Various newspapers reported that Daniel Rees was 14 years old. Daniel's headstone, however, gives his age as only 13. He was an orphan who resided at Prospect Place, Cwmamman, with Thomas Williams and his wife, at the time of his death.
Prospect Place was a terrace on the A474, Cwmamman Road, Garnant. It started next to New Bethel Independent Chapel and extended past what is now the Workmans hall.
The 1881 census lists the following people living at the Williams household at Prospect Place:
It would be fair to assume that Daniel Griffith, listed above, is almost certainly Daniel Rees, given that the year of birth would be the same. Daniel Griffith' occupation is listed as "Scholar."
In 1884, Daniel was a boy who was assigned to work with a miner, as was the general practice at the time for boys of his age.
Daniel is buried at Hen Bethel cemetery with Thomas and Mary Williams. Thomas Williams died less than four and a half months after Daniel. The inscription on Daniel's headstone reads as follows:
ER COF AM
DANIEL,
MAB THOMAS WILLIAMS,
UN O'R DEG A CYFARFYDDASANT A'U DIWEDD
TRWY DORIAD RHAFF PWLL Y GARNANT.
BOREU Y 16 O ION. 1884
YN 13 OED.
HEFYD Y THOMAS WILLIAMS
AR ENWYD UCHOD AR FU FARW MAI, 27
1884, YN 54 OED.
HEFYD MARY GWRAIG YR UCHOD
THOMAS WILLIAMS
A FU FARW RHAG. 9, 1894, YN 66 OED
Daniel's Headstone at Hen Bethel
Hen Bethel, February 2006
According to an article in the "Western Mail", the funerals of the men were carried out over the course of the weekend, starting on the first Friday after the accident.
Census Doc Refs: