After studying the geology of South Wales, we realise the potential of the area was in essence due to the coal, iron and limestone deposits.
True, the Romans found iron in the area wherewith to forge weapons of war to hold the Celts in check, but after their departure c.401 AD. the forging of iron lapsed.
In later years. which brings us to the period of development we are considering, we find that the first works to be established was that at Hirwaun in 1757 by John Maybery of Brecon. He leased some estates at Hirwaun from Lord Windsor and established furnaces and sank coal mines. The works carried on for some years at no great profit and were eventually acquired by Mr. Anthony Bacon of Cyfarthfa who brought fresh life into them. Thus Hirwaun Works was the oldest of all the ironworks, though not one of the most important.
The Merthyr Area
Merthyr Tudfil or Merthyr Tydfil is supposed to derive its name from Tudfil, daughter of Brychan, Prince of Breconshire who was murdered there with her father and brother by a party of Pagan Saxons and Irish Picts, in the fifth century.
A well called Tydfil’s well near Pontystorehouse is reputed to be the spot where she was murdered. Considered as a Martyr. Tudfil has a church dedicated to her called Saint Tudfil or Martyr Tudfil. Referring to T. E. Clarke’s “Guide to Merthyr Tydfil ” dated 1848. he quotes, ” 90 years ago in 1758, Merthyr was a small village inhabited by farmers and shepherds “. The celebrated geologist De la Beche cites the growth of Merthyr Tydfil as being more rapid than that of any town in the United States.
As far back as 1696, at a £5 yearly rental, Dowlais was leased for the working of minerals, the lease to hold for 77 years. the parties thereto being Lady Pembroke and a Mr. William Edwards of Eglwys Silan in the county of Glamorgan. In 1748 a new lease was granted by Dowager Lady Windsor to Thomas Morgan of Machen Place, one of the direct line of the Tredegar family. for the annual rental of £26 for an area of 2845 acres, for a period of 99 years. It was subsequently sub-leased to the Rev. Thomas Lewis of Newhouse, Llinishen who after keeping the lease for two years thinking the land worthless, relinquished his responsibilities. The land was next leased by Mr. Wyndham William Lewis of the Fan, a descendant of Ivor Bach, Lord of Senghenydd.
The Dowlais Works
From the date of lease in 1759, Mr. Lewis built a blast furnace at Dowlais, he also had furnaces at Caerphilly and Pentyrch. He discovered that there were vast quantities of ironstone and wood to make charcoal. As he did not have time to attend to the three furnaces he invited a Mr. John Guest to come and manage the Dowlais Furnace.
The Guest Family
In 1760. John Guest of Whitehouse Broseley, Shropshire made his entry into Merthyr with his faithful servant Ben, both mounted on the same horse and put up for the night at the “Three Salmons ,” in Merthyr. After taking over the management of the Dowlais furnace, he discovered that there was coal in the property and he soon found a way of smelting the different ores with coal instead of charcoal. In a short time, he was raising more coal than the furnace required so he commenced selling the coal to neighbouring farmers at the price of ½d. per sack plus a sack of lime. He discovered that the farmers were dividing the sack of coal into three smaller ones and selling them to people in different parts of Breconshire, etc., for 1d. per sack so Mr. Guest advanced the price to 1d. per sack. This was in the year 1765 and it caused a great deal of grumbling on the part of the farmers at the time.
Mr. Guest managed the works for 25 years at the end of which time the output was 1.500 tons of iron per annum. Subsequently in 1782 he became a partner with Mr. Lewis and Mr. William Taitt. a traveller for the firm. On his death on the 25th November 1785 at the age of 64, he was buried in the Parish Church of Merthyr Tydfil
He was succeeded by his son Thomas Guest who in 1787 became partner in the firm which from that time became known as the Dowlais Iron Company and was composed of Mr. Lewis with six shares, Mr. Taitt (who married a daughter of Mr. John Guest) eight shares, and Mr. Thomas Guest two shares.
Thomas Guest, like his father was a Wesleyan and acted as a local preacher, he possessed strong religious convictions which no doubt had an influence in establishing the noble character of his son John Josiah.
According to Mr. T. F. Clarke, the first furnace worked by steam power was erected in Dowlais about the year 1753, however, it is recorded in Wilkins ‘ History of Merthyr Tydfil’ that steam power was first introduced to the district in 1795 and this was at Dowlais, the engine was one of Watt and Boulton, Shropshire, and was used for the purpose of blowing the furnaces. It is more than probable that this was the earliest steam engine erected in Wales.
In 1797, a company shop was opened for the first time and proved a great convenience to the workmen. This practice which became known as “the Truck System” was prohibited circa 1890 by passing into law of the Truck Shops Act. In the same year, the works was rated to the amount of £2,000 per annum and was composed of three blast furnaces, refinery, foundry and forge turning out about 3000 tons of iron per annum.
Mr. Thomas Guest died on the 28th February 1807 and like his father was buried in St. Tydfil’s church. John Josiah Guest who was born at Dowlais on the 2nd February 1785, took a great interest in the works and for some years previous to his father’s death was under the tuition of Mr. John Evans, manager of the works.
John Guest had been educated at Bridgenorth and Monmouth Grammar Schools. His interest in science later enabled him to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and an Associate Member of the Institute of Civil Engineers.
