Gresford Disaster

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The Gresford Disaster was one of Britain's worst mining disasters. It occurred on September 22, 1934 at Gresford Colliery near Wrexham, in north-east Wales, when 266 men died in a gas explosion.

Contents 1 The Disaster 2 The Victims 3 Popular culture 3.1 A Song of Remembrance 4 Sources 5 External links

[edit] The Disaster

Work began on sinking the pit at Gresford in 1908 by the United Westminster and Wrexham Collieries. Two shafts were sunk, the Dennis (named after the industrialist Dennis family of Ruabon) and the Martin, which were 50 yards apart. Work was completed in 1911 and the mine was one of the deepest in the Denbighshire coal field with the Dennis shaft reaching a depth of about 2264 feet and the Martin shaft about 2252 feet.

By 1934, 2200 miners were employed at the colliery, with 1850 working underground and 350 on the surface.

Some 19th century working practices were still in evidence in the pit although some mechanisation had been introduced. Prior to explosion there was evidence of heat and gas in colliery.

On September 22 at 2:08 a.m. a violent explosion shook the Dennis section of colliery, over a mile from the bottom of the shaft, and a fire took hold. At the time a total of 500 men were working underground at the colliery on the night shift, which was unusually high because some men had worked double shifts that night in order to be able to attend a carnival and football match the following day.

Only six men managed to escaped from the Dennis section by climbing from the pit bottom by ladder, all of the other 262 miners working in that section killed.

Within a few hours of the first explosion, large crowds of miners and relatives had gathered in silence at the pit head waiting for news.

Volunteer rescue teams from Gresford and other nearby collieries tried to enter the mine but were hindered by the ferocity of the fire and a lack of fire fighting equipment and water. Three members of the rescue brigade were killed. They fought the fire until the evening of following day but made little progress. By this time it was certain that all of the miners were dead and conditions in the pit were so dangerous that it was decided to cap both shafts to seal off the fire.

Further explosions occurred during which one of the seals on the shaft blew out and a surface worker was killed by the flying debris.

Only eleven bodies were recovered from the mine. Inquests recorded the cause of death as carbon monoxide poisoning.

The Dennis section of the mine was never reopened and the bodies of the 254 victims were sealed in the mine.

In September of that year 1100 Gresford miners signed on the unemployment register.

Relief funds were set up by the Mayor of Wrexham, the Lord Lieutenant of Denbighshire and the Lord Mayor of London, raising a total of over £500,000 for the dependents of the victims.

An Inquiry opened October 25 1934 and highlighted management failures, lack of safety measures, bad working practices and poor ventilation in the pit. The miners were represented at the Inquiry by Sir Stafford Cripps.

Gresford Colliery reopened six months after disaster with coal production resuming in January 1936.

In 1937, court proceedings were started in Wrexham against the Pit Manager, the Under-Manager and the United and Westminster Collieries Limited, the owners of the mine.

Gresford Colliery finally closed on economic grounds in November 1973 and the site was developed as an industrial estate.

In 1982 a memorial to the victims of the disaster was erected near to the former colliery. It was constructed from the wheel from the old pit head winding gear.

This was possibly one of the most devastating events in British mining history and there are still many mysteries surrounding it.

