. Fisher was still manager and the under-manager was Jas. E. James. Before he died at the age of 79 in July of 1918, the oldest man working at Gellyceidrim Colliery at that time was William Morgan of Tirycoed Road, Glanamman. He was known locally as "William Morgan, Tyllwyd". The 17th of March, 1921 edition of the Amman Valley Chronicle reported
on the retirement party for Mr E. R. Fisher, M.E. (Mining Engineer)
and J.P. (Justice of the Peace), who had been manager of the Gellyceidrim
Colliery for 17 years. He had been involved in the coal industry for
34 years and was leaving to take up other duties within the same company.
The function which catered for 150 guests, was held at Glanamman's Plough
Hotel; an establishment run by Thomas Aubrey Hay and his wife. Thomas
Hay's father, John Hay, was once manager of Garnant Colliery and others
at Brynamman and Cwmllynfell. In 1923, Cleeve's Western Valleys Anthracite Collieries Ltd became part of Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries Limited. The address for the Gellyceidrim Collieries Company Ltd in 1923 was: Eagle Chambers, Adelaide Street, Swansea. The manager at that time was Cecil J. Davies and the under-manager was Idris Jones. The colliery worked the Big, Peacock, Brynlloi and Trigloin seams with 474 men working underground and 114 above ground. Saturday the 8th of December 1923, saw the colliery lose half a day's work through a shortage of trucks. It was the first time that work had stopped for this reason at the Gellyceidrim for ten years. In the House of Commons on Wednesday the 17th of December 1924, the Labour M.P. for Llanelly; Dr J. H. Williams, asked the Secretary for Mines; Colonel George Lane-Fox whether he was aware of the delay in bringing injured workmen to the surface at the Gellyceidrim Colliery and if he would contact the company so that the "utmost facilities be provided" to get the injured men home. In a written reply, the Secretary for Mines stated that it was the first that he had heard of the matter and that it would be fully investigated. On the 8th of February 1926, work commenced on new drivages at Gellyceidrim. The contract was given to Mr Thomas David of Gurnos for drivages totalling 1,500 yards. It was expected that the work would take a couple of years to complete, with a view to enable more economical working of the colliery. Two steeplejacks were working at the Gellyceidrim Colliery stack in the first half of July 1926 and those who saw them were fascinated by the remarkable agility with which they moved about at such a height and the quick pace by which they ascended and descended their 110 feet (approx 37 metres) of ladders. July of 1926 saw two days when the colliery was idle due to a shortage of trucks. Other collieries were also affected. The loss of income for the workers was the unwelcome result. The autumn of 1926 saw the establishment of Ambulance Classes by officials at Gellyceidrim Colliery. These were held at Glanamman and Garnant County Schools during the winter months, under the instruction of Dr. Rhys of Glanamman. The classes at Glanamman had 71 members on its register in November 1926 and were open to anyone in the community who wished to participate. In 1927, a merger took place between Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries Ltd. and United Anthracite Collieries Ltd. The 27th April 1933 edition of the Amman Valley Chronicle reported that before it's closure in 1926, 750 men were employed at the Gellyceidrim Colliery; which had an output of 500 tons a day. The closure of the colliery was a serious blow to the community. February 1927 saw the restarting of work on the No. 2 slant, with the re-engagement of all of the workmen who were employed there before the stoppage. The No. 1 slant, however was abandoned, pending the new drivages reaching the lower measures. The new colliery was expected to reach the coal within a short period of time and it was expected that a large number of the now unemployed workforce from the No. 1 slant would be taken on at the No. 2 slant. Some had already started work at the No. 2 slant, with priority given to those with greatest seniority. This was a period of economic uncertainty in Cwmamman. The miners from the Raven Colliery were out on strike at that time, due to a dispute in the price list. There were many accidents
at Gellyceidrim and several deaths occurred as a result of accidents
at the mine. A dangerous incident also arose when the mine flooded
on Saturday the 23rd of November,1929, which could have claimed the
lives of around 350 men. A torrent of water from old workings broke
into the main slant 80 yards (metres) down and swept through the tunnels
with such force that clothes and footwear were torn from the men's bodies.
Thanks to the bravery of the rescue
team, on that occasion, every man escaped with his life intact. January of 1930 saw a dramatic incident at the colliery. Shot firing was taking place underground and after a thorough examination, the area was reported to be clear of gas. Unfortunately, a shot which was fired in a conveyor caused a flame to shoot out. The flame extended the length of the coal face; approximately 120 yards. Although no one was injured, all the men made a hurried escape to the surface. The Gellyceidrim Colliery was re-opened in 1933 by the Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries Ltd, who before dismantling the old colliery, drove two new headings to enable access to the coal in a short time with the minimum of expense. The cost of driving these two headings was reported as being £20,000. By 1934, 530 men were employed underground and 102 on the surface. The manager at this time was Mr T. J. Evans.