John Josiah Guest became sole owner of the works in 1815 at which time there were five blast furnaces with an output of 15,600 tons per annum.
He was conversant with every branch of iron making and is said to have been able to roll a bar of iron as well as anyone and could cut a tram of coal as well as any collier.
In 1817, he married Miss Maria Rankin an Irish lady, they lived at Dowlais House but their happiness was short lived as she died some nine months after the marriage.
The Nos. 6, 7 and 8 blast furnaces were built in 1822 and at the end of the year 1823, Nos. 9 and 10 blast furnaces were commissioned and the combined out put from the furnaces during that year was 22,287 tons of iron.
In the year 1825. Mr. Guest was elected as member of parliament for Honiton, Devon, and continued as such until the election of the year 1831 when he was defeated by Sir G. Warrander. this populous and flourishing district and was an example of what, in this free country may be attained by the exercise of skill, energy and perseverance. He was born on the 2nd of February 1785 and died on the 26th November 1852, leaving by his wife the Lady Charlotte Elizabeth Bertie, only daughter of Albermarle, ninth Earl of Lindsey, five sons and five daughters.
Happy in his domestic life, prosperous in his business, full of years and honours having had time and inclination to prepare for his latter end, he died where he was born at Dowlais, in the midst of his family and dependents. Beloved, respected, universally lamented, ‘Seest thou a man diligent in his business, He shall stand before Kings’. This monument is erected by his widow. ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord’.
One of Sir John’s memorials which will long be associated with his memory is the magnificent school at Dowlais which was designed by Sir Charles Barry, the architect of the Houses of Parliament at Westminster, the whole structure is stated to have cost £7,000.
Lady Charlotte Guest remained in Dowlais some years after her husband’s death. With her departure from the scene of her husband’s greatness and finally her marriage in 1855 to Charles. Schreiber MP the connection between her ladyship and Dowlais was nearly severed. Only on one or two occasions did she revisit the district, she died on the 9th January 1895.
After Sir John Guest’s death, his great possessions at Dowlais were administered by his trustees Mr. G. T. Clark and Lord Aberdare, the actual conduct of the works being in the hands of the Chief Manager Mr. William Menelaus with his deputy Mr. E. P. Martin who succeeded him as General Manager on the death of Mr. Menelaus in 1882.
Sir John’s death occurred a little time before the ending of the iron era, as steel was soon to supplant iron. In 1856 the Dowlais Company was the first to take out a license from Bessemer for making steel.
In 1858 the first experimental rail from Bessemer metal was rolled from an ingot sent to Dowlais by Bessemer. Dowlais commenced making steel ingots and steel rails in 1865.
The deepest coal pit in Wales was sunk in Abercynon, the scheme begun in 1890 under the supervision of Mr. H. W. Martin (brother of Mr. E. P. Martin) and Mr. John Vaughan the mechanical engineer. After many difficulties in contending with water and cutting through hard pennant rock, the project was completed in 1896 winning for Lord Wimborne one of the finest coal areas in the Principality.
After the death of Mr. G. T. Clark in 1898, Lord Wimborne came more into evidence, both he and Lady Wimborne visited Dow]ais and up to the close of the century there was a marked improvement in the social conditions in Dowlais.
Great changes were brought about in a short time including the building of a new works in Cardiff. It became evident to his sincerest admirers that Lord Wimborne would be unable to retain an active interest unless he abandoned all others.
It transpired that a Birmingham company had approached Lord Wimborne with a view to acquiring the works and collieries in connection with the Patent Nut and Bolt Company. These overtures were accepted and hence on the 1st October 1899 the historic name of Guest was associated with that of the Birmingham company and the new concern became known as Guest, Keen & Company with which Nettlefolds shortly afterwards amalgamated. Lord Wimborne retained an interest in the undertaking and Mr. £. P. Martin was made a director of the Company.
Mr. William Evans became General Manager over the works at Dowlais and Cyfarthfa, the share capital of Cyfarthfa having been acquired by Guest, Keen & Company.
Following the death of Mr. William Evans, the management of Dowlais works was entrusted to Mr. Howell R. Jones who had been manager of the Dowlais and Cyfarthfa Collieries. During his period of office the works continued to manufacture iron and steel products for the home and foreign markets. Towards the end of the twenties, it was necessary to consider whether expenditure in modernising the plant at Dowlais would be justified to enable its products to be manufactured at a price competitive with those produced at steelworks possessing up-to-date plant. Unfortunately, the advantages which were available at Dowlais by way of local iron-stone and coal were fast becoming exhausted. In fact the main supply of iron ore was being shipped to this country from Spain which involved heavy freightage expense in transporting the raw material to Dowlais and similarly in conveying the manufactured products to the docks for sea-bourne transport to foreign countries.
It needs no stretch of imagination to realize the advantages in favour of the company’s Cardiff works, adjacent to the docks. In addition the appointment of a management at DowIais who obviously could not be expected to be influenced by motives born of local sentimental ties were major factors in the Company deciding to modernise and enlarge Cardiff works at the expense of modernising Dowlais works.
