 |
|
|
Britannic Colliery, Evanstown, Gilfach Goch, c1920.
|
|
Llewellyn Pit, c.1933
Evan Evans, a self-made businessman of humble beginnings,
acquired the mineral rights of a considerable area of land at
Gilfach Goch in the early 1860's.
He opened several levels in the area including the Six Bells at Cwm
Dyfolog. Many of the workforce moved to the district from Merthyr
Tydfil and the little community, which was formed they named
Evanstown.
He sunk the Dinas Main Colliery to the No.3 Rhondda seam in 1868, which was the first pit in Gilfach Goch and it became well known for its quality of coal and coke.
Evan Evans died in 1886 and the running of the Company (Dinas Main Coal co.) passed to his son Christmas.
The Dinas Main Coal Co. sunk two deep shafts between 1894 and 1896 to the Steam coal measures, which became known as the Dinas Main (Britannic).
From the Inspector of Mines List 1898, there were 397 men employed producing Steam Coal at the Britannic and 286 at the Dinas Main House Coal pit.
In 1907 an explosion occurred at the Dinas Main House Coal
Colliery, when 7 men were killed, other men escaped injury by
clambering up an old horse-way.
They were;
Richard Evans Rider 33 Watkin Evans Ripper 39 William David - 40 John Jenkins Roadman, 65 David J. Miles Labourer 23 Nicholas White Ripper 45 William White Ripper 24
This pit never reopened after this accident.
Dinas Main level was opened around 1907 to work the house coal seams.
By 1908 the Britannic was owned by the Britannic Merthyr Colliery Co. Ltd. and it then employed 692 men at the Britannic and 22 at the level.
Later another two shafts (Trane and Llewellyn) were sunk to the steam coal measures.
In 1918 the workforce numbered 722 at the Britannic, 129 at Dinas Main (level) and 277 at the Trane and Llewellyn pits.
From a list 1923, there were 1,052 men employed at the
Britannic, producing from the Five Feet and Upper Yard seams.
Dinas Main employed 266, working house coal from the Rhondda
No2.
Trane and Llewellyn pits had a workforce numbering 894, producing
from the Gorllwyn and Pentre seams.
Later it came under the Powell Duffryn Associated Collieries Ltd.
Llewellyn Pit ceased production around 1936.
In 1938 and 1945 there were 663/522 men working at the Britannic pit and 504/330 at the Trane, respectively.
Britannic Colliery closed in 1960.
The photograph below depicts the demolition of the headgear,
1960.
A point of interest, notice the public house in the background?
Well that was the Six Bells, featured in the film " How Green was
my Valley", when it became "The Three Bells"
|
Footnote.
Evan Evans could speak no English and it is said that on one occasion he was called as a witness at a court and had to use an interpreter. The Judge in charge of the case commented his astonishment that a man in his position hadn't acquired the English language, to which Evans replied "Tell him not more astonishing than he, a Magistrate in a Welsh town, does not know the language of its people".