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Further Reading
1800 – Development of the sale-coal industry in South Wales
1837 – Opening of Abernant Colliery – growth of the Cynon Valley in sale-coal industry
1840 – 1st cargo of coal shipped abroad, from Cardiff to Nantes
1842 – Children’s Employment Commission investigates child labour - Mines Act passed by Parliament, no women or boys under 10 to work underground
1851 – Admiralty Report – South Wales steam coal most suitable for use by the Royal Navy. Rapid expansion in the South Wales steam coal industry
1855 – 1st train of Rhondda steam coal sent to Cardiff from Treherbert. Beginning of the rise of Rhondda as major coalmining valley
1855 – Limited Liability Companies replace individuals in ownership of coal industry
1864 – Creation of the Powell Duffryn Steam Coal Company, Ltd
1866 – Formation of the South Wales Bituminous Collieries Association
1868 – Radical Noncomformist Liberals win many Parliamentary seats in Wales – beginning Liberal domination in
Welsh politics
1870 – Longwall replaces pillar and stall as the main mining technique
1871 – Amalgamated Association of Miners become the strongest trades union yet among South Wales Miners
1873 – South Wales Coalowners Association formed
1875 – Sliding Scale Committee set up to determine wage levels of South Wales Miners
1880 – Development of anthracite mining to the west of the coalfield
1880- Spread of Miners’ Welfare Halls, Institutes and Libraries
1885 – William Abraham
(Mabon), miners’ leader, elected to Parliament for the new seat of Rhondda
1898 – Miners defeated in the six months lock-out
1898 – South Wales Miners' Federation
formed
1899 – 40 million tons of coal produced
1900 – First Labour M.P. from Wales, Keir
Hardie, elected to Parliament for Merthyr Tydfil
1900 – Spread of Coal Combines in the South Wales coalfield
1905 – 43 million tons of coal produced
1908 – The South Wales Miners' Federation (The Fed) affiliated to the Labour Party
1908 – Eight Hours Bill becomes law as the Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1908
1908 – 55 millions tons of coal produced
1909 – Spread of working class education in South Wales
1910 – Tonypandy “Riots”
1912 – The Great Strike of 1912
1912 – Minimum Wage Act
1913 – Peak of production and manpower: 56 million tons of coal produced,
232,800 men employed
1913 – Senghenydd disaster – 439 men and boys killed in pit accident
1915 – Wage agreement ends South Wales Miners’ strike
1916 – The government takes control of the South Wales Coalfield
1919 – Royal Commission on Coal Industry makes recommendation to nationalise the industry
1921 – Coal Industry re-privatised. Production ceases during lock-out, but miners defeated and accept reduction in wages
1926 – The General Strike
1927 – South Wales miners join hunger march against unemployment
1928 – South Wales and the coalfield severely affected by industrial depression
1930 – Unemployment at its highest
1931 – Coalfield dispute: 140,000 out of work
1934 – Power struggle between South Wales Miners' Federation and Company Unionism
1936 – Spanish Civil War:
118 men from the South Wales coalfield enlist in the International Brigades; 34 are killed
1944 – Formation of the National Union of Mineworkers
1947 – Nationalisation of the mining industry, creation of the National Coal Board
1955 – Programme of pit closures begins in South Wales
1966 – Tip slide at Aberfan claims the lives of 144 children and adults
1972 – National miners’ strike
1984/85 – National miners’ strike
1985 – Beginning of the mass closure of collieries
1994 – Closure of Tower Colliery, the last deep-mine in South Wales
1995 – Workers return to Tower Colliery after a successful employee buyout bid: 200 miners become shareholders in the new company, Tower Colliery Ltd
Further Reading
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