Gellyceidrim Colliery 1933, by Glen Jones. Dust from the Gellyceidrim Colliery was causing a nuisance in Cwmamman and having received a complaint from the local council, Sir Alfred Cope, director of the Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries Ltd, wrote to the Cwmamman District Council in 1933, informing them that £1,000 had already been spent to abate the problem. He stated that operations were still proceeding and that everything that could be done would be done. He agreed to meet a deputation the following week. On Sunday the 20th of January, 1935, a colliery official carrying out a safety inspection found that water was percolating through the roof of the Upper Ty-llwyd Vein. The men working in the lower parts of the mine were withdrawn. Following further inspections and a pithead meeting, the men decided to return home. Further meetings were held every day to keep the 320 workmen updated as to when they could return to work. The 6th of February, 1936 editon of the Amman Valley Chronicle reported
that the Gellyceidrim Colliery, owned by the Amalgamated Anthracite
Collieries Ltd and employing 350 men, was idle that week due to a slackness
in trade. The colliery remained idle for a month, until work restarted
on Monday the 30th of March. Alas, the resumption of work was under
threat from an industrial dispute, when all of the men who worked for
the Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries, tendered their resignations on
the basis of two weeks notice. There were several issues which the workmen
felt should be addressed, one of which was the minimum pay dispute at
the Gwaun-cae-gurwen Collieries. The dispute affected 20,000 workers
employed in the Welsh anthracite coalfield. On the 29th of February 1936, the Gellyceidrim Colliery Ambulance Teams took part in the inter-colliery ambulance qualifying competitions held at Llandybie Memorial Hall. The Gellyceidrim A and B Cadet Teams attained 1st place in the cadet competitions and the Gellyceidrim Novice Team came 1st in the novice competition. Several individuals also received prizes for special merit. All three teams went on to the final round, which was held at Ammanford Central School on the 25th of April 1936. The end of June 1936, saw another week with no work at the colliery. Fear that the colliery could be subjected to another inrush of water resulted in ten days stoppage of work as a precautionary measure in June of 1940. The men held a meeting on Sunday the 16th of June and decided unanimously that they would return to work. An inspection carried out the following day found that there was water in a nearby heading but the men were satisfied that it constituted no immediate danger. The Gellyceidrim Colliery was not listed as a working colliery in 1945, suggesting that it may have temporarily closed. The nationalisation of the coal industry saw the Gellyceidrim Colliery taken over by the National Coal Board on the 1st of January, 1947. At that time, there were 433 men employed at the colliery. The No. 1 slant had been closed and there were only 2 men employed at the old slant for the purpose of underground pumping operations. The No. 2 slant was working the Ty-llwyd seam and employed 92 men on the surface and 341 men underground. The Manager in 1947 was Mr E. Thomas. Dismantling of the colliery began in 1949 but this was suspended and Gellyceidrim Colliery reopened again later in the same year, having become mechanised. The number of men employed at the Gellyceidrim Colliery had dropped
to 229 by 1954 and these produced 29,617 tons of anthracite coal. A
year later, the output reached 30,811 tons from a workforce of 257 men,
112 of whom worked at the coal faces. In May 1957, the Amman Valley Chronicle reported on the persistent rumours that the Gellyceidrim Colliery was to close down. Discussions between the management and the workmen's representative were in progress. Following an enquiry from the Cwmamman Urban Council, a letter was received from Mr. G. A. Watson (General manager of the No. 9 Area of the NCB), stating that he could say nothing more at that stage. In May 1957, there were 130 workmen employed there after men had recently been transferred to another colliery. Some had gone to Butchers Colliery (Also known as the Mount Colliery, Ammanford), and others to Wernos Colliery (Also in Ammanford). The National Coal Board closed Gellyceidrim Colliery in November 1957, ending an era of substantial coal production in Cwmamman. In the early 1960's the stables were demolished and Glanamman Garage and petrol station were built on the site.
