Forgotten Voices of Wrexham’s 1934 Pit Disaster Brought Back to Life

Published: 22 September ‘2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

Decades-old records of the devastating 1934 colliery disaster in Wrexham are set to be displayed near the site of the tragedy, providing a poignant glimpse into the human toll of one of north Wales’ deadliest mining accidents. The documents, preserved at the National Archives in Kew, include petitions, letters, and other records that reveal the grief, anger, and desperate pleas of families seeking the recovery of loved ones trapped in the underground explosion at the Gresford pit. More than 260 people lost their lives in the catastrophe, many of whose bodies remain entombed to this day.

Among the archives are documents likely to provoke outrage, including a falsified safety logbook that exposes attempts to conceal critical failings in the weeks leading up to the explosion. The logbook, along with other correspondence, demonstrates the extent to which safety checks were manipulated, highlighting the systemic negligence that contributed to the disaster.

Alan Jones, 79, who worked in the mines during the 1960s, welcomed the temporary display. He recounted the personal connection his family had to the disaster: his grandfather, Josiah, narrowly avoided being at the pit during the explosion after swapping shifts with his cousin, Jabez, whose body remains in the mine. Jones reflected, “My grandfather never went back to work – we believe he had survivor’s guilt. What happened goes deep with everybody in Wrexham. We’ve all got a connection.”

The display will feature additional artefacts, including notebooks of mine air measurements that were falsified by William Cuffin, an assistant surveyor, in the aftermath of the disaster. Cuffin’s evidence to the police, also preserved in the archives, confirms the manipulations: “The measurements recorded … were not taken in the pit and are false.”

Sarah Castagnetti, visual collections team manager at the National Archives, explained that the impetus for bringing the documents to Wrexham arose after seeing the disaster featured in the Welcome to Wrexham documentary series. “I was stopped in my tracks when I found exercise books full of the names of people calling for the bodies of loved ones to be recovered. The voices of the people jumped out and were very moving,” she said.

Among the letters on display is one from Margaret Capper, who implored authorities to recover the body of her brother, John. She wrote, “It grieves me terrible to see my mother and father suffering terrible under this heavy burden they have to bear, and the thought of where their loved one is lying is unbearable.”

The National Archives will present the documents at Wrexham Library for a two-day display on Monday and Tuesday, before returning them to Kew. The move marks the first time the Archives has offered original records to a local community in this manner, aiming to give residents a closer connection to a tragedy that has shaped the city’s history for nearly a century.

The exhibition underscores the enduring human impact of the 1934 disaster, allowing a new generation to witness the voices of those who lived through one of Wrexham’s darkest days and ensuring their stories are not forgotten.