I am looking for lists of men who worked in Penallta Colliery up until 1925. Are there such lists? Anyone?

Hi !
Finding the complete list shouldnt be too difficult, as in 1925 quite detailed records were kept, which then should have been archived, and hopefully will be somewhere safe. Accessing them / Finding where they are, may take a little leg work.

Its unlikely to find the list online (I may be wrong), but some good places to look are with the Coal Authority (Google Coal Authority) which is responsible for all documents relating to coal mining. Usually they will have Abandonment maps, certificates and so on, all of which have been computerised.

http://www.cmhrc.co.uk  which has a record of major incidents and fatalities underground. The Accident Reports make for enthralling reading.

Good Luck!

All the Best

Matty

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Thanks Matty!

I will look at the link you suggested and also contact the coal authority. My family and I plan to visit Penallta colliery next summer. Do you know if anyone can give a guided tour?

Helena

Hi Helena,

You're most welcome!

Sadly, as far as Im aware, Penallta is an abandoned site. I Believe the surface features are still in place, which can be viewed at a distance, however, the structures may be quite unstable and it would be safest to keep slightly away from them. (This is my Health and Safety Head on, wont mention it again!)

Some great information reference the colliery can be found at:

http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/GlamEast/Penallta.htm 

http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/bigpit/  )

The mining museum has a very great deal of artifacts and information, and even has a working head, where you travel underground, and with your guide view the working levels of the mine in complete safety.

If you have younger people with you, who perhaps dont want to go down the shaft, then there is also an above ground recreation of the workings. It is 100% worth a visit, and will really help you get a feel of what is underground at Penallta.

There are many ex miners around who are willing to share information, you may even find someone who worked at Penallta if you visit Big Pit!

All the Best

Matty

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Hey,

The great pit looks excellent. We will certainly visit it! Thanks for the tip. Ok we will not enter Penallta but look at it from a distance. Saftey first.

Have a good night!

Helena

As good as this Forum is,there are more Ex Miners on the Welshcoalmines Forum,

Place a question there under the Collieries section,there are ex Penallta Miners on the Forum.

Regarding a list of Employee`s before 1925,i doubt very much that there is anything around,several people over the years have asked the same question,but there`s no harm in asking.

The best way has to be a search of the Census, through a site like Ancestry.com, then look at the events of that colliery for the period to build a picture of what the ancestor may have been doing.

Records of Pay may have been held in the mines archives for that colliery, especially seeming it diddnt close that long ago. Such things may be held in a miners hall, local library, town hall, or even in someones front room. All depends what happened as the place came up to closure.

I understand the closure of Penallta was a bit of a shock to the staff... but that could be said for all mines and collieries of the time, The ammount of people who liberated such items to prevent them from being used as infill for the shafts was not uncommon I should imagine!

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My great Grandfather Archibald Smart was a timberman in this mine in 1906/7 he came from Devon with his family. Some of his sons probably worked there when they were older. Also my grandfather James Stanley Williams otherwise known as Doble worked there from the age of 14 years old. This would probably have been 1915 and he worked there until his middle thirties when he had to retire from the pit due to coal dust. He then worked as a gardener.

I had a look round Penalta the other week, the site is wide open i suggest to take a look sooner rather than later as it is in rather a sorry state. That said the local council have had the foresight to preserve some of the buidings, the old engineering works have been converted into apartments.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/b3tarev3/sets/72157626976177240/