| Background | David Davies (1818-1890) was the founder of the Ocean Coal Co. Ltd. Davies first entered the coal mining business when he obtained the mineral rights for the Treorchy area from Crawshay Bailey and, after fifteen months, on the ninth of April 1866 they hit coal at Maindy Colliery. This was followed by the sinking of Park Colliery. In 1867 David Davies & Company was formed and sinkings continued with the Dare Colliery in April 1870, they then expanded into the Ogmore Valley with the sinking of Western Colliery (previously named Edward) in 1873 and Eastern Colliery (previously named Bwllfa) which first produced coal in 1877. Following this they expanded into the Garw Valley with the sinking of Garw Colliery. Davies called his product Ocean (Merthyr) Steam Coal and his collieries were known as the Ocean collieries. The whole enterprise became the Ocean Coal Co. Ltd, incorporated in 1887, with Davies controlling the main portion of the capital. Became the Ocean and United National Collieries Ltd in 1945. |