which pits

[glyna]

I wonder if anyone could help  I'm trying to find out which pits my gt grandad could of worked at , in the 1911 census  the family where living in margam st caerau near maesteg ,his occupation is down as collier hewer. also was it usual for them to go from a stone quaryman to coalminer as when he married in 1898 that is what is written in his wedding ceft .
his name was Robert Brown married to matilda frances(Taylor)
thank you

[Redroger]

Can't speak for South Wales, but it was by no means unusual elsewhere.

[jwls]

My Gt Grandfather worked in St Johns Colliery that was near to Caerau, Maesteg

[hanes teulu]

Try this link    www.cmhrc.co.uk   

You can check the mines around the Caerau area

regards

[west]

The two closest pits to Margam St would be Caerau Colliery and Coegnant Colliery, both are situatated in Caerau.

West.

[ozlady]

Try www.welshcoalmines.co.uk

[halfasheep]

My family, who all lived (and still do) in the Maesteg /Caerau area did not necessarily work in the pits nearest their homes unfortunately.

My gt gt uncle James worked over the hill in Bryn until he died in 1914 following a falling rock fracturing his skull.

The entire Llynfi Valley was peppered with mines from Blaencaerau all the way down to Garth. Some of the miners would have moved colliery to colliery as well dependent on whether the seams were working well or not.

Whilst Coegnant and Caerau pits would have been the closest, there would still have been more in the area

Chris

[Dannemois]

Not everyone had the pleasure to work in a mine near to his place of resident and it was quite common for a miner to walk several miles to the pit in which he was employed, and then walk several more miles underground to reach his place of work.  A journey he would then repeat at the end of his shift in the opposite direction to his home.  Traversing local mountains was very often the most direct route; no wonder our forebears were fit and lean.   

[Redroger]

Not everyone had the pleasure to work in a mine near to his place of resident and it was quite common for a miner to walk several miles to the pit in which he was employed, and then walk several more miles underground to reach his place of work.  A journey he would then repeat at the end of his shift in the opposite direction to his home.  Traversing local mountains was very often the most direct route; no wonder our forebears were fit and lean.   

No doubt some miners landed up almost directly beneath their own homes, if only they could have had a personal shaft.