An amalgamation had taken place linking part of the old Guest, Keen Nettlefolds Company with Baldwin’s at Port Talbot to form the Guest, Keen & Baldwin’s Iron & Steel Company which was eventually to become known as the Steel Company of Wales which in 1970 was incorporated into the British Steel Corporation.
The transition of Dowlais in the early thirties from being the largest steelworks in the world to that of a derelict area with little else but vast slag tips to remind one of its glorious past, was indeed a pathetic sight. Perhaps the greatest tragedy was evidenced by tile long dole-queues and the consequent demoralizing effect on the unemployed inhabitants. True, some of the workers moved either to Cardiff or Port Talbot works, where they were able to adapt themselves and contribute in their new sphere with expert knowledge, the result of their training in Dowlais works.
The inestimable monetary, social and cultural contributions which the Dowlais Companies and workpeople have made not only to this country but to almost every country in the world where Dowlais men and women have emigrated, must never be forgotten.
The “wind of change” is transforming Dowlais and district almost beyond recognition, the spirit of its present inhabitants, which like that of their ancestors still flourishes and doubtless will enable the township to render a further contribution to the fortunes of this country and the world in coming years.
I would not consider my story of Dowlais complete without a further short reference to the exploits of two men who played such an important part in the management of the Dowlais Company after the death of Sir John Guest, namely, Mr. William Menelaus and Mr. Edward P. Martin.
Mr. Menelaus, born in Edinburgh in 1818, came to Dowlais from Aberdare, his outstanding ability was suchTop of page that after Sir John’s death he was appointed General Manager of the Company.
He was a person of great integrity, excelled in all branches of his profession and many of the ablest engineers of the latter half of the century gained their experience under his tutelage.
He brought up and educated two nephews, one of whom became famous as Lord Justice Darling.
He was a person of great generosity, he gave £10,000 to the Cardiff Free Library and bequeathed his collection of paintings to that Library. Mr. Menelaus was one of the founder members of the South Wales Institute of Engineers of which he was the first Chairman.
He died whilst on holiday in Tenby in 1882 and was buried in the churchyard of Penderyn near Merthyr.
Mr F.P. Martin had been a pupil of Mr. McNelaus and came to Dowlais to become manager of Cwmavon Works. In 1874 he was appointed manager of the Blaenavon Company where he remained some eleven years prior to his appointment as General Manager of the Dowlais Company on the death of Mr. Menelaus.
He was President of the Iron & Steel Institute in 1897 and in recognition of his work in connection with Sydney Gilchrist Thomas’s experiments in the dephosphorisation of steel whilst al Blaenavon, he was awarded the Bessemer Medal.
It was mainly due to Mr. Martin’s planning that the success of building of Dowlais-by-the-Sea. oil waste moors at Cardiff was achieved.
This works was described by John Fritz of the Bethlehem Works of America as being the finest in the world.
I should like to end this short history by quoting the words of David Hope:
Keep head and heart uplifted,
Though all is grey below,
For high above the hilltops
The morning sun’s aglow.
Cyfarthfa
In 1765 Anthony Bacon a successful merchant of Throgmorton Street, London who had acquired experience as an iron-master in Cumberland, leased a large estate from Lord Talbot and Michael Richards Esq., for an annual payment of £100, the period of the lease being 99 years.
In that year. 1765, Bacon built the first furnace at Cyfarthfa and proceeded to establish an ironworks there, the subsequent history of which was to prove a remarkable one in the annals of the iron industry.
The first method of smelting iron ore was by means of charcoal. Three days a week the men ceased from iron making and were then engaged in cutting wood but when supplies began to fail Bacon, like Guest had to use coal. Bacon got the neighbourhood to unite in subscribing to construct a road to Cardiff which was completed in 1767.
Under Bacon’s direction the Cyfarthfa Works became very prosperous and when he died in 1786 he left a large fortune to his two sons and daughter. The immediate successors of Bacon at Cyfarthfa were a Mr. Tanner of Monmouth and a Mr. Cockshutt and Mr. Bowser who had a small works in Carmarthenshire.
The owners appointed as manager a Mr. Thomas Treharne who proved very capable in this position.
The works was on a small scale with only one furnace in blast and seven blacksmiths’ bellows at work and although in a quiet way Cyfarthfa progressed. Bowser lacked Bacon’s energy and influence and was content to retain the furnace at Hirwaun.
Tanner having lost money sold out his share, Cockshutt and a Mr. Stephens remained at Cyfarthfa where Treharne ruled as manager. Such was the position when Richard Crawshay came upon the scene and eventually acquired the whole of the Cyfarthfa domain.
The Crawshay Family
Richard Crawshay the founder of the Crawshay family in South Wales was born in Normanton near Wakefield in the year 1739, his father William Crawshay being a farmer. From registry records William Crawshay married a Miss Elizabeth Nicholson in 1 738.the second entry records the baptism of their son Richard on 1st October 1739.
It seems that both Richard and his father being strong-willed persons as a result of some difference of opinion between them, Richard decided to leave home. This departure from home was in the year 1757 and ‘after 20 days’ travelling, he arrived in London, He soon found his small means exhausted and was forced to sell his pony for £15 wherewith he hired himself for three years in an iron warehouse owned by a Mr. Bicklewith.
