A roman fort once stood proudly on what is now merthyr football clubs ground in the penydarren area. Merthyr tydfil the past y gaer iron age hillfort youtube. The glamorgangwent archaeological trust ltd are working closely with merthyr tydfil college, davis langdon and interserve construction to investigate elements of the former ynysfach ironworks in merthyr tydfil, before the construction of a new college building. Upon moving to merthyr the family became members of zoar chapel. Merthyr tydfils iron revolution celebrated 250 years on bbc news. The early history of the old south wales ironworks, 1760. Merthyr tydfil sources glamorgangwent archaeological trust. The full version is available on request at ystradgynlais branch library. The works continued to play an enormous role in providing highquality iron to fuel the industrial revolution. Great britain was involved in various naval conflicts during this time around the british empire, and the demand for cannon and other weapons was great. With four huge ironworks, merthyr was also a mining and railway hub and, at their. Cyfarthfa works became critical to the success of the war effort, so much so that admiral nelson paid a personal visit to the works in 1802.
Taff between the pentyrch iron works and melingriffith. Very poor children sometimes got free books from the proprietor. Ruralurban migration in victorian britain by kathryn cooper. British library, historical print editions the british library is the national library of the united kingdom. This is an edited version of a detailed essay by local historian mr len ley. Book accommodation and get discounts on activities. Brecon merthyr railway abebooks shop for books, art. Merthyr tydfil takes its name from a local heroine.
In the mid 1700s, merthyr tydfil was just a small welsh farming village in the upper taff valley. Historical monuments of wales rcahmw provided the photography. This leaflet is designed to provide information on the history of the taff. David mushet, i find, in his iron and steel work, 1840, page 424, gives the credit of the invention wholly to mr. The road to merthyr tydfil our jones family history. I learned a lot about culture, history, and life of the people who lived there. Excavations at the former ynysfach ironworks, merthyr. The cyfarthfa ironworks was a major 19th century ironworks located in cyfarthfa, near merthyr tydfil, in wales. Ironworks schools in south wales, 17841860 sage journals. The story of cyfarthfa ironworks began in 1765, when cumbrian slave and tobacco trader bacon secured the rights to a tract of 4,000 acres on. Most were established during the nineteenth century in industrialising southeast wales with a smaller number in northeast wales, west wales and elsewhere.
Dowlais ironworks were the first business to license the bessemer process, using it to produce steel in 1865. It is one of the worlds largest research libraries holding over 150 million items in all known languages and formats. Anthony takes you to the never seen before gwersyll iron age hillfort over 3000 years old on top of yeolgerig mountain. Merthyr tydfils iron revolution celebrated 250 years on. Why are there welsh words in yorkshire place names. Founded in the 18th century, it operated until the end of the 20th, at one time in the 19th century being the largest steel producer in the uk. Bibliography of the history of the cynon valley rhondda cynon. Parry, robert ivor, old aberdare and merthyr tydfil in photographs. An iron forge at merthyr tydfil, julius caesar ibbetson, 1789.
Rich landscapes, scenery and heritage mark out this town, which was once the iron capital of the world. The list includes not only books and articles relating solely to the cynon valley but. Artistic impressions of nineteenth century industrial. This is a list of ironworks that have been established within wales, united kingdom. Iron transformed merthyr tydfil from a small rural hamlet to the largest town in wales and the centre of the worlds iron making industry. It was conceived to supplement the cyfarthfa furnaces, primarily in. There is no information on hopkins activities after he left the neath abbey iron works, other than the fact that his new wife hailed from merthyr tydfil and his first son was born in merthyr in 1829. The rich industrial heritage forged by ironmasters and mining has left indelible marks on the surroundings, in the form of housing, historic buildings and areas of. Merthyr tydfil has built its history on a spirit of conquest. Like the seven valley a little further to the north and east, at ironbridge in shropshire, the upper taff valley contained all of the necessary ingredients for a successful iron industry iron ore, limestone for lining furnaces, mountain streams to provide water power and forests to supply.
