Morgan Griffiths Collier of Llanwonno

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arianydd
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

10 years ago

Greetings to all and apologies for a slightly genealogical twist.

My wife's Gt Grandmother, Mary Griffiths, was born somewhere in Llanwyno/Llanwonno about 1845, father given as Morgan Griffiths, collier, noted as deceased on her 1868 marriage certificate. I had thought it possible that he was among the considerable number of dead in the July 1856 Cymmer Colliery Disaster but although I have now scanned a roll of the dead and his name does not appear, the inquest makes reference to a 'Morgan Griffiths Heading, Stalls and Dip' within the mine. Can anyone tell me the significance of his name being featured in this way - was he perhaps being commemorated because he was killed in an earlier disaster at the mine? Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Regards,

Arianydd

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Graigfawr
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

In the nineteenth century it was common practice in south Wales collieries for areas of workings to be named after overmen and similar officials who were in charge of those areas. It can be very difficult to identify which man of a particular name an area of workings were named after when the names are commonplace combinations of forenames and surnames as one can often find multiple candidates in the Censuses. I have not encountered posthumous commemoration of colliers killed in accidents by naming areas of workings after them.

Ty Gwyn
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

Fairly sure i read the Cymmer Colliery explosion inquest report on the Welshcoalmines website,and like many other`s ,Stall`s and Heading`s etc were named on the reports by the names of the men that worked them,in conjunction to the source of the explosion also the direction of ventilation for identification purposes on the location of bodies found in the aftermath of an explosion.

Buckhill
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

Common in Cumberland too to name headings after the "company" - usually a family group - who worked them, and still so as recently as the 1970s with the company name more familiar to most than the official "No. xx Heading" etc. These named working places were referred to in inquest and inquiry reports here too.

paul-neath
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

There was a Morgan Griffiths killed in the Ferndale explosion of 1867. He was 44 years of age and died alongside his son also Morgan aged 15. This accident happened on the 8th November 1867. He was from the Pontypridd area.
There was also a Morgan Griffiths from Pontypridd killed on the 27th June 1867 at Craig Cwm colliery. He was a collier aged 27. Giving his age it cant be him but the first one is a possibility.
As others have mentioned mens names were given to headings and stalls that they worked and never ever as memorials.
Hope this helps.