[edit] The Victims

Surname	Forename	Address	Age	Occupation
Anders	John	Bertie Road, Wrexham	27	Collier
Anders	John Thomas	Empress Road, Wrexham	31	Collier
Anderson	George	Old Rhosrobin, Wrexham	67	Collier
Andrews	Alfred	Benjamin Road, Wrexham	43	Collier
Archibald	Joe	Finney Street, Rhosddu	47	Collier
Archibald	Thomas	Council Houses, Pandy	44	Collier
Baines	David	Victoria Road, Brynteg	26	Collier
Bateman	Maldwyn	Lorne Street, Rhosddu	15	Collier
Bather	Edward Wynn	Finney Street, Rhosddu	36	Collier
Beddows	Edward	The Woodlands, High Street, Gwersyllt	63	Collier
Bew	Arthur	Colliery Houses, Rhosddu	45	Collier
Bewdley	Thomas	Park Street, Rhosddu	58	Collier
Bowen	Alfred	Langdale Avenue, Rhostyllen	53	Collier
Boycott	Henry	Offa Terrace, Wrexham	38	Packer
Brain	Herbert	Pentrefelin, Wrexham	31	Collier
Bramwell	George	Western Road, New Broughton	30	Collier
Brannan	John	Ffordd Edgeworth, Maesydre, Wrexham	32	Collier
Brown	George	Birkett Street, Rhostyllen	59	Surface worker
Brown	William Arthur	Hightown Road, Wrexham	22	Haulage
Bryan	John A.H.	Llewellyn Road, Coedpoeth	20	Collier
Buckley	A.	Windy Hill, Summerhill	21	Collier
Burns	Fred	Bennions Road, Huntroyde, Wrexham	41	Collier
Capper	John A.	Wrexham Road, Broughton	35	Collier
Cartwright	Albert Edward	Florence Street, Rhosddu	24	Collier
Cartwright	Charles	Florence Street, Rhosddu	24	Collier
Chadwick	Stephen	Kenyon Street, Wrexham	21	Collier
Chesters	Edwin	Beales Cottages, Bradley	67	Fireman
Clutton	Arthur	Lorne Street, Rhosddu	29	Collier
Clutton	George Albert	March Terrace, New Rhosrobin	20	Collier
Clutton	John T.	Council Houses, Pandy	35	Haulage
Collins	John	Council Houses, Pandy	62	Shot Firer
Cornwall	Thomas	Bennions Road, Wrexham	30	Collier
Crump	William	Council Houses, Bradley	36	Collier
Darlington	Thomas	Mountain Street, Rhosllannerchrugog	39	Collier
Davies	Arthur	Havelock Square, Wrexham	24	Collier
Davies	Edward	Cyngorfa, Rhosllannerchrugog	53	Collier
Davies	George William	Farndon Street, Wrexham	26	Collier
Davies	Hugh T.	Holly Bush Terrace, Bradley	26	Collier
Davies	James	Williams Cottages, Moss	31	Collier
Davies	James	Boundary Terrace, Green, Brymbo	37	Collier
Davies	James Edward	Farndon Street, Wrexham	21	Collier
Davies	John	Meifod Place, Wrexham	64	Collier
Davies	John	Fernleigh, Rhosrobin Road, Wrexham	45	Collier
Davies	John E.	Bennions Road, Wrexham	32	Collier
Davies	John R.	Fernleigh, Rhosrobin	69	Collier
Davies	Matthias	Erw Las, Maesydre, Wrexham		Collier
Davies	Peter	Newtown, Gresford	50	Collier
Davies	Peter	March Terrace, New Rhosrobin	25	Collier
Davies	Peter	Glanllyn, Bradley	21	Collier
Davies	Robert Thomas	Mountain View, Caego	34	Collier
Davies	Samuel	Woodland View, New Rhosrobin	35	Collier
Davies	Thomas	Erw Cottage, Caergwrle	31	Collier
Davies	William	Acton Terrace, Rhosnesni, Wrexham	33	Collier
Dodd	Thomas	Maeseinion, Rhosllannerchrugog	39	Collier
Duckett	Fred	Beech Terrace, Ruabon	29	Collier
Edge	John	Nelson Street, Hightown	28	Collier
Edge	Samuel	South Street, Rhosllannerchrugog	30	Collier
Edwards	Albert	Nr Kings Head, Moss	62	Collier
Edwards	Ernest	Green Road, Brymbo	16	Collier
Edwards	E. Glyn	Woodland View, New Rhosrobin	23	Collier
Edwards	Ernest Thomas	Queen Street, Rhosllannerchrugog	53	Collier
Edwards	Frank	Chestnut Ave, Acton, Wrexham	23	Collier
Edwards	James Sam	Top Road, Moss		Collier
Edwards	John Edward	Glanyrafon, Maesydre	39	Collier
Edwards	John C.	Coronation Cottages, New Road, Southsea		Collier
