James Harvey Insole

James Harvey Insole
Born	Template:Birth date Worcester, Worcestershire, England
Died	January 20, 1901(1901-01-20) (aged 79)
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, coal mine owner, philanthropist
Known for	Expansion of South Wales coal mining and shipping business; development of Cardiff as a coal export hub; philanthropy

James Harvey Insole JP (30 April 1821 – 20 January 1901) was a prominent English entrepreneur who significantly expanded the large-scale South Wales coal mining and maritime shipping business originally established by his father, George Insole.

He entered into partnership in 1842 and, by 1844, had leased and rejuvenated the Cymmer bituminous coal pits located in the lower Rhondda Valley, while also cultivating both coastal and overseas markets. Upon his father's passing in 1851, Insole assumed full ownership. A devastating gas explosion struck the Cymmer mine in 1856, resulting in considerable fatalities and becoming one of the most tragic mining accidents in British history. In 1862, he acquired the Abergorki mine situated in the upper Rhondda Valley. Under his leadership, the company evolved into a leading exporter of South Wales steam coal by the end of the 19th century, maintaining operations until 1940.

Insole played a key role in establishing Cardiff as a major coal export hub, notably improving coal-loading techniques and advocating for the development of Penarth Dock, which opened its doors in 1865.

Outside his commercial pursuits, he held positions as a justice of the peace and magistrate for Cardiff and Glamorgan, served as the inaugural president of the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce, and made notable contributions to educational and healthcare causes.

His enduring legacy includes Ely Court, his Victorian mansion located in Llandaff—today known as Insole Court—a community facility that hosts a variety of events and activities.

Early life

Born on 30 April 1821 in Worcester, Worcestershire, James Harvey Insole was baptized at St Helen's Church. He was the second-born and eldest son among six siblings of George Insole and Mary Insole (née Finch). The family relocated to Cardiff in 1828 when his father began developing a coal mining and shipping enterprise in South Wales. His education took place at institutions in Cardiff and Melksham, Wiltshire.

Upon reaching adulthood in 1842, Insole inherited wealth from his father's uncle, an affluent ironmonger based in Birmingham. The following year he married Mary Ann Jones, daughter of his father’s uncle’s business associate. Together they had three children. The family resided in Crockherbtown, Cardiff, adjacent to Insole’s parents until 1852.

Coal producer

Insole joined forces with his father in 1842 under the partnership George Insole & Son, operating as colliery owners and coal exporters. Their initial focus was on mining steam coal at the Maesmawr pit near Llantwit Fardre; however, as reserves dwindled there, they leased and revitalized bituminous coal pits at Cymmer within the Lower Rhondda Valley by 1844. By 1848, they had constructed 36 coking ovens to supply coke to the Taff Vale Railway Company.

He also suggested that the Taff Vale Railway negotiate with Lord Bute to establish coal staiths on the west side of Cardiff’s Bute Dock. When their first coal tip became operational in 1848, the Insoles were pioneers in loading ships at Cardiff with mechanical equipment.

Prior to 1847, their primary clients were coastal ports around the Bristol Channel and Ireland. Afterward, they expanded distribution to French ports such as Brest, Nantes, Calais, Marseille, and Corsica. By 1849 their coal exports reached Mediterranean destinations including Alexandria, Constantinople, Beirut, Smyrna; South American ports like Montevideo, Rio Grande, Rio de Janeiro; as well as Chile and Singapore.

Following his father’s death in 1851, Insole took full control of the business. At just twenty-nine years old that same year he commenced sinking the Upper Cymmer Colliery and subsequently opened New Cymmer Colliery in 1855.

Cymmer catastrophe

The surge in coal demand during the Crimean War in 1855 led Insole to escalate mining activities at Cymmer Old Pit. On 15 July 1856, a devastating gas explosion claimed the lives of 114 men and boys, many of whom were under sixteen years old. This tragedy was considered unparalleled in the history of UK coal mining. The local population was deeply affected, with thirty-five widows and ninety-two children left destitute.

An inquest by the coroner determined that the fatalities resulted from afterdamp poisoning, caused by inadequate mine ventilation combined with the use of open flames underground—despite prior warnings from HM Inspector of Mines Herbert Francis Mackworth. He attributed the explosion to a failure to adhere to fundamental safety measures.

Insole denied any responsibility for mine management or safety oversight, refuted allegations of withholding funds for safety improvements, and claimed he had never received formal mine safety reports. He was excluded from the inquiry and subsequently cleared of blame, although his inconsistent testimony—initially commending his mine manager’s capabilities before later criticizing them during trial—was noted. The mine manager faced manslaughter charges but was ultimately acquitted.

Historian E. D. Lewis argued that the hasty and reckless expansion of Cymmer Old Pit under Insole’s direction was a direct cause of the disaster, highlighting the ethical obligations of owners and officials despite limited legal repercussions at that period.

Following the tragedy, Insole suffered financial setbacks but donated £500 to a Relief Appeal Fund supporting widows and orphans and financed the burial expenses for thirty individuals at Cymmer Chapel.

Post-1856 developments

Cymmer Old Pit remained operational until 1939. To ensure a steady supply of steam coal, Insole purchased the Abergorki Level at the summit of Rhondda Valley in 1862. In 1865, he became a founding board member of the Penarth Harbour, Dock and Railway Company, which constructed a new dock at Penarth as an alternative to the overcrowded Bute Docks. The Cymmer mine underwent deepening between 1875 and 1877 to reach four prolific steam coal seams. By the end of the nineteenth century, Insole’s firm had become one of South Wales’ foremost steam coal exporters, maintaining operations until 1940. Although retaining business interests, Insole had effectively withdrawn from active company management by 1875.