The young Yorkshire lad impressed his master by his integrity and perseverance which resulted in Richard being entrusted with the position of looking after the section of the works producing flat-irons. When his employer retired, Richard remained master of the cast-iron warehouse.
He decided to journey to Merthyr to see for himself what Guest Bacon and Homfray were doing in their respective ironworks. Eventually Richard Crawshay leased Cyfarthfa from the trustees of the younger Bacon and later purchased the works from the descendants of Bacon for £95,000. Richard Crawshay continued to prosper and amassed enormous wealth in an astonishingly short period of time.
He had several daughters one of whom Charlotte married Benjamin Hall in 1801. He was a London Barrister and from these two, descend the great family of Llanover. His son-in-law was a great favourite of Richard Crawshay and he was most generous to him in every way. Besides endowing his daughter on her marriage with a large fortune, he also gave the Abercarn Estate with its vast mineral wealth to his son-in-law.
Richard Crawshay purchased the Union Works in the Rhymney Valley for his son William and Benjamin Hall, William showed little interest in this works and it practically became Hall’s by whom it was prosperously carried on till about 1830. Mr. Hall disposed of the Union Works and moved to Hensol Castle where he died at the early age of 39 and it was left to his son Lord Llanover to win deserved eminence.
In 1806 the Cyfarthfa Iron Company consisted of Messrs. Crawshay, Hall and Bailey, the latter being a nephew of Richard Crawshay.
In spite of his great wealth, Richard Crawshay continued to be a plain homely person and was extremely popular with all who knew him. Just before the death of Nelson. the latter together with Lady Hamilton visited Merthyr and put up at the Star “. He unexpectedly visited Cyfarthfa, an honour which so moved Crawshay, that he wept. He introduced the great sailor to the vast crowd which had gathered and taking him by the hand he cried out “Here’s Nelson boys “, but apparently thinking the applause was not swift in coming, he immediately yelled at them, “Shout you buggers “. and shout they did.
On the 27th June 1810, at the age of 81. Richard Crawshay died and was buried in Llandaff Cathedral. By his will, he left three-eighths of his property to his son William, three-eighths to his son-in-law Benjamin Hall and two-eighths to his nephew Joseph Bailey who had been invaluable to him in the management of the great works. His son William never resided at Cyfarthfa, lie became a great West Indian merchant and was reputed to be the richest man in England.
The Cyfarthfa works were carried on by William Crawshay the second, Richard’s grandson, a very remarkable man, a great inventor and a clear-headed man for business.
In 1819, Cyfarthfa Works possessed six blast furnaces and produced 11,000 tons of pig iron and 12,000 tons of bar. It is recorded that in 24 years from 1817 to 1840, the amount of 613,144 tons of puddled iron was sent down the Glamorganshire Canal. The iron was of excellent quality and in great demand in Mediterranean countries particularly Turkey, Russia was also a great buyer.
Up to 1825 most coal mining at Cyfarthfa had been done means of levels. In 1825. the hey-day of William Crawshay regime, the first balance pit was sunk, it was 100 yards deep an was known as Mountain Pit.
In 1825 William Crawshay built Cyfarthfa Castle at a cost £30,000. The castle contained 365 windows, its gardens, vineries and hot houses, produced some of the finest fruit in Britain William Crawshay was married three times, first to Miss Homfray, secondly to Miss Thompson, his third wife being a Mrs. Johnson In 1847 after many years personal control, Mr. William Crawshay retired from the management of the Works to his seat at Caversham Park only coming to Merthyr at rare intervals. He died at Caversham in 1867 and was succeeded by his sons Robert Cyfarthfa. Francis at Treforest and Henry at Newnham. His eldest son William was drowned whilst crossing the Severn at Beachley in 1839. Had he lived. he would have been the third of his name.
For his sons Henry and Francis, William Crawshay had acquire the old Hirwain Works and Collieries which then entered upon a new era of prosperity.
Henry managed the Hirwain Works for a few years before going to the Forest of Dean. It is recorded that he married a girl who worked in the Hirwain yard, taking her out of the lowly surroundings and that he never in any way repented of his choice.
When Henry left Hirwain, Francis took his place as manager of the works, which he did for 25 years. He was very popular with his workmen, he took the trouble to learn the Welsh language in which he became very proficient.
When the lease on which all the mining of Hirwain depended expired in 1858, Francis went to the works which William Crawshay had purchased in Treforest, and resided some years at Forest House, now occupied by the School of Mines. He spent the closing years of his life in Kent and the lsle of Wight where he indulge in his favourite pastime of yachting.
Mr. Robert Crawshay was left in sole direction of the Cyfarthfa Works, and was well aided by Mr. William Jones and a staff of loyal, able men.
He himself was well versed in the practical details of iron-making having worked some time at furnaces and rolls. He was associate with the decline and the end of the Iron Age, but during the period 1867-73 the trade at Cyfarthfa was conducted in a vigorous condition, he maintained the family tradition, stocking when trade was dull and restarting full rate when it revived.
