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Emily McCormickEmily McCormick was born on the 8th August, 1858 Emily Nicholls in Gwenap, Cornwall to John Matthew Nicholls and Elizabeth Treague. Her Father John was born in Marizon Cornwall and Mother Elizabeth (Teague) Gwenap Cornwall.
Emily McCormick lived a life of much sadness and tragedy as well as happiness and lived to the age of 89years old.
The 1861 census shows a big move for the family to Port Talbot, South Wales - probably a journey undertaken by sea and John Nicholls and his son John Henry are both employed by the Cornish family of Vivian's. History have served the Vivian family well, whilst throughout the World history tells the diabolic and barbaric standards and human greed that the Crawshays of Merthyr Tydfil operated by it's seems to leave the Vivian family somewhat unscathed and almost betray them as great philtratopsis's to the city of Swansea (Abertawe) how unjust and unfair history can be the Vivian's were disgusting greedy uncaring Iron Masters who in modern time would have found themselves imprisoned for corporate manslaughter and never seem to have regretted their deeds.
In 2008 I attended an exhibition and memorial in St. John's Church Aberkenfig to the Miners how lost their lives in the Park Slip Mining disaster, the gentleman speaking touched on the Cornish who had gone to Taibach as miners and worked in the Morfa Colliery and my interest was aroused, I was going in a few weeks to the theatrical production in Swansea of the Ghost of Morfa Colliery. I started researching on goggle and found the record of John Matthew and John Henry losing their lives in the 1890 disaster and much to my surprise to find that both my great-great grandfather and his son was killed on that day - it was strange to sit through the re-enactment of the tragedy. Since then my Father and I have collected copies of the death certificates from Neath Registry offices, visited Taibach Library to see the memorable plaque, Margam Abbey to view the burial records and put our minds at rest that their bodies were recovered and my father Jack Thomas laid a wreath on the Morfa Memorial which stands in the Port Talbot Steelworks. After military service with the South Wales Borders in Burma in World War II my father returned to work as a bricklayer, entering the then Steel Company of Wales in Port Talbot at it's beginning as a bricklayer little did he know that just about daily he passed the sport where is great grandfather and Uncle had been killed. In 2006 his Union which he played a prominent role in during his working life and continues today in retirement had organized for the memorial of their fellow working man to be built. John Cronin of UCATT arrange in November 2009 for Jack to lay the wreath on the memorial and the current Managing Director of the Port Talbot steelworks honoured him with lunch and thanked him for his loyal service to the steelworks - his picture appeared with 'Jack is back' in the Steel News
. The cost of deceitDeceit can be measured in many different ways but to many of the Cornish workers brought to work in the Tin Works and Colliiery at Taibach (Port Talbot) in the nineteenth century owned by the Vivian family it was with their lives. John Henry Vivian was a native of Cornwall but it his family is best known in South Wales history as beneficiaries of Swansea and the legacy of their Wealth still apparent today in Swansea. John Henry Villian’s son Henry Hussey Vivian becoming the first Lord Swansea in 1892. John Henry died in February 1855 and his son Arthur Pendarvis Vivian came to Taibach to look after the families interests. Arthur had in family tradition been educated in Eton, going onto the Freiburg Mining Academy in Germany and finally in Trinity College. Cambridge a much different background to the workers they employed at Taibach.
The Vivian family owned the Morfa Colliery and near by Cooper Smelter worked in Taibach. Morfa Colliery know as the pit of ghosts. How different the circumstances of life treat people when the men of Morfa Colliery died and their lives were viewed by their employers far less important than the lose of the horses which cost to replace, Mr. Vivian ! turned his yacht around on the way to Teneriffe, may if Parliament had not been discussing the matter of the Times and newspapers of the day reporting on this gas ridden mine he would have continued with his holiday. Below I copy a testament from the Welsh Coal mines web site www.welshcoalmines.co.uk 'Reports of strange happenings and ghostly sightings were commonplace at this colliery, but in the weeks prior to an explosion in 1863 in which 40 miners lost their lives the eerite incidences become more frequent. Superstition was rife among the workfore and it was commonly believed that these supernatural events were harbingers of mysteriously vanish into thin air, they called phenomenon 'The red dog of Morfa'. Morfa colliery became know through the coalfield as the pit of ghosts. An unusual explosion occurred here on the 14th February 1870. Work on deepening the shaft was in operation, when a quantity of blasting powder accidentally got ignited killing 29 men. On the 10th March, 1890- another explosion occurred at this colliery this claiming the lives of 89 men and boys including one the rescuers. It was at the beginning of the morning shift with a workforce of 250 men and boys underground when the blast ripped through the labyrinth of mine workings. Some 100 or so survivors managed to walk ti the pit bottom unaided and these were quickly brought to the surface. The search for other survivors was blocked by a large roof fall in one off the main headings. Work to clear this fall was going on the following morning when to the amazement of the rescue team five young bioys clambered through a small opening over the rop of the fall. They described the harrowing experiences they had encountered while making their way to safety including having to climb over badly mutilated bodies of their work mates. After the fall was cleared the rescuers were able to make slow progress further into the mines workings clearing other roof falls and debris but recovery only dead bodies. It took another twelves hours before they reached the are where the explosion occurred. It seemed very unlikely that any more survivors would be found, when astonishingly they discovered John Franks, although injured but suffering from the effects of afterdamp had somehow survived the explosion. On the Wednesday with the rescuers still clearing and searching the many headings and stalls, a fire broke out in one part of the mine, this made their already hazardous task much more difficult. In the smoke and confusion some of the rescuers became detach from the main party and they got lost in the maze of roadways. The following morning all but one of the missing rescuers were found alive and unharmed, but they had difficulty in reaching one man named Brownsell and it was some time before be could be rescued. He had been overcome from the effects of smoke and afterdamp, which has rendered him unconscious: he died soon after being brought to the surface. It wasn't until a week after the explosion that all 89 bodes were recovered. The under-manager a man named Barvass had been badly injured in the previous explosion of 1863 and he also survived several other minor blasts. Alas this time he wasn't so fortunate and he was numbered among the dead. At the inquest some witnesses spoke of hearing unearthly voices just before the explosion occurred and there were many report of strong smell of roses that had permeated throughout the workings. The jury returned the verdict that the explosion was caused by shot firing igniting a body of gas. However because of the colliers supernatural reputation others were keen to believe in more paranormal explanation. '
An account recorded on the front page of the production by Theatr nanog - 'On Monday March 10th 1890, an explosion at the Morfa Colliery in Taibach, Port Talbot killed 87 miners. That day 450 men should have been at work but something kept them home, and their lives were saved, while others perished. In the inquest there were accounts of ghostly apparitions and unearthly voices heard weeks before the explosion. Will the true cause of the disaster ever be known? ' Death roll - the death roll on the coal mines web site is rather confusing, whilst the report above states all bodies were recovered the web site death roll differs. I don't think any of the death rolls show that John Matthew and John Henry Nicholls were Father and son. John Matthew Nicholls 65 worked as a Airwayman and is recorded as living at Salt Lake and John Henry a collier age 29 living Taibach, one recorded shows that John Matthew Nicholls body was not recovered but I've seen the burial record held in Margam Abbey showing that he and his son were buried on the same day in the Chapel of Ease / Holy Cross Church.