Social elevation

Using his accumulated wealth, Insole sought to enhance his social standing. After his father's passing in 1851, he moved his family to Llandaff, an affluent suburb of Cardiff. Construction commenced in 1855 on Ely Court, a three-storey villa featuring extensive grounds and an impressive carriageway entrance. Over a span of twenty-five years, he expanded his property holdings to establish a substantial parkland surrounding the residence. The house was later enlarged and redesigned in the neo-Gothic style popularized by William Burges at Cardiff Castle.

Already possessing multiple estates across Glamorganshire and land within Cardiff itself, Insole aspired to establish a prominent landowning lineage. By 1872, having semi-retired, he secured armorial bearings from the College of Arms. Three years later, he acquired the Luxborough estate in Somerset—comprising 7,291 acres including Chargot House along with adjacent farms and woodlands—and adopted the title "Lord of the Manors of Luxborough and Withiel Florey." His inclusion in Kelly's Handbook to the Upper Ten Thousand followed by 1878.

Insole was an active participant in horticultural exhibitions for over forty years, achieving notable success while continuously enhancing his gardens and estates—particularly Ely Court. He gained recognition for experimenting with innovative horticultural and agricultural techniques and was a leading figure within the Glamorganshire Horticultural Society.

By 1882 Ely Court was acclaimed as "the foremost residence in the area." In addition to his estate improvements, Insole collected artworks and decorative objects; several bronze sculptures, silver pieces, and paintings were displayed at the 1881 Cardiff Fine Art and Industrial Exhibition.

Philanthropy

Insole and his firm were regularly contributors to philanthropic initiatives. In 1882, he committed £1,000 to the planned University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire in Cardiff, also founding a scholarship awarding £25 annually to a student from Cardiff. The following year, the Cardiff Royal Infirmary honored his £1,000 contribution by naming a ward the Insole Ward.

By 1890, his company pledged £250 over five years to aid the newly established engineering department at the University College. Beginning in 1892, the J. H. Insole scholarship provided financial support of £25 each year for three years to benefit a mining student.

While initially associated with the Congregational Church and various Nonconformist construction projects, Insole later gained recognition as a prominent church figure and generous supporter of the parish church at Withiel Florey, where he held the advowson rights.

Other activities

His civic engagements included serving as a Cardiff street commissioner in 1848; acting as justice of the peace and magistrate for Cardiff from 1856; holding the position of land tax commissioner for Glamorgan during 1856 and 1857; appointment as vice consul for Spain in Cardiff in 1858; becoming the first president of the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce in 1866; and serving as magistrate for Glamorgan starting in 1867. Additionally, he was affiliated with the Pall Mall Club.

Insole held directorships across multiple companies such as the Penarth Harbour, Dock and Railway Company; Ely Valley Railway Company; Patent Fuel Works; Cardiff Hotel Company; and Cardiff Baths Company.

Remarriage, death, and legacy

Following the death of his first wife in 1882, Insole remarried in 1890 to Marian Louisa Carey (née Eagle), who was both a widow and sister-in-law to his eldest son. They lived near his mansion at Pencisely House.

Insole passed away on 20 January 1901 at Ely Court in Llandaff at age 79, leaving an estate valued at £245,388. His death occurred shortly after Queen Victoria’s but was extensively noted through obituaries that emphasized his significant influence on South Wales’ coal industry and the expansion of Cardiff’s port facilities. His funeral was attended by numerous prominent local officials and business leaders.

The fortune amassed by Insole stemmed from coal mining ventures known for their difficult labor conditions, including the devastating Cymmer disaster of 1856.

His family’s ambitions diminished when the Luxborough estate was sold in 1920. The Insole coal enterprise ended operations in 1940 amid a downturn in South Wales’ coal sector. Ely Court (now known as Insole Court) left family possession in 1932, subsequently falling into disrepair before undergoing restoration. It reopened in 2017 as a community venue with its gardens maintained as a public park.

Selected histories

These works emphasize Insole’s contribution to developing South Wales’ coal industry, though accounts differ particularly concerning his father’s background and early commercial activities in Cardiff:

• Contemporary Portraits: Men and Women of South Wales and Monmouthshire; Cardiff Section. Cardiff: Western Mail. 1896. p. xxii.
• Lewis, E. D. (1959). The Rhondda Valleys. London: Phoenix House.
• Lewis, E. D. (1976). "Pioneers of the Cardiff Coal Trade", Glamorgan Historian. 11: 22–52.
• Watson, Richard C. (1997). Rhondda Coal, Cardiff Gold: The Insoles of Llandaff, Coal Owners and Shippers. Cardiff: Merton Priory Press.

External links

• Dictionary of Welsh Biography: James Harvey Insole
• Genealogy of James Harvey Insole (1821–1901)
• Ely Court, Llandaff, circa 1880 (north elevation|south elevation); adjacent to Pencisely House
• Publications by or relating to James Harvey Insole at Internet Archive
• Articles by or about James Harvey Insole at The National Library of Wales (Welsh Journals)
• Welsh Coal Mines Resource
• Penarth Dock, South Wales