In 1846 Mr. Crawshay married Miss Rose Mary Yeates, just before her before her eighteenth birthday. Rose Mary Crawshay was a charming cultured person. the friend of Darwin, Browning, Emerson, Herbert, Spencer and many other brilliant men who gave distinction to the Victorian era, all of whom visited Cyfarthfa Castle now and again. She established the Poetic Memorial Fund and for many years prizes were distributed with the arrangements of its founder. One unpleasant incident of Mr. Robert Crawshay’s career was the stoppage of the works brought about by trade unionism. His reign was characterised by many innovations upon the old rule. He founded the celebrated Cyfarthfa Band, one of the finest in the country, he originated the Merthyr Horticultural Society in 1856, aided in establishing schools and their maintenance, and was always a liberal donor to local movements. One of his recreations was photography in which he attained considerable repute. In his later years he was almost blind and totally deaf and throughout all, his wife remained near, his unwearied secretary, and reader, keeping him in touch with world events.
He died in 1879 at the age of 62 and was buried in Vaynor churchyard. On his tomb is carved the simple sentence “God forgive me” ~ a simple epitaph of the last of the great Crawshays of Cyfarthfa.
Robert Crawshay left Cyfarthfa works to his three sons, Messrs. William Thompson, Richard and Robert Crawshay. Mr. W. T Crawshay was the only one of the three brothers who took any active interest in the works. having followed the example of his father and Sir John Guest, by mastering every detail in iron-making.
For some lime the works and collieries were carried on under the management of Mr. William Jones, W. I. Crawshay exercised personal supervision and even when he left Cyfarthfa a Castle for Caversham Park. he kept in close touch with the works.
It was considered imperative that if the Works was to continue at Cyfarthfa. the same conversion from an iron to a steel works would have to be adopted, as had been the case with Dowlais and other similar works. The furnaces at Cyfarthfa were blown out in 1881 and the iron era was ended.
Sir William T. Lewis, the mining adviser of the freeholders of the Cyfarthfa works and collieries suggested to Messrs. Crawshay the conversion of Cyfarthfa to make steel and took upon himself to recommend to the freeholders to grant Messrs. Crawshay a new lease upon modified terms on the condition of expenditure of at least £150,000 in the reconstruction of a new Cyfarthfa steelworks. This was agreed to by Messrs. Crawshay and the project was placed in the hands of Mr. Edward Williams of Middlesborough. (formerly of Dowlais) who prepared the necessary plans and supervised the construction and commissioning of the plant, the final cost of which was nearly a quarter of a million pounds.
Mr. William Jones being advanced in years when the steelworks were started decided to retire in favour of Mr. William Evans, formerly a Dowlais man. He had been selected to manage the works, by Mr. Edward Williams, the results fully justified the selection of Mr. Evans as Manager.
The next historic event was the acquisition of the share capital of Cyfarthfa Company by Guest, Keen & Company and it was agreed that the works carried on as before, under the designation of Crawshay Brothers Ltd., and they continued as such up to 1910 when the Cyfarthfa Works closed down.
In 1916, a blast furnace at Cyfarthfa and the bar mill were started to roll shell steel; they continued for over a year.
Penydarren
When John Guest of Dowlais wanted aid he sent to Mr. Homfray who had a small iron establishment and forge at Stew-pony near Stourbridge. Homfray had three sons. Samuel, Jeremiah and Thomas, who being men of enterprising character, readily accepted the invitation.
They visited Guest and saw his two furnaces but it is not recorded what arrangement, if any, was made between the brothers and Guest.
They went to Cyfarthfa to visit Anthony Bacon and as a result of their interview with him, the brothers agreed to build a forge at Cyfarthfa. Bacon was to supply them with pig iron at £4 10s. per ton and coal at 4s. 0d. per ton. This arranged, the Homfray brothers returned to Stourbridge to recruit men who were prepared to journey to Wales, where, after many vicissitudes, they finally reached Merthyr on the 13th May 1782.
For two years the connection between the Homfrays and Bacon flourished, and then the two parties fell out, when delayed delivery of pig iron from Bacon led to a disparity between Bacon’s and Homfray’s employees, ending in a free fight.
The three Homfrays found their own place in a dingle by the Morlais Brook known as Penydarren, for a rental of £3 per annum. In the year 1784 with the financial assistance of a wealthy Londoner named George Forman, the partners began operations. Their first task was to build a furnace, but since they had quarrelled with Bacon, they were unable to obtain from him, models and measurements of his furnaces, they decided to send two men, to Stourbridge, with a bundle of sticks with which they were instructed In use for obtaining measurements of a furnace in that district.
The men having obtained the measurements started off on their return journey, and decided to spend a night at a wayside inn but forgot to take their precious bundle of sticks with them when retiring to bed. In the morning, the maid used the sticks to light the fire, which meant the men returning to Stourbridge to take measurements afresh.
At this period of time with which we are concerned, transport of coal and iron to all parts of the country was effected by the slow laborious method of mule and pack-horse. A movement was set afoot to construct a canal from Merthyr to Cardiff in order to transport coal and iron by barge. To this end, Mr. Taitt of Dowlais and Mr. Samuel Homfray gave evidence before the House of Commons and consequently an act was obtained for the construction of the canal. The scheme was begun in 1791 and completed in 1795 resulting in a canal of 25 miles length, navigable for barges of 100 tons. The fall in the canal between Merthyr and Cardiff was 611 feet and meant the construction of 40 locks, the total cost of the canal was £103,660 of which Homfray subscribed £40,000. Eventually most of the shares were purchased by Richard Crawshay.
