Historical information

Allan Llewellyn was a well known Eaglehawk identity. See Allan Llewellyn Collection Cat. No.8389.

Physical description

Eleven typed pages of extracts from the 'Bendigo Advertiser' and one private letter to J.H. Seymour, contained in a manilla envelope with Mr. A. Llewellyn, 102 Victoria Street, Eaglehawk, Victoria 3556' written on front in red ink. In pencil above address: 'Please return to A. Llewellyn, Eaglehawk' Stamp, 7 cent, on top right hand corner shows Queen Elizabeth. Copies of letters published in the Bendigo Advertiser contained in envelope:
1. Letter from John H. Seymour, 25yth October, 1876, discussing the prize given to an exhibitor at the National Show, rather than the Seymour model exhibited by the writer. The writer is only a 'working miner and .. could not afford to make a
full size cage'.
2. Letter from 'Fair play' 1st December 1876 regarding Seymour's model and that he should be given the opportunity to have his full size cage tested by the Judges. The cage was working at the Londonderry's Tribute Co.
3. Letter from 'unknown' regarding Nancarrow's Safety Cage, discussing Seymour's claiming 'the levers as his patent'.
4. Two letters from J.H. Seymour, regarding the unfair nature of the testing of the safety cages. Letters dated 1876.
5. Three letters from James Watson, blacksmith, Sandhurst, regarding the construction of the mining cage model exhibited by James Seymour.
6. Two letters - one from H. Banfield, Mining manager, Londonderry Tribute regarding the testing of Seymour's Patent Safety Cage design, dated October 25th. 1876. Second letter on page, regarding an accident at the South Clunes Tribute
shaft, where an engineman Thomas Bonda (sometime Secretary of the Miners' Association) was injured when a cage went to the bottom of the shaft.
7. Article 'Accident at the Shenandoah Claim' detailing an accident with a mining cage when the 'rope slipped off the drum'. Article 'The Perils of Miners' detailing an accident at the Preston Hill claim, Ballarat.
8. 'Miraculour Escape' article detailing a mining cage accident at the Trio Company's shaft at Snob's Hill, September 4th. 1876.
9. 'Safety Cages', letter from Elisha Tippett, Manager Londonderry Tribute company, 7th August 1877, discussing the merits of the safety cage being used at the mine, known as 'Seymour's Patent Safety Cage'
10. 'Trial of Seymour's Patent Safety Cage' where a successful trial was held, then followed by a trial where the cage didn't perform as expected and the 'cage fell heavily to the ground'.
11. Copy of letter from Thomas Dunne, Mining Manager, to Mr. Seymour, regarding the successful operation of Seymour's Patent Safety Cage at the 'Confluenca Mine', Malmsbury on 25th August 1882.
Typed across bottom of last copy of letter: 'The foregoing data supplied by Mr. Frank Fitzpatrick of Eaglehawk and retyped by A. Llewellyn. Through the lapse of time some of the words are not decipherable. In copying there could be some slight errors.'