Edwards	Thomas David	New Street, Rhosllannerchrugog	40	Collier
Edwards	William	Church Street, Rhosllannerchrugog	32	Collier
Edwardson	John	High Street, Gresford	41	Collier
Ellis	George	Council Houses, Pandy	43	Collier
Evans	Fred	Grange Road, Rhosddu	50	Collier
Evans	John	Ness Cottage, Park Wall, Gwersyllt	32	Collier
Evans	Norman	Grange Road, Rhosddu	45	Collier
Evans	Ralph	Pentre Lane, Llay	34	Collier
Fisher	Len	Maple Avenue, Acton	44	Collier
Foulkes	Irwin	Bryn Gardden, Rhosllannerchrugog	21	Collier
Gabriel	Richard George	Crispin Lane, Wrexham	61	Collier
Gittins	Johm Henry	Abenbury Street, Wrexham	42	Collier
Goodwin	John	Chapel Road, New Broughton	51	Collier
Griffiths	Edward	Brandie Cottages, Ruabon	21	Collier
Griffiths	Ellis	Cyngorfa, Rhosllannerchrugog	50	Collier
Griffiths	Emmanuel	High Street, Penycae	53	Collier
Griffiths	Charles	Gardd Estyn, Garden Village	25	Collier
Griffiths	Frank	Oxford Street, Wrexham	57	Collier
Griffiths	Walter	Victoria Road, Brynteg	50	Collier
Hall	Walter	Church Road, Brynteg	49	Collier
Hallam	T.W.	Railway Terrace, Gwersyllt	32	Collier
Hamlington	Arthur	Yew Tree Cottage, Summerhill	62	Collier
Hampson	Frank	Ruabon Road, Rhostyllen	32	Collier
Harrison	Arthur	Moss Hill, Moss	21	Collier
Harrison	Charles Edward	James Street, Wrexham	15	Collier
Hewitt	Phillip	Poplar Avenue, Rhosllannerchrugog	56	Collier
Higgins	William	Finney Street, Rhosddu	27	Collier
Holt	Alfred	Pentre Lane, Llay	31	Collier
Houlden	John Henry	Second Avenue, Llay	21	Collier
Hughes	Cecil	Tanygraig, Minera	23	Collier
Hughes	Daniel	First Avenue, Llay	56	Rescuer
Hughes	Francis O.	Acton Terrace, Rhosnesni	60	Collier
Hughes	Harry	Hill Crescent, Spring Lodge, Wrexham	44	Collier
Hughes	John	Percy Road, Wrexham	58	Collier
Hughes	Peter JOSEPH	Tanygraig, Minera	27	Collier
Hughes	Robert John	Lorne Street, Rhosddu	29	Collier
Hughes	Walter Ellis	Rosemary Crescent, Rhostyllen	24	Collier
Hughes	William	Long Row, Brymbo	43	Collier
Hughes	William	Jackson's Houses, New Rhosrobin	54	Rescuer
Humphreys	Ben	Vernon Street, Rhosddu	34	Collier
Humphreys	John	Edwards Road, Brynteg	30	Collier
Husbands	Thomas	Manley Road, Wrexham	40	Collier
Jarvis	Ernest	Ddol, Bersham	41	Collier
Jenkins	William	Heol Offa, Tanyfron	25	Collier
Johns	Percy	Ffordd Edgeworth, Maesydre	27	Collier
Jones	Albert Edward	Nelson Street, Wrexham	31	Collier
Jones	Azariah	Westminster Road, Moss	37	Collier
Jones	Cyril	Main Road, Rhosrobin	26	Collier
Jones	Daniel	Western Road, New Broughton	33	Collier
Jones	David L.	Colliery Road, Rhosddu	36	Collier
Jones	Edward	Woodland View, High Street, Gwersyllt	64	Collier
Jones	Edward	Queen Street, Cefn Mawr	56	Collier
Jones	Edward George	Ruabon Road, Wrexham	23	Collier
Jones	Eric	Rosemary Crescent, Rhostyllen	23	Collier
Jones	Ernest	Glan Garth, Maesydre	36	Collier
Jones	Evan Hugh	Marion House, New Brighton, Minera	55	Collier
Jones	Fred	Woodland View, New Rhosrobin	30	Collier
Jones	Frederick H.C.	Bridge Street, Holt	31	Collier
Jones	Francis	Council Houses, Berse	27	Collier
Jones	George	Glan Garth, Maesydre	47	Collier
Jones	George Humphrey	Russell Street, Cefn Mawr	22	Collier
Jones	Gwilym	Glan Garth, Maesydre	52	Collier
Jones	Henry	Gordon Terrace, Rhosddu	59	Collier
Jones	Idris	Nant Road, Coedpoeth	37	Collier
Jones	Iorwerth	Bryn Dolwar, Rhosrobin Road, Wrexham	52	Collier
Jones	Jabez	Morgan Avenue, Rhosddu	43	Collier
Jones	John Dan	Williams Cottages, Moss	42	Collier
Jones	John Richard	Mostyn View, Coedpoeth	33	Collier