Samuel Homfray was the first man to introduce the “iron horse” into the valleys. One of the first tramways was the one from Penydarren works to the Navigation, now Abercynon, some nine miles in length, whence iron and coal was dispatched to Cardiff in barges. About this time, the Cornish inventor, Richard Trevithick appeared on the scene with his locomotive and Homfray was convinced of the great possibilities of this discovery.
In 1804, Samuel Homfray made a wager of £1,000 with Richard Crawshay that he would convey a load of iron by steam power from his works to the Navigation. The man chosen to complete this feat was Trevithick, who assisted by a Mr. Rees Jones. a good mechanic and with a great crowd of onlookers assembled at Penydarren, on the 21st February 1804 to witness the “puffing steel” move off drawing a train loaded with 10 tons of bar iron. The locomotive travelling at five miles an hour, reached its destination safely, thus winning the wager for Homfray and world wide publicity for Penydarren.
Penydarren works prospered under the direction of the Homfrays, it was here that the first rail ever made in Wales was rolled, the rail being that for the first railway between Liverpool and Manchester opened in 1830. Here too, the cable for the bridge spanning the Menai Straits was made.
Up to 1819 Penydarren consisted of three furnaces which made 7,800 tons of iron, but in that year great strides were made and the fourth and fifth furnaces were being constructed, On 17th November 1838. Miss Thompson. daughter of Alderman Thompson, a partner in the company, laid the foundation stone of No. 6 furnace,
This furnace had a hearth circle of 6ft diameter, 3 tuyere holes x 18″, the diameter at the bosh was 18ft and continued thus for 10ft above the bosh from thence it contracted to 9ft 3in diameter at the top of the furnace, the height from the hearth stone to the charging plate being 45ft 4in. This furnace was blown in for the first time on 31st October 1839 and the tapping of the first iron was performed by Miss Thompson.
The foundation stone of No. 7 furnace was laid by Miss Thompson on 25th November 1840. The hearth of this furnace was 6ft in diameter, the height from the hearth stone to the charging plate being 54ft 6in The boshes were at an angle of 70 degrees starting from the top of the hearth.
The energies of the Homfrays were not only confined to Penydarren. They built the first furnace at Ebbw Vale. Sirhowy and Tredegar and were at one time connected with the Abernant Works. It was the capital supplied by Mr. Forman and Alderman Thompson which enabled the Homfrays to achieve great ends, and the Formans and Alderman Thompson made immense fortunes but the Homfrays were not so enriched.
Samuel Homfray lived for many years in great state at Penydarren House and after his marriage to a sister of Sir Charles Morgan of Tredegar Park, he left Penydarren for Tredegar and Penydarren House was then occupied by Mr. William Forman who took over the Penydarren Works.
Jeremiah Homfray married the widow of Captain Richards of Cardiff and resided for many years at the Court, Llandaff.
Penydarren Works came to an end in 1859, the plant was scattered all over the country. We still meet relics of their day, finely chiselled stones which formed part of the Mills and Engine Houses and even vitrified stones of furnaces are to be seen in garden walls. bringing home to the thoughtful observer, more so than any lesson of ancient history. the changes which have taken place under the shadow of the great rock, Penydarren.
In a later period we have seen the conversion of part of the old site of Penydarren into a power generating station for the Electric Tramway Company, opened in 1901, from where tramcars proceeded on their journeys to Dowlais, Merthyr and Cefn – a somewhat fitting close for a spot memorable for that from which Trevithick started his first locomotive.
Landore Siemens-Martin Steelworks, c. 1870.
Coke ovens charge 4¼ tons coke, time per charge 3 days and 3 nights. Product good quality containing only 8% of ashes, loss only 20%. Smaller charges burnt in 45 hours, loss 271%.
Blast Furnaces: Ore and coke raised to top, a height of 12’ by ram 24″, steam pressure 30 lb. Spanish ore used 39 cwts. yielding 1 ton pig, 2 furnaces 1-66’ high, 19’ boshes, 1-55’ high, 18’ boshes.
3 Cowpers gas regeneration stoves used to heat blast for 2 furnaces, 1 heating blast whilst 2 are on gas, each stove being fed by gas 3 hours and in contrary direction by blast 1½” (6 tuyers). 2 vertical condensing blowing engines 45″ steam cyl.. 100″ blowing cyl., 5’ stroke.
One building contains 16 Siemens furnaces of 6 ton charges and smaller building S furnaces of 6 ton charges. Blooming hammers, 8 ton single action 34″ cyls. 7’ stroke
Rail mill engines (Ramsbottom’s) pair 35″ cyls. 4’ stroke, 3~ revs, for one of rolls. Steel wire reduced from 1¼” to ¼” on 14 passes.
Bricks for lining Siemens furnaces 98% silica, 2% alkaline matter made from silica stone broken by a Marsden and ground in a mill then mixed with lime water and moulded by hand, well dried in shed and finally burnt (33.000 at a time) in a bee-hive kiln for 5 days.
Charge for steel: 62% pig, 20% steel scrap, 7% Spiegeleisen and enough African ore to yield 11% iron. When worked without scrap the charge is 4½ tons pig, 24 cwts. ore and 10 cwt of Spiegeleisen. time of melting bath of pig 4½ to 7 hours, whole time of charge 10 hours.
