Pwll Perkins Water Wheel, c.1907.
This is believed to be one of the oldest mines in the area. There was an advertisement in The Cambrian newspaper on 2nd October 1830, offering Garnant Colliery for letting. The lease included all the coal seams under Gorsygarnant and Cwmgarnant Farms. The advert continued by saying that the coal was of the best quality in the country and that the seams were from 3 to 6 feet (1 - 2m) thick. The lessee was a Mr Daniel Jones and the agents were Messrs Reynolds and Aubrey, the Strand, Swansea.
An advert offering the lease of the Red Lion Public House, appeared in the 29th October, 1845 edition of The Cambrian. It stated that the Red Lion was located within 500 yards (metres), of Garnant Colliery and in the "immediate neighbourhood" of Messrs James and Aubrey's and numerous other extensive works. The Red Lion, was situated on the roadside, adjacent to the bridge pictured above.
The water wheel was used to work the pumps which pumped water from the old pit. A water course is said to have run from Pwllywrach Pond in Gwaun Cae Gurwen, across the fields, under the main road and down the bank. The water then rejoined the River Garnant after turning the wheel. After being idle for many years, the wheel was finally dismantled by the Cawdor Colliery Company in the early 1900's.
The 11th January, 1934 edition of the Amman Valley Chronicle, reported on the Garnant Colliery Disaster to mark the 50th anniversary of the event. One of the things stated in the report, was that the pit had since been filled with rubbish from the Cawdor Colliery, though the old engine house still remained. Unfortunately, the report, like many other published articles over the years, incorrectly stated that the accident had occurred at the bottom of the Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen hill, when in fact the location of the accident was on the west side of the River Garnant. Maps from that period show the correct location of the working mine.
On the16th of April 1847, a man named William Thomas was killed and 23 others were injured when a gas explosion occurred at Garnant Colliery.
The Carmarthen Journal reported that on 21st October, 1856, the overman at Garnant Colliery; John Rees, left Cwmamman to emigrate to Pennsylvania. He sailed from Swansea to Liverpool, and then from there to Pittson Ferry, Pennsylvania, taking his wife and children with him. The article reported that he was very respected by both employer and workmen. A few day's before he left, John Rees was presented with a watch which was supplied by Mr Edmund Parry, Clock and Watch maker, Rhosmaen Street, Llandeilo. The watch was valued at £10 (equating to approximately £475 in 2007 terms). The inscription of the watch was as follows:
"Presented by R. Perkins and Sons,
to John Rees, for
faithful services as overman at Garnant Colliery, 1856."
The colliery was known locally as Pwll Perkins after the Perkins family who once owned it. Their company name was Perkins and Sons. These were the registered owners in 1869.
The Carmarthen Journal reported that Garnant Colliery had been idle for years but that work had restarted in 1874. It should be noted, however, that the area being worked in 1874 was on the opposite side of the river to the original pit and water wheel. Garnant Colliery, at this period, consisted of two pits; the east pit, where the disaster occurred, was an upcast pit. In close proximity, to the west, was the downcast pit. Garnant Colliery worked the "Big" and "Peacock" veins.
A Private Siding Agreement (P.S.A.) was made between Garnant Colliery Company and the Llanelly Railway and Dock Company on 4th June 1875.
On November 20th, 1879, a man named Isaac J. Thomas died at the yard of Garnant Pit.
By the time of the 1884 disaster, the colliery was owned by the Garnant Colliery Company, who had their office at Cambrian Way, Swansea. The Cambrian Newspaper reported that at the time of the accident, the colliery was being worked by David Pugh, M.P.
By 1908, the registered colliery owner was the Cawdor and Garnant Collieries Ltd., Garnant. At this time, there were only 69 men working underground and 33 above ground. The manager was Thomas M. Jones.
The Site Closure Plan*(in pdf format: 475kb in size. Please note that the image has been rescaled to optimise file size and clarity), for the Garnant Colliery site was signed and dated by Walter S. Wardlaw, colliery manager, on 4th May, 1914. It is stated on the plan that it is accurate as of 11th Feb, 1912, suggesting that the mine may have closed by that time. The plan also shows a drift mine to the north of the pit where the disaster occurred.
The anthracite slant of Garnant Colliery in 1913 was owned by Garnant Anthracite Collieries Ltd. At that time, the Colliery Manager was R. Clark and the Commercial Manager was W. S. Wardlaw. The selling agents were Messrs. Burgess and Co., the Docks, Swansea. 200 men were employed at Garnant Colliery in 1913. The same company were the registered owners in 1921.
The Amman Valley Chronicle reported that a concert held at the Garnant National Schools, entitled "Sherwood's Queen", and performed by the Christchurch Band of Hope on Thursday 16th April, 1914, was presided over by Mr. W. S. Wardlaw, M.E., Cawdor Colliery. This was only 18 days before he signed the Site Closure Plans for Garnant Colliery. Walter S. Wardlaw is named in the Kelly's Directory for South Wales in 1923, as Manager of the North Amman Collieries Ltd, living at Glangarnant.
* I have informed the Coal Authority that these plans, which were obtained from their office, are displayed on this site and that I believe that due to their age, are subject to the status of © Crown Copyright 1914. All attempts have been made to obtain permissions to reproduce the documents which appear on this site. Where I have failed to do so, I am including them at my own risk.