These images are scans from superb photographs taken by PAUL
FARRANT. Paul moved down to Wales sometime in 1980 from Enfield,
London. He had a keen interest in Wales having a firm grasp of its
language and history. In particular, Paul was fascinated by the former
industrial way of life in Wales, especially the coal and steel
industries. These interests inspired Paul to take these photographs of
Six Bells and Marine Collieries for posterity shortly before their
closure and demolition in 1988.
Sadly, Paul passed away on 1st January
2004. The photographs have been kindly passed onto Abertillery Online
for display by his friend, Lyndon Evans and the Six Bells and Marine
Colliery pages are dedicated to the memory of Paul Farrant.
For a full history of Six Bells
Colliery, go to the excellent
Welsh Coal Mines site.
Two shafts were sunk in 1892 by John
Lancaster & Co near the earlier Hafod Fan pit. Four men, William Mathews, Thomas Day, John Lamb, and William Lusty were killed during sinking in February 1895, when the bowk
in which they were riding capsized and they fell to the shaft bottom.
Coal was first raised 1898 with nearly
3000 men were employed in the colliery by the beginning of World War I.
However the colliery remained inactive in the 1930s due to a lack of
trade.
Partridge Jones & John Paton took over
the running of it in 1936 until nationalisation in 1947, at which
pointjust over
1,500 men were employed. Vivian Colliery just up the valley was shut in
1958 and for some years the Vivian shaft was used as a downcast for
Six Bells.
A gas and coal dust explosion occurred
at 10.45am on 28th June 1960 killing 45 out of the 48 men who were
working in
W District of the Old Coal Seam.
The tragedy would have been worse but for the fact that
maintenance work was being carried out on the O.10 face where normally
125 men would have been employed.
The
official enquiry (source:
http://www.pitwork.net/sixbells.htm)
concluded
that:
"The disaster was caused by an ignition of firedamp approximately
10:45am near the face of the intake airway/loader-gate of O.10 conveyor
face in W District of the Old Coal Seam.
Coal-dust was raised and ignited and the explosion spread almost
throughout the district.
The initially ignition of firedamp was believed to have been by an
incendive spark caused by the impact of quartzitic stone falling from
the roadway roof near the face of the ripping lips onto a steel canopy
used to protect the roadway conveyor during blasting operations.
Forty-five men were killed. Lethal concentrations of carbon monoxide gas
were present which suggested the men lost consciousness rapidly and
death occurred within minutes."
The
following men tragically lost their lives:
Ivor James Baiton, aged 48, cutterman.
Daniel James Bancroft, 46, collier on panzer.
Robert Charles Brown, 35, roof control officer.
Frank Cooper, 44, supplies man.
Joseph Corbett, 50, haulier.
Thomas George Crandon, 46, repairer.
Walter Thomas Davies, 34, borer.
Royden James Edwards, 27, repairer.
Percy Gordon Elsey, 52, repairer.
Albert John Evans, 34, packer.
Leonard Keith Frampton, 29, collier.
Albert Gardner, 59, assistant cutterman.
George Goldspink, 37, repairer.
Clive Alan Griffiths, 18, prop checker.
Vernon Alexander Griffiths, 33, deputy.
Earnest Victor Harding, 51, deputy.
Idris Jones, 57, packer.
John Percival Jones, 56, repairer.
Joseph John King, 56, packer.
Dennis Edmund Lane, 19, wireman.
George Henry Luffman, 55, general worker.
Telford Cecil Mapp, 42, general worker.
Herbert Amos Mayberry, 55, dumper. |
William John Morden, 52, engine driver.
Sidney Moore, 54, repairer.
Colin Malcolm Donald Morgan, 26, repairer.
Colin Reginald Morgan, 22, assistant repairer.
Ray Martin Morgan, 44, repairer.
Islwyn Morris, 44, deputy.
Anthony Verdun Partridge, 20, assistant borer.
William Henry Partridge, 45, borer.
Trevor Paul, 25, assistant repairer.
Wilfred Alfred Charles Phipps, 60, cutterman.
Albert George Pinkett 45, collier.
Frederick Rees, 37, fitter.
Mansel Reynolds, 21, measurer.
William Glyn Reynolds, 21, assistant repairer.
Wilfred Hughes Thomas, 57, repairer.
Arthur Waters, 37, general worker.
Phillip John Watkins 53, engine driver.
Wilfred Weston, 47, water infuser on panzer.
Frederick White, 58, under-manager.
William Burdon Whittingham, 55, assistant repairer.
Richard John Williams, 51, general worker.
John Woosnam, 24, fitter. |
For
further details on the Six Bells disaster go to:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/28/newsid_2520000/2520665.stm
During the 1970s coal mined at
Six Bells was brought to the surface via the Marine Colliery at Cwm in
the neighbouring Ebbw Fawr valley when
the two collieries were integrated. Six Bells colliery closed in 1988.
There are six pages in total, four of
Six Bells and two of Marine - click to access
Six
Bells page 1
Six
Bells page 2
Six
Bells page 3
Six
Bells page 4
Marine page 1
Marine page 2
Close up of the one of
the winding wheels
|
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