Alexander Ogilvie

The Ogilvie Family of Loughor and Gowerton

Birth and Parentage of Alexander Ogilvie

Alexander Ogilvie was born in 1886 in Loughor, Glamorgan, the son of James Ogilvie and Elizabeth Mary Howells, who had married in Llanelly in 1884. James was the son of David and Louisa Ogilvie, while Elizabeth was the daughter of William and Mary Howells.

1891 Census

By the time of the 1891 Census, the Ogilvie family were living at Cefnfach, Loughor. James, aged 29 and born in Monmouthshire, was working as a General Labourer, while his wife Elizabeth, aged 28, was at home caring for their young family. Their children at this time were David, aged 7, Alexander, aged 5, and Louisa, aged 1.

1901 Census

A decade later, the 1901 Census shows that the family had moved to Office Bach, Gowerton. James, now 39, was employed as a Brickmaker’s Labourer, and Elizabeth, aged 38, remained at home. Their children recorded in the household were Alexander, aged 15 and working as a Coal Miner Door Boy, Louisa, aged 11, and Mabel, aged 9.

Alexander’s Employment and the 1905 Elba Colliery Explosion

Alexander’s Work at Messrs Baldwins, Limited

Stanley Baldwin

As a young man, Alexander became employed as a Trammer for Messrs Baldwins, Limited, a major industrial company established on 7 April 1902. The firm operated works at King’s Dock in Swansea, Mansel in Port Talbot, and Wern in Briton Ferry, and had been formed through the acquisition of several iron, steel, and colliery businesses. The first chairman was Alfred Baldwin, MP, father of future Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, who served as managing director and oversaw the Midland Division.

The 1905 Elba Colliery Explosion

The Mine

The disaster occurred at the Elba Colliery, a long‑established drift mine situated near Gowerton. The colliery worked several seams of the Swansea coal measures, including the Three Feet, Six Feet, Five Feet, and Two Feet seams. At the time of the explosion, only the Six Feet Seam was being worked, accessed by a slant driven into the hillside. Ventilation was provided by a Waddle fan manufactured in Llanelli.

The Explosion – 21^st January 1905

At around 1:00 a.m., a violent explosion tore through the workings of the Six Feet Seam. The blast was so powerful that residents of Gowerton and the surrounding villages were jolted awake by what newspapers described as a “frightful report”. People rushed from their homes toward the pit, where the scale of the disaster quickly became apparent.

Cambrian Daily Leader

The Cambrian Daily Leader reported the tragedy under dramatic headlines:

“TERRIBLE COLLIERY DISASTER. EXPLOSION AT A GOWERTON PIT. FIFTY KILLED AND INJURED. THE WORK OF THE RESCUE PARTIES. SEVERAL OF THE VICTIMS RECOVERED.”

Cambrian Daily Leader

The paper listed the names of the injured, including David Ogilvie, Alexander’s brother. A further article, “SCENE AT THE COLLIERY”, published the names of the dead and described the desperate rescue efforts.

Casualties

Contemporary reports vary, but at least ten men were killed, and many more were injured. The explosion devastated families across Gowerton, Three Crosses, and Penclawdd, and the mine became the focus of intense public grief.

Cause of the Explosion

The inquest, held at Gowerton Rechabites Hall, revealed troubling evidence:

• Matches and cigarette boxes were found underground.
• Devices for opening safety lamps were discovered.

These findings strongly suggested unauthorised smoking or tampering with safety lamps, both known causes of firedamp (methane) explosions in coal mines.

The disaster was widely reported, even internationally, and remains one of the most serious mining accidents in the western part of the South Wales coalfield.

The Ogilvie Family After Alexander’s Death

Elizabeth Ogilvie

Alexander’s mother, Elizabeth, died in 1910.

The Ogilvie Family in 1911

1911 Census

The 1911 Census records David and Mabel living with their widowed father at Berthlwyd Cottage, near Gowerton. James, aged 49, was employed as a Stationary Engine Driver at a steelworks. David, aged 27, was working as a Farm Labourer, while Mabel, aged 16, was still at home.

James Ogilvie

James died in 1915.

Lives of the Surviving Children

1. David Ogilvie

1921 Census

David married Annis (Annie) Harris in 1919 in Gower. By the 1921 Census, the couple were living at Cefn Stylle, Gowerton. David, aged 37, was employed as a Farm Labourer by Berthlwyd Colliery Co., Gowerton, while Annie, aged 29, was recorded at home.

2. Louisa Ogilvie

1921 Census

Louisa married Frank Taylor in 1916 at Pontardawe. The 1921 Census shows the Taylor family living at 52 Gnoll Road, Godre’r-Graig, Llangiwg, Glamorgan. Frank, aged 31 and born in Gloucestershire, was a Colliery Banksman formerly employed by the South Wales Primrose Coal Co. Ltd, though unemployed at the time. Louisa, aged 30, was at home with their children: Thomas John, 11, Elias, 9, Dorothy, 6, and Evelyn, 4.

3. Mabel Ogilvie

1921 Census

Mabel, who appeared in the 1911 Census living with her father, married Edgar Owen Rees in 1914 in Gower. By 1921, the Rees family were residing at Victoria Road, Waunarlwydd. Edgar, aged 29, owned a boot and shoe repair business, and Mabel, aged 27, was at home with their daughters: Iris Doreen, 6, and Sylvia Christina, 4.