Jones	John Robert	Pentre Lane, Llay		Collier
Jones	Llewellyn	Windsor Road, New Broughton	49	Collier
Jones	Llewellyn	Yew Tree Bungalow, Gresford	40	Collier
Jones	Llewellyn	Bersham Road, New Broughton	38	Collier
Jones	Neville	Ffordd Maelor, Maesydre, Wrexham	30	Collier
Jones	Richard Henry	Bryn Terrace, Ruabon	21	Collier
Jones	Richard J.	White House Lodge, Brymbo	34	Collier
Jones	Robert	Trefechan, Penycae	57	Deputy
Jones	Robert	Hillock Lane, Gresford	49	Collier
Jones	Thomas	Council Houses, Gresford	55	Collier
Jones	Thomas E.	Poolmouth Road, Moss		Collier
Jones	Thomas John	Bryndedwydd, Marford Hill	58	Collier
Jones	Thomas O.	Penllyn, Trevor, Llangollen	59	Collier
Jones	William	Lorne Street, Rhosddu	51	Collier
Jones	William	Lloyd Street, Rhosllannerchrugog	21	Collier
Kelsall	James	Florence Street, Wrexham	30	Collier
Kelsall	John	Rose Cottage, Common Wood, Holt	37	Collier
Lawrence	William	Nelson Street, Hightown, Wrexham	43	Collier
Lee	John Lee	Heol Offa, Coedpoeth	30	Collier
Lee	Thomas	Heol Offa, Coedpoeth	16	Collier
Lewis	David	Merlin Street, Johnstown	44	Collier
Lewis	David Thomas	Middle Road, Coedpoeth	46	Collier
Lewis	Jack	Cefn y Bedd	48	Rescuer
Lilly	Joel	Main Road, Rhosrobin	41	Collier
Lloyd	Thomas	Colliery Road, Rhosddu	55	Collier
Lloyd	William	Finney Street, Rhosddu	59	Collier
Lloyd	William Sidney	Pentre Lane, Llay		Collier
Lucas	John	Council Houses, Gwersyllt	59	Collier
Maggs	Colin	Talwrn House, Talwrn	17	Collier
Mannion	Albert	Hill Crest, Spring Lodge, Wrexham	29	Collier
Manuel	Thomas A.	Meadows Lane, Spring Lodge, Wrexham	33	Collier
Martin	William Henry	Newtown, Gresford	37	Collier
Matthews	William V.	Hill Street, Penycae	18	Collier
Mathias	Samuel	Eagle's Place, Moss	42	Collier
McKean	John	Cheshire View, Spring Lodge, Wrexham	30	Collier
Meade	William	St. John's Road, Wrexham	39	Collier
Mitchell	George	James Street, Wrexham	23	Collier
Monks	Ernest	Glanrafon, Bwlchgwyn	23	Collier
Morley	Edward	Council Houses, Bradley	57	Collier
Morris	Alfred	High Street, Penycae	20	Collier
Nichols	Harry	Ashfield Road, Crispin Lane, Wrexham	32	Collier
Nichols	John	Beast Market, Wrexham	29	Collier
Nichols	William Henry	Farndon Street, Wrexham	25	Collier
Owens	Evan Henry	Cunliffe Walk, Garden Village, Wrexham	54	Collier
Palmer	Alex	Kingstown, Maesydre	20	Collier
Parry	Isaac	Western View, Wrexham Road, Brymbo	40	Collier
Parry	Joseph	Western View, Wrexham Road, Brymbo	65	Collier
Parry	John E.	Pisgah Hill, New Broughton	31	Collier
Parry	John Richard	Manley Road, Wrexham	21	Collier
Penny	Stephen	Stansty View, New Rhosrobin	23	Collier
Penny	William H.	Council Houses, Pandy	32	Collier
Perrin	Frank	Finney Street, Rhosddu	23	Collier
Peters	Henry	Pentre Lane, Llay	38	Collier
Phillips	George	Trevanna Way, Spring Lodge, Wrexham	22	Collier
Phillips	Herbert	Haig Road, Hightown, Wrexham	30	Collier
Phillips	John	Gardd Estyn, Garden Village, Wrexham	40	Collier
Pickering	J.	Sycamore Terrace, Old Rhosrobin	22	Collier
Powell	Charles	Dale Street, Wrexham	57	Railman
Price	Ernest	Moss Hill, Moss	27	Collier
Price	Samuel	Oakfield Terrace, Gresford	37	Collier
Pridding	James	Oxford Street, Wrexham	32	Collier
Prince	Mark	Manley Road, Wrexham	59	Collier
Prince	William	Meadow Lea, Spring Lodge, Wrexham	30	Collier
Pritchard	Isiah	Woodland View, New Rhosrobin	54	Collier
Pugh	Ernest	Quarry Rd, Brynteg	49	Collier
Pugh	Thomas	Vernon Street, Wrexham	54	Collier
Ralphs	John	Market Street, Wrexham	53	Collier