Constructed all over the country. Although Penydarren Works lays claim for rolling the first rail in Wales, for the Liverpool-Manchester railway, officially opened in 1830, Ebbw Vale lays similar claim to having been the first to roll rails for the Stockton Darlington railway in 1829.
In deference to the Homfrays who founded both Penydarren and Ebbw Vale Works, let it be conceded that both works commenced rolling rails about the same time.
In 1839 the fortunes of Messrs. Harford & Co., began to decline, rivalry in the iron trade was acute. Labour troubles at Ebbw Vale and added commercial mischance led to the Company’s failure in 1842.
For the following two years, while the affairs of the Company were being arranged, the works and collieries were carried on by trustees, then in 1844 they were bought by Messrs. Darby of Coalbrookdale. another Quaker firm.
This brings us to the third period in the history of Ebbw Vale, Messrs. Darby were the greatest of all the pioneers in this noted enterprise in 1848 Messrs. Darby & Co., acquired the lease of the Victoria Ironworks and Collieries from Sir Benjamin Hall (afterwards Lord Llanover). the Victoria and Ebbw Vale Works were amalgamated with those at Sirhowy.
If the writer may be permitted to digress a little, it is worth mentioning that the Darby family was one of the pioneers in the iron trade of this country, with an antiquity equal to that of any, as old as that of Lord Dudley. In 1709 Abraham Darby the first, carried out the first successful smelting of iron with coke as fuel. Another notable achievement was that of Abraham Darby the 3rd who in I779 erected over the river Severn at Ironbridge, Staffs.. the first iron bridge that was ever cast. This bridge is still standing today and I may add, I considered it a great experience when I first walked over it in 1969 and perhaps I may repeat the crossing in 1979, the bi-centenary of its erection.
Under Darby’s management the works and collieries assumed great importance. Ebbw Vale became the scene of the labour of many men famous in the history of iron, steel and coal industries. Among them were George Parry, the famous chemist with whom Sir Henry Bessemer was glad to consult. It is known that Bessemer paid the Ebbw Vale Company £30,000 for a patent which Parry had sold his employers for £10,000. Here also Windsor Richards the famous metallurgist and engineer won his great reputation.
The company went on expanding and in the year 1864 their properties consisted of:
- Ebbw Vale Collieries. Ironworks and Mines.
- Sirhowy Collieries, Ironworks and Mines.
- Victoria Collieries, Ironworks and Mines.
- Abersychan Collieries, Ironworks and Mines.
- Pontypool Collieries, Ironworks and Mines.
- Abercarn Collieries.
- Six Wharves at Newport.
- The Hermatite and Coal Gales, Forest of Dean.
- The Spathie Ore Mines, Somerset.
Mention should be made here of Thomas Brown, the General Manager and James Brown, his brother. They had emigrated from Stourbridge to Penydarren under the leadership of Homfray – Thomas Brown eventually became a partner of the firm.
In 1864 Messrs. Abraham Darby, Thomas Brown & Partners sold the concern to the Ebbw Vale Company Ltd., which in 1866 was reorganised as the Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron and Coal Company Ltd.
The Steel Made at Ebbw Vale
The Ebbw Vale Company followed the example of Dowlais when in 1866 they commenced the manufacture of steel. In 1875-76 the works comprised of seven five-ton Bessemer converters, six Meland cupolas for supplying molten pig for the converters. six ordinary cupolas for smelting spiegeleisen, one 30″ train of rolls driven by a pair of 50″ vertical engines of 4’ stroke, six large Siemens gas heating furnaces for ingots and blooms, also twenty-four gas producers. When in full production at that time Ebbw Vale could produce 1,000 tons of ingots per week, 800 tons of rails were rolled per week. In 1886, 154,407 tons of pig iron were made, railway iron bars, angles. etc., 9.894 tons. and from us foundries 7,330 tons of castings.
Mr. Abraham Darby and Mr. Thomas Brown both managing partners of the great concern between the years 1864-1873, were both gifted men of genial disposition, firm yet kind. They were followed by Windsor Richards 1873-75, John F. Rowbotham 1876-1881, C. B. Holland 1881-1892, Franklin Hillon 892-1899. Sir Frederick Mills 1899-1920, A. B. Sweet-Escort 1920-22. F. P. Hann 1922-27.
At this juncture 1 am prompted to mention my maternal grandfather, Thomas Karslake Wood. He received his training at Dowlais under Mr. William Menelaus and after holding various posts as Mechanical Engineer at Aberaman and Workington. he was appointed as Engineering Manager of the Ebbw Vale Company in 1877 serving under Mr. John F. Rowbotham and later under Mr. C. B. Holland, unfortunately he died in 1886 at the early age of 37.
The works continued to expand, in 1916-17 two mechanically charged blast furnaces were constructed which were partially dismantled and modified in 1936 and a third furnace added.
The Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron & Coal Company was taken over by Richard Thomas & Co., in 1936 and a new steel plant and strip mill was erected. Later, Baldwins amalgamated with Richard Thomas and the works continued to function under the Richard Thomas and Baldwins Group up to the time of steel nationalization under the Labour Government when it was absorbed into what is now known as the British Steel Corporation.
