Walter Coffin

Walter Coffin
Born	1784
Died	1867-02-15
Occupation(s)	Coal proprietor, politician
Years active	Early 19th century – 1857
Known for	Pioneer of commercial coal mining in the Rhondda Valley, first Nonconformist MP for Wales

Walter Coffin (1784 – 15 February 1867) was a prominent Welsh coal proprietor and parliamentarian, acknowledged as the pioneer in commercially developing the abundant coal deposits of the Rhondda Valley, ultimately becoming one of the wealthiest coal mine proprietors globally.

Early life

Born in 1784, Coffin was the second son of Walter Coffin, who established a tanning enterprise in Bridgend, and Anne Morgan. He descended from the distinguished Prices family of Ty'n Ton. His education included attendance at Cowbridge Grammar School and a nonconformist academy located in Exeter. Returning to Wales in 1804, he joined the family business. In 1791, his father acquired multiple farm properties in Llantrisant, including Dinas Uchef Farm. By 1809, at 24 years old and seeking opportunities beyond tanning, Walter Coffin initiated coal exploration on his father’s land at Dinas by ending existing tenancies and securing financial support from his father.

Coal mining in South Wales

Coffin encountered numerous obstacles while exploring coal in the lower Rhondda area: limited geological understanding, scarcity of experienced miners locally, absence of transportation over three miles, and no established external demand. He developed at least five mine levels; his initial effort on the Graig Vein (Rhondda No. 1 seam) yielded substandard coal, but his subsequent 1809 excavation reached the superior Rhondda No. 2 Seam. Expanding his mineral rights, he excavated a vertical shaft at Dinas Lower Colliery and discovered a valuable bituminous coal seam at a depth of 40 yards. The coal he marketed as "Dynas No. 3"—later known as "Coffin's Coal"—gained a reputation for its high quality and low impurity content, making it preferred for metalworking and coking applications.

To address transportation challenges, Coffin utilized the Glamorganshire Canal (finished in 1794), which connected Merthyr ironworks to Cardiff docks. Dr. Richard Griffiths had previously constructed a two-mile tramroad from his Denia coal level to the canal at Treforest. Coffin built a one-mile tramway linking the Dinas mines to Griffiths's Denia level; by 1810 they agreed that all Lower Rhondda coal would be transported via their connected tramlines. This arrangement secured access to coastal markets and enabled Coffin’s commercial growth.

Later, Coffin served as deputy chairman of the Taff Vale Railway starting in 1846 and became its Chairman in 1855.

Political career and later life

In 1812, Coffin relocated his family from Nolton near Bridgend to Llandaff Court in Cardiff, thereby enhancing his social standing. By the early 1830s, he held the position of Justice of the Peace and was appointed alderman of Cardiff in 1835. He ascended to serve as mayor of Cardiff in 1848. Representing the Liberal party, Coffin was elected Member of Parliament for Cardiff from 1852 until 1857, becoming Wales’s first Nonconformist MP. Although he served five years in the House of Commons, he never delivered a speech there. In 1857, he resigned his seat and permanently moved to England to be closer to family members. He passed away in 1867 at his residence in Kensington and was interred at the Unitarian Church cemetery on Park Street, Bridgend. With no heirs surviving him or his siblings, the Coffin family name ceased.

In 1972, Trustees of Park Street Church removed Coffin’s gravestone and covered his burial site with tarmac. Although Bridgend Council found no breaches of planning regulations, this action provoked local dissatisfaction due to the loss of an important historic monument.