Rance	Thomas	High Street, Pentre Broughton	21	Collier
Rees	Albert	Gatewen Road, New Broughton	56	Collier
Reid	Lloyd	Bryn Gardden, Rhosllannerchrugog	20	Collier
Roberts	Arthur A.	Wire Mill Cottage, Bradley	63	Collier
Roberts	Edward	Bryn Estyn Cottage, Rhosnesni	35	Collier
Roberts	Edward C.	Council Houses, Gresford	42	Collier
Roberts	Ernest	Little Penybryn, Abenbury	26	Collier
Roberts	Frank	Bury Street, Wrexham	26	Collier
Roberts	George	Glanrafon, Maesydre, Wrexham	28	Repairer
Roberts	H.	Patison Road, Coedpoeth		Collier
Roberts	Idris	Pumphouse, Highfield, Stansty	16	Collier
Roberts	John David	Lorne Street, Rhosddu	47	Collier
Roberts	John H.	Patison Row, Coedpoeth	33	Collier
Roberts	Olwyn	Hill Street, Penycae	24	Collier
Roberts	Percy	Bungalow, Llidiart Fanny, Coedpoeth	26	Collier
Roberts	Robert	off Brook Street, Rhosllannerchrugog	33	Collier
Roberts	Robert John	Market Street, Wrexham		Collier
Roberts	Robert Thomas	Crispin Lane, Wrexham	57	Collier
Roberts	Robert William	Forge Row, Southsea	38	Collier
Roberts	Thomas James	Kendrick Place, Beast Market, Wrexham	19	Collier
Roberts	William	Princes Street, Wrexham	45	Collier
Roberts	William T.	Pentre Lane, Llay	40	Collier
Robertson	William	Spring Road, Rhosddu	41	Collier
Rogers	Edward Llewellyn	New Houses Lane, Llay	20	Collier
Rogers	Grenville	Wheatsheaf Lane, Gwersyllt	29	Collier
Ross	Harry	Nelson Street, Wrexham	34	Collier
Rowlands	John	Holt Road, Wrexham	36	Collier
Rowland	John David	Old Cross Foxes, Minera	17	Collier
Salisbury	William	Victoria Road, Brynteg	48	Collier
Shaw	George	Ashwood, Wrexham Road, Brynteg	63	Collier
Shone	John	Gresford	34	Collier
Shone	Richard	High Street, Gresford	49	Collier
Slawson	Arthur	Crescent Road, Wrexham	22	Collier
Smith	Leonard	Bennions Road, Huntroyde, Wrexham	20	Collier
Stevens	Richard T.	Pisgah Hill, Pentre Broughton	22	Collier
Strange	Albert	Nelson Street, Wrexham	25	Collier
Statford	Stanley	Ninth Avenue, Llay	39	Collier
Tarran	John	Liverpool Road, Buckley	59	Collier
Taylor	William Henry	Church Street, Holt	53	Collier
Thomas	Berwyn	Kent Road, Lodge, Brymbo	26	Collier
Thomas	John Elias	Queen's Terrace, Gwersyllt	29	Collier
Thomas	Robert	Pant Hill, Rhosllannerchrugog	32	Collier
Thomas	Tec	Council Houses, Pandy	26	Collier
Thornton	John	Coronation Cottages, New Broughton	24	Collier
Tittle	Edward	Smithy Lane, Acton	44	Collier
Trowe	Ernest	Huntroyde Avenue, Wrexham	41	Collier
Valentine	Fred	Glan Dwr, Acrefair	24	Collier
Vaughan	John Edward	Alford Street, Wrexham	28	Collier
White	John	Chapel Cottages, Gresford	38	Collier
Williams	George	Gardden Terrace, Summerhill	31	Collier
Williams	Harold	Osborne Terrace, Claypit Lane, Gresford	37	Collier
Williams	Hugh Llewellyn	Park Street, Rhosddu	43	Collier
Williams	John	Cheetham's Lodging Houses, Wrexham	62	Collier
Williams	John	Dale Street, Wrexham	44	Collier
Williams	John	Council Houses, Brynteg	66	Collier
Williams	John D.	Vulcan Cottage, New Road, Southsea	29	Collier
Williams	John Thomas	Brynffynnon, Brymbo	33	Collier
Williams	Morris	Pentre Lane, Llay	24	Electrician
Williams	Reg	Old Rhosrobin	29	Electrician
Williams	Thomas	Park View Stores, Bradley	57	Collier
Williams	William A.	Gatewen Road, Pentre Broughton	29	Collier
Wilson	John Walter	Victoria Terrace, Coedpoeth	32	Collier
Witter	Henry	The Mount, Gresford	56	Collier
Wynn	Edward	Bradley Road, Wrexham	68	Collier
Winyard	J.	New Inn, Cefnybedd	47	Collier
Yemm	Morgan James	Seventh Avenue, Llay	28	Collier