Notes on the Method of making Coalbrookdale Ornamental Plates
Patterns of these plates were produced from sketches made by French designers who were employed by the Company early in the 19th century.
Clay models were then produced from which, in turn, plaster of Paris patterns were cast. These were handed to moulders who were highly skilled in the technique of producing architectural castings in iron and they made permanent metal patterns usually in bronze.
These patterns were then used to produce castings from a highly fluid grey iron. It was usual for the surfaces to be lightly polished on a revolving brush and the castings were then electro-bronzed.
In order to produce the fine details from the patterns it was necessary to make the moulds from a very fine and uniformly grained moulding sand which was imported from France. The designs of these plates were registered by the Company.
The author possesses some of these plates of varying designs which were presented to his grandfather Thomas Wood.
The illustration shows one of the plates, the fine design and details of which are so delicate that it seems almost unbelievable that it is made of cast iron -when struck it rings like a bell.
Blaenavon Ironworks
This works started in 1780 and associated with it is Benjamin Pratt who was principally concerned in establishing Blaenavon Works and a warm promoter of the Monmouthshire Canal.
Also associated with Blaenavon was Joseph Bailey. nephew of Richard Crawshay and he was joined by his brother, Crawshay Bailey. The brothers also carried on a successful iron trade at Nantyglo and Beaufort.
In 1880 the plant at Blaenavon having been adapted to the requirements of the steel age, comprised seven blast furnaces, three rolling mills for heavy and light rails, four brick factories and numerous collieries. The managing director being Mr. R. W. Kennaird.
In 1874 Mr. E. P. Martin was appointed general manager of Blaenavon, a position which he retained for eleven years prior to his departure for Dowlais.
It was at Blaenavon that Mr. Sidney Gilchrist Thomas aided by his cousin Mr. Percy Gilchrist carried out experiments on iron of high phosphorous and sulphur content.
Success was achieved on the 5th October 1878 resulting in the basic open hearth process.
Bridgend and District
Iron-stone and coal were worked in the districts north of Bridgend in early times, a death from coal mining in the Llwyni Valley is recorded as early as 1682. The first development of any importance took place in 1798 when a Thomas Jones from Abergavenny found a coal level near Llwyni Farm and leased the farm and minerals for £100 a year.
In 1826 a William Jones, a brother of Thomas floated a company known as the Maesteg Ironworks Company.
In 1827 a tramway was constructed linking Maesteg with Porthcawl, a distance of 16 miles. The Maesteg Company in turn became the Llynvi Iron & Coal Company which carried on iron making and coal mining with some success from 1839 to 1872 during which time the Company sank four pits, the Garth, Oakwood, Duffryn and Coegnant.
Sir Robert Price owned the Tondu Ironworks which was purchased by a Manchester man by name of John Brogden. His eldest son, James Brogden came to Tondu from Manchester in 1860 and it was under his direct supervision that the Llynvi and Ogmore Railway was constructed, connecting these valleys with Porthcawl. He also constructed the harbour at Porthcawl. Both railway and harbour were later purchased by the Great Western Railway
In 1872 James Brogden went to New Zealand to superintend construction of railways which his firm had undertaken there. .In his absence the works at Tondu was managed by his constructed the fore runner of what We know today as the hot blast stove, a brick filled steel cased stove, fired with blast furnace gas. The first mechanized blast furnaces to be erected in this country with fully mechanized hoist system. were built at Dowlais in 1905.The plant which comprised two furnaces of 12ft hearth, worked up until 1930.
The nave window in Dowlais Parish Church was erected by E. P. Martin and H. W. Martin, in memory of their father, mother, brother and sister.
Sir William Thomas Lewis, who became the first Lord Merthyr, erected a similar window in St. Tydfil’s Church, but with a blast furnace depicted on it. It was erected in 1896 in memory of the Captains of Industry, thirty-seven of whom are listed on a brass plate at the base of the window, both the Dowlais and Merthyr windows were designed by Mr. R. F. Newbury.
The Members of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers visited Ebbw Vale Works on the 8th August 1884.
Richard Trevithick died 22nd April 1833 at the age of 62. He died practically penniless and was buried at Dartford.
Thomas Telford designed the Church of St. Mary Magdalene Bridgnorth which was built in 1792.
King George V and Queen Mary visited Dowlais in 1912 and were conducted around the works by Lord Merthyr and Mr. Arthur Keen. To commemorate the occasion an archway built of local coal was erected at the entrance to Dowlais House, this archway was designed by my grandfather, John Vaughan M.I.C.E.
Disraeli used to stay at the Cow & Snuffers Hotel, Llandaff North when paying courtship to Mrs. Mary Anne Lewis of Green-meadow Mansion, near Tongwynlais. Visitors to this hotel may still see the head of the celebrated Victorian Prime Minister carved on the lintel over the front window.
The author on many occasions wandered through the ruins of Greenmeadow prior to the time when it was demolished c. 1940.
In 1936 King Edward VIII visited Dowlais and was much distressed when he was shown the derelict Blast Furnaces which ceased working in 1930.
In Merthyr spanning the River Taff at one time stood the Old Iron Bridge which was reputed never to rust.
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