The village of Killay evolved as a direct result of the south Wales coal industry. There were a good number of mines in Killay, the Clyne valley and in the neighbouring village of Dunvant dating back as far as the 14th century. The largest company, but also one of the latest, to mine coal in the district was the
Killan Colliery Company, which began operations in 1899. There were two
drifts, one working the Penlan
seam, the other the Penclawdd seam. In 1902 the
colliery was taken over by
W.W. Holmes and Co. By 1919 the mine had grown to be one of the largest in the area employing 755 men, mostly from the nearby village of Dunvant. In 1920 '''Henry Folland's''' Killan Collieries Ltd bought the colliery as a source of supply for his Grovesend Steel and Tinplate Company. In 1923 the Penclawdd drift was also producing house coal and had grown to over in length.
The Killan Colliery Disaster On 27 November 1924, an inrush of water flooded the mine with such force that it tore out the roof. As soon as the news reached the surface, rescuers rushed to the mine to assist several trapped miners. Two bodies were recovered almost immediately, and it soon became apparent that a further eleven men were trapped in the mine. Pumps were brought in from other mines, and rescuers made frantic attempts to reach the captive miners. After fifty hours, a call reached the surface to send down ladders because eight men had been located. The men had survived by breathing from an air pocket and were soon freed. Divers were then sent to search for the remaining three men who were still missing, without success. It was not until 1 January 1925 that their bodies were finally retrieved. The men who lost their lives in the disaster were: • Archie Davis (28) • Charles Evans (30) • Phil Godbeer (32) • Willie Goulding (22) • Wilfred John (17) The mine would never recover from the disaster, and was to close later in 1925. ==References==