Oral History collection: Lewis Williams (born 1908) interviewed by E.C. Williams about Work as a miner in Swansea, with particular reference to Pentre Pit and Copper Pit.

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 216 TH 32
  • Dates of Creation
      March 1976
  • Language of Material
      English
  • Physical Description
      1 audio recording

Scope and Content

Track 1. [00:00:40] Industry: Young boys going to work straight from school, coal industry, role of a 'full carter' in the coal mines. [00:07:49] Industry: Wage as a young boy in the coal mines, role of a 'door boy'/'manwr' in the coal mines. [00:10:31] Industry: Working in the colliery in the 'stall', description of the 'stalls'. [00:11:13] Industry: Description of a 'mandrill', 'hoeling' in the colliery, futher description of 'stalls'. [00:14:28] Industry: Locations and surroundings of Copper Pit Colliery in Morriston. [00:15:40] Industry: Pentre Collery - location and surroundings, description of Pentre Collery, Cefn Collery. [00:19:12] Industry: Man (Jim Bach) killed by 'pan', description of 'pan'. [00:21:03] Industry: Accidents in the collieries, Copper Pit and Pentre Colliery. [00:22:28] Industry: Copper Pit Colliery and Pentre Colliery closing. [00:23:34] Industry: Working at Gang Goch Number Three - Penlliger Colliery. [00:25:44] Industry: Accidents at Gang Goch Number Three Colliery, structure of Gang Goch Number Three. [00:27:33] Industry: Other collieries in the area Melyn Newydd Fforest Fach Colliery, Ty Doncyn Colliery. [00:28:10] Industry: Average pay in the colliery, comparing wage to other collieries. [00:28:47] Industry: Conveyer's coming to Gang Goch Number 3, structures of the collieries and high quality of the coal. [00:29:41] Industry: Other collieries which were disused in the Swansea area and their locations. [00:32:50] Industry: How and where the Pentre Colliery transported its coal. [00:35:02] Industry: How and where the Mynyedd Newydd Colliery transported its coal. [00:36:44] Industry: Callan's Pit used for lifting water, location and surroundings. [00:39:17] Industry: The kind of clothes worn by the colliers. [00:42:28] Industry: Use of lamps and candles in the collieries. [00:45:05] Industry: Buying own tools to use for work in collieries, the evolvement of lamps used underground. [00:47:33] Industry: The officials in charge, the improvements of the working enviroment in the colliery. [00:48:32] Industry: Working during the general strike of 1926, explanation of the strike, going back after the strike, coping during the strike. [00:53:17] Industry: Getting on with the police during the strike. [00:53:40] Industry: What was done in spare time during the strike, the start of the Great Depression - collieries closing down.