Census records Census Record for Elizabeth & John Nicholls1851 Census Record Elizabeth Nicholls no husband recorded probably at sea the family are living at 8,The Beach, St. Ives, Cornwall
Census Records for Elizabeth (Treague) and John Matthew Nicholls 1861 Census Record 34, Carharrack, Gwenap, Cornwall
1871 Census Record John Matthew Nicholls & Elizabeth Nicholls 15 Groeswen, Brick Row, Taibach, Port Talbot
1881 Census Record : John Nicholls and Elizabeth Nicholls living at 1 Greenfield St., Taibach, Port Talbot
1891 Census Record: Elizabeth Nicholls now a widow living at 1 Oak Wood Cottages, Port Talbot
Census Records for Emily nee Nicholls 1st. Benjamin Thomas 2nd William McCormick 1881 Census Record Emily and Benjamin Thomas are living at 13 Queen Street, Skewen in the parish of Coed Franc
Benjamin died 13th March, 1882 following an accident at Cwrt Herbert Colliery, Neath John Henry died 10th March, 1990 following and explosion at Morfa Colliery, Taibach
1891 Census Record Emily as been widowed and as now remarried and her surname is McCormick the family are living at Gotra Bryn, Bettws (Bridgend)
1901 Census Record The family are living at Glan nant Row, Shwt, Bettws, Bridgend William McCormick Head age 42 Coal Miner Born Tipperary, Ireland Emily McCormick Wife age 42 Born Cornwall Elizabeth Nicholls Widow age 70 Born Cornwall Emily’s Mother – husband killed Morfa Colliery John M Thomas Step-Son 20 Coal Miner Born Margam Son of Benjamin & Emily Thomas Benjamin Thomas Step-Son 18 Born Neath Son of Benjamin & Emily Thomas William T McCormick Son 11 Born Margam Sarah Elizabeth McCormick daughter 9 Born Bettws James McCormick son 7 Born Bettws Thomas D McCormick son 5 Born Bettws Laura H McCormick daughter 2 Born Bettws I will always remember Auntie Sarah (Burtles) telling me her that he honeymoon was a day out to Llantwit Major.
Census Record of David Thomas son of Benjamin & Catherine Thomas living at Fountain Terrace, Bettws (Bridgend) 1901 Census Record David Thomas Head age 27 Insurance Agent Born : Clydach (Swansea) Rebecca Thomas Wife age 31 Dressmaker Born: Cornwall- Marizion recorded as visitor 1891 Census Elizabeth Nicholls David J Son age 2 Born: Bettws Elizabeth living above with Wm. & Emily
Census Record 1881 of Stephen & Rebecca Matthews parents of Rebecca Thomas recorded above living at Oddfellows Row, Bettws, Bridgend. Stephen Matthews Head married 40 Coal Miner Born Cornwall Rebecca Matthews Wife married 35 Born Cornwall John Matthews son 13 Born Cornwall Rebecca Matthews daughter 10 Born Cornwall Stephen Matthews son 4 Born Bettws Andrew Matthews son 1 Born Bettws
Census Record 1891 of Stephen & Rebecca Matthews still living at Bettws but now at Bryn Bach Stephen Matthews Head Married 51 Coal Miner Born Marizon Cornwa Rebecca Matthews Married 47 Born Marizon Cornwall Stephen Matthews 15 Coal Miner Born Glamorgan Andrew Matthews 11 Born Glamorgan Bettws James Matthews 4 Born Glamorgan Bettws John Jones Boarder 28 Coal Miner Born Glamorgan Pontypridd
Census Record 1901 Stephen & Rebecca Matthews now living at Green Meadow Stephen Matthews Head Married 60 Coal Miner Born England Cornwall Rebecca Matthews Wife Married 55 Born do. Stephen Matthews son Single 25 Coal Miner Born Glamorgan Bettws Andrew Matthews son Single 21 Coal Miner Born d James H Matthews son Single 14 Born do, Michael Tellam Border Single 22 Coal Miner Born St.Ives, Cornwall
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