Trealaw cemetery

[albionwriter]

Does anyone know if there is a monument to the victims of the 1879 mining disaster of 1879?   Are there gravestones for the victims?  I know the cemetery was not opened for a few years after this, but the bodies of most of the 62 victims were not recoverd until 1882 or later.

[Morganllan]

Hello Albionwriter

Welcome to Rootschat 

Yes, there is a memorial and there are photographs on this site:

http://archive.rhondda-cynon-taf.gov.uk/treorchy/index.php

Kind Regards
Morgan

[albionwriter]

Dear Morgan

Many thanks for your reply, I had seen a photo of the other side of the memorial but not that side.

However, the memorial does pose me a problem.  There are 26 names on it, plus 14 unknown, and 9 elsewhere.  This leaves a total of 49.  The official death list records 62, so what happened to the other 13.  Were they never recovered?

I know that the majority of the victims were recovered in October 1883, 4 years after the disaster, but I'm not sure there were any recovered later, and if they were, they surely would have been on the memorial wouldn't they?

Best wishes

[Morganllan]

I'm sorry that I don't know the answer but my guess is that perhaps those named are the men who were buried in the mass grave at Trealaw Cemetery. 

modified - apparently 35 were buried in the mass grave. The 14 were unrecognisable and entered into the burial register as unknown. 

[albionwriter]

Many thanks for your new message.  I can see that I am going to have to look at the burial register and tick off the names.

Since I last wrote I have discovered that another four bodies were discovered in November 1883. 

The monument was erected in October 1883, a month before the the four above were discovered, so perhaps they were later put in the mass grave, or another elsewhere.  The newspaper reported that there were still seven bodies to be recovered.  I have checked the Western Mail up to August 1884, and can find no record of any morebodies being found.

As I say, the register will reveal all.  I suppose this would be available to read at the Treorchy library.

Many thanks

Gareth

[Morganllan]

Hi Gareth

Have you seen the list of men killed? I have seen it on a few sites, including this one:

http://www.therhondda.co.uk/deaths/names/dinas_colliery_13_01_1879.html

I'm not sure where the burial index will be but probably at Archives rather than Library. 

Kind Regards
Morgan

[albionwriter]

Dear Morgan
Thanks for your reply

A lot of these sites give a list of those that were killed, but there is not a list of the actual bodies recovered.  I notice as well that some names on the memorial in Tralaw cemetery are slightly different from the list supplied by the colliery at the time.

The Glamorgan History society have done a survey of all the cemeteries so I perhaps I can have a look at them at the local library.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Best wishes
Gareth

 

[albionwriter]

They have a GFHS disc in the Pontypridd Library of all the buriels 1881-1990 for the Trealaw Cemetery.  The original register is at the Treorchy Library.  Just got to work my was through them now.  All in alphabetical order.

Gareth