South wales industrial landscape, penry williams, c. Charles wilkins, in his history of the iron trade, at page 269, has a very full note, and gives the credit to. This was a fascinating book about the town and various iron works that drove the economy. Merthyr tydfil is the main town in merthyr tydfil county borough. These important works were situate on the river taff, in the parish of whitchurch, in glamorganshire. The early history of the old south wales iron works 1760. The road to merthyr tydfil e arly immigrants to the coalfield encouraged friends and relatives to leave their homes and take advantage of the mining boom. Blaenavon ironworks, the most important site in the history of the town. Industrial wales postcard cyfartha ironworks, merthyr tydfil converted to steel from 1884 and finally closed in 1919 pamlin prints relatively modern reproduction ref. Transcription, rejoicings at the clydach iron works llanelly breconshire 1865, clydach iron works, clydach works.
Statistics of the american and foreign iron trades for 1901. With four iron works dominating the merthyr tydfil locality, more jews escaping the persecution in the russian controlled countries became attracted to merthyr tydfil, with business prospects either as pawnbrokers, hawkers or glaziers. The cyfarthfa ironworks was a major 18th and 19thcentury ironworks in cyfarthfa, on the northwestern edge of merthyr tydfil, in south west wales. The works avoided destruction by troops during the evacuation of the city, and continued production through the mid20th century. Beginnings ironmaking has a long history in the area and is said to go back to the beginning of the 17th century. Rosser beynon began working at the ironworks at the age of eight, but he also began attending a school conducted by a mr macfarlane. During the first few decades of the 19th century, the ironworks at cyfarthfa and. The dowlais ironworks was a major ironworks and steelworks located at dowlais near merthyr tydfil, in wales.
Thomas guest, the founder of the dowlais ironworks was prominent in the wesleyan church, and as such, he was a member of wesley chapel in merthyr. In 1805, at thomas guests instigation, rev thomas evans and rev edward jones, ministers at the english and welsh wesleyan chapels in merthyr came to dowlais to preach in openair meetings. The history of merthyr tydfil borough force tells the. In 1840 the works had 5000 employees and by 1845 had 18 blast furnaces producing 88,400 tons yearly and 8800 employees. Hearing of the establishment of ironworks in south wales which offered scope. During this time, the cyfarthfa works lost its position as the leading ironworks in merthyr tydfil to its longtime rival, the dowlais ironworks. So far we have discovered the southern engine and boiler houses, a small section of walling belonging to the. Jump up 3 cyfarthfa conservation management plan large pdf. Its fast and totally secure, and you dont have to be a paypal member to make payment.
Merthyr tydfil the past gwersyll iron age hillfort. Policing merthyr tydfil was an arduous task in the 70 years since the first iron. It was an area which produced iron rather than things made of iron. Merthyr tydfil is a beautiful and historically fascinating area of wales. It was interesting to learn about the kinds of jobs people did and the working conditions of men, women, and children. The 1841 census indicates there were at least 21 jews living in merthyr tydfil. Admiral nelson is said to have favoured cyfarthfa iron for his cannon paying a personal visit to the works in 1802 and crawshay soon adopted a pile of cannonballs as the companys emblem.
Crawshay family, of cyfarthfa, glamorganshire, industrialists. Jewish community the heritage and culture of merthyr tydfil. The early history of the old south wales iron works 1760 to 1840 1906 by john lloyd, 9781166180355, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Mary crawshay, helped in the provision of schools and in providing books to read. Time moves on and hes written other books on different subjects in the years since. The population of merthyr tydfil according to the census was 69,228. Aberaman articles about it include its colliery, iron works, explosion.
Christian, aaslh negative at historic sites survey november 1976 photo no. By 1775, he was acting as the agent for anthony bacon, owner of cyfarthfa ