John Osborne Riches (1827-1886) & Osborne Henry Riches (1842-1887)

Cambrian Collieries of Cardiff

Early 1870s, Samuel Thomas and two brothers, John Osborne Riches and Osborne Henry Riches, jointly owned the Cambrian colliery.

1872 The sinking of No.1 shaft at Cambrian Colliery in the main Rhondda Valley was begun by S. Thomas and J. Riches and Co.

1874 No. 2 shaft was sunk.

1879 Thomas died. After his death the mines were carried on by Messrs. J. H. Thomas and D. A. Thomas, M.P.

By 1885 the Cambrian Collieries Ltd. had become the new owners and they sunk No. 3 shaft the same year.

1887 Osborne Riches died; control of the colliery passed to Thomas' sons, John Howard and David Alfred, who ran it until 1896.

John Osborne Riches died 29.6.1886 and is buried in plot L704/L731.

SOURCE: http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Cambrian_Collieries

OF INTEREST:

Cambrian Colliery 1905 explosion disaster

On 10 March 1905, an explosion occurred at the Cambrian Colliery No.1. The explosion was heard for miles all around the valleys and resulted in the loss of 33 lives and serious injury to 14 others. The accident happened between the day and night shifts, otherwise the death toll would have been far higher.[1] Before being forced back by fire, early rescue teams found and saved 50 uninjured survivors and 13 who were seriously hurt. The fire took five days to extinguish and there were no more survivors.

Notable survivor

At the time of the disaster, George Brace, brother of prominent unionist William Brace, was employed as an engine driver at the colliery. He decided to leave the mining industry to build up the family bakery business, which has now been run by his descendants for over a century. He named his house Cambrian House in memory of the disaster.

1965 explosion disaster

On 17 May 1965, a second major mining accident occurred at the Cambrian Colliery. An explosion caused by firedamp, after poor ventilation allowed a build-up of flammable gas, killed 31 miners. The ignition point was later identified as an electric arc on an open switch panel which was being worked on. This was the last major mining disaster in South Wales history.[1]

SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambrian_Colliery

In 1905 David Alfred Thomas began to implement his aim to control and regulate the steam coal trade in South Wales and this lead to the formation of the Cambrian Combine whose policies would in 1910 spary off the Tonypandy riots.

SOURCE: http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/GlamEast/Cambrian.htm