Abercanaid Colliery
Opened as a level on land leased from the Earl of Plymouth by Robert and Lucy Thomas in 1824. It was originally called the Waun Wilt colliery and it was the first mine to work the Waun Wilt four foot steam coal seam. The merchant George Insole shipped coal from this colliery to London, where it was highly valued because it produced very little smoke on burning and it was an excellent fuel for raising steam power. Over the years there occurred many minor gas explosions at this colliery resulting in fatalities and horrific burn injuries to miners including young door-boys.
It was temporarily closed in the 1880's because of a depression in trade; it reopened in 1884 after some modernisation including new headgear and the installation of other machinery. From the Inspector of Mines list 1896, the Plymouth Co. Ltd. employed 710 men here.
Information on individual collieries kindly supplied by www.welshcoalmines.co.uk