Gellyceidrim Colliery at Glanamman. A View from North Cwmamman. How the Gellyceidrim colliery worked.A composition written by Glenville Jones in 1933 (which he donated to the Amman Valley Historical Society), gives us an insight into the workings of the Gellyceidrim Colliery at that time. The colliery, he states, worked the Middle and Tyllwyd seams of anthracite coal. Glen Jones' composition then continues as follows: "At the entrance to the older No.1 Drift there is a winder, which also sends the full trams from both drifts downhill to the stockyard, now covered by a large corrugated iron roof. From here, on the flat, a haulier with one horse takes the trams across the main road to the screening plant. The crossing is controlled by a man with a red flag to hold up road traffic, whilst the horse pulls the trams across. The controller is usually a man who has been injured underground. At the moment it is a man who lost an arm." (It is believed that the controller at the time was Howard James from Brynlloi Road, Glanamman). "The later No. 2 Drift, 200 yards long, has a new electric winder on a two storey building at the roadside and has a small stockyard for the No. 1 winder to transfer to the lower stocking roads. Alongside the No. 1 Drift are the boilers which supply steam power to the old ventilating fan, which is still kept in working order, although replaced by a modern electric fan. Beside the boilers are the cooling tanks, which are very popular with local boys to use as swimming pools, although dangerous. Electricity is again supplied by Swansea Power. There is a twelve mile overhead bare copper wire over the Betws Mountain to the transformer situated at one end of the stables, where it is reduced to 3,300 volts for use at the ventilating fan. It is also used for pumping and haulage, but for safety reasons compressed air is used for face work where methane gas could be present. Both seams are worked by shaker conveyors driven by compressed air. A gate and loader has been in use in the colliery, the first in the Swansea area. Horses are still used to bring trams to the conveyors, which are moved to more convenient positions during the afternoon shift. Oil lamps are used by the miners. These are inspected and serviced in the Lamp Room, at the end of each shift, ready for collection the next time the miner goes on. Each man has a numbered token so that he gets his own lamp. This system also acts as a check to see whether a miner has turned up for work or whether he is still in the mine at the end of a shift. Miners are transported down to No. 2 Drift on a special train of trucks called the "spake". Down at the screens the system is similar to that of the Raven, and the dressed coal is sent by G.W.R." (Great Western Railway), "to exporting ports, mainly Swansea. Four hundred and twenty are employed, producing an average of 105,000 tons a year. The wasted shale is spread on tips, which now reach almost to Glanamman Square." Glenville Jones' source for this article was Mr. T. J. Evans, H.M.I.M. for Swansea District and former Manager of Gelliceidrim. Later, the coal was taken from the colliery in overhead buckets attached to a cable, where it was carried to the railway on the opposite side of the main road. Due to the harshness of a miners life and the danger involved, stories from the mining world are often bleak, retelling of industrial disputes and of accidents and death. The 18th May 1933 edition of the Amman Valley Chronicle contained a refreshingly happy story. A coal truck which was due to form part of a large consignment had been at the Gellyceidrim Colliery sidings for some time. When undergoing a final inspection before being sent on its way with the rest of the trucks, a birds nest containing six eggs was found amongst the coal. When the management of the colliery heard about the nest, they compassionately left instructions that the truck was not to be moved until the eggs were hatched and the birds were able to leave the nest. Other stories connected to Gellyceidrim Colliery also appeared in the Amman Valley Chronicle. November of 1926 saw the departure of Tom Davies, a former official at Gellyceidrim who emigrated to Pittsburg, U.S.A. He visited the colliery to bid farewell to his friends and to his brother Gwilym Davies, who was also an official there. He was to sail from Liverpool with his family to join relatives who held high banking positions. Tom Davies was also to take up a career in banking. "Shameless" was the heading of an article which appeared in the A. V. Chronicle on the 2nd of September 1926. It referred to the frequency of youths bathing "without any form of dress" in the locality. Even after previous scathing remarks in the newspaper, 5 youths had been seen bathing absolutely nude for 2 hours on a Sunday afternoon at the Gellyceidrim condensing pond. The words "imbeciles" and "heathens" were among those used in the articles' reproach. An article written by Richard Bell for the Amman Valley Historical Society in the 1980's relates his childhood memories of the Gellyceidrim coal tip. Richard remembered that the continual dumping from the Gellyceidrim caused the slag to build up and sometimes even spill into people's gardens and that there was a lot of dust. The tip was constantly burning internally and as a lad, he and his friends would dig a shallow nest into the slag where they could sit "warm as toast". He recalled that if they dug deeper, they could bury potatoes and return after several hours of play to eat them as they would be cooked from the heat of the tip. Sometimes he and his friends would take a corrugated iron sheet, bent at one end and slide down the tip "Cresta Run Style". Part of the tip at Glanamman was called the "Red Tip" because it was covered in red ash. Local people would pay the colliery for a bag or two of the red ashes to make a garden path. Another aspect of the Gellyceidrim was the hooter which would sound at the beginning and end of the day shift and be heard throughout Cwmamman. The following image from the 1940's shows colliers on the Spake which was a tram based vehicle used for transporting men to and from the coal face. Each carriage could carry eight men and each journey would consist of around eight carriages. The gentleman on the right of the photograph is Tom Llewelyn and Wyndham Gough is second from the left.
Among the men who were employed at the Gellyceidrim Colliery over the years were: "Ceidrim", real name Edwin Rees - a popular local bard and wit; Philip Roberts - grandfather of the famous comedian Ryan Davies and Arthur John Cale - father of John Cale, the famous musician from the Rock Band "Velvet Underground". Information on this page was taken from a number of sources, including the "Amman Valley Chronicle"; "South Wales Daily Post"; a composition written in 1933 by Glen Jones (which he donated to the Amman Valley Historical Society) and information from the Ammanford Miners Museum. Thanks also to Ian Llewelyn for the photo of the spake. An element of hearsay from local people has also been included. |