[edit] Popular culture

[edit] A Song of Remembrance

The Gresford Disaster

(Lyrics: Anonymous)

You've heard of the Gresford Disaster,

Of the terrible price that was paid;

Two hundred and sixty-four colliers were lost,

And three men of the rescue brigade.

It occurred in the month of September

At three in the morning the pit

Was racked by a violent explosion

In the Dennis where gas lay so thick.

Now the gas in the Dennis deep section

Was packed there like snow in a drift,

And many a man had to leave the coal-face

Before he had worked out his shift.

Now a fortnight before the explosion,

To the shotfirer Tomlinson cried,

"If you fire that shot we'll be all blown to hell!"

And no one can say that he lied.

Now the fireman's reports they are missing

The records of forty-two days;

The collier manager had them destroyed

To cover his criminal ways.

Down there in the dark they are lying.

They died for nine shillings a day;

They have worked out their shift and now they must lie

In the darkness until Judgement Day.

Now the Lord Mayor of London's collecting

To help out the children and wives;

The owners have sent some white lilies

To pay for the poor colliers' lives.

Farewell, all our dear wives and our children

Farewell, all our comrades as well,

Don't send your sons down the dark dreary mine

They'll be doomed like the sinners in hell.

The song was issued as a broadsheet soon after the disaster. It has been recorded by The Hennessys, Ewan MacColl, Alex Campbell and the Albion Band amongst others.

The disaster is the subject of the song "The Colliers" on Seth Lakeman's 2006 album Freedom Fields.

[edit] Sources

• Collieries of Denbighshire, G.G. Lerry 1968

[edit] External links

• Virtual Book of Remembrance
• Memorial Gallery
• Gathering The Jewels