Grave of a young coalminer from Dunster

Thomas Henry Clatworthy was born in 1876 the youngest of about 11 children of John Clatworthy a labourer of Bonniton Cottage, Dunster and his wife Maria. His older brothers Francis and Alfred went to work in the coal mines at Llandyfodwg in the Ogmore valley, Glamorgan. In 1881 Francis 19 and Alfred 14 were lodging with Thomas Williams from Selworthy only a few miles west of Dunster. Another boarder was from Skilgate, six miles south of Dunster. Clearly West country contacts were strong. By 1891 Francis was married to a woman from Wiltshire and settled in Ynysawdre in Llandyfog. His youngest brother Thomas was lodging with him and another boarder was a bootmaker from north-east Devon. Sadly Thomas's career in the mines came to a tragic end when he was killed in an accident in Aber Colliery 16 November 1893, one of thousands of young men who died in that dangerous but lucrative industry. Aber Colliery had suffered a disaster only five years earlier when several men were killed. Thomas's grave stands between those of his parents in Dunster cemetery. His brothers Francis and Alfred remained in Wales and died in 1933 and 1934 respectively. Their parents remained at Bonniton for the rest of their lives and in 1901 appropriately had a young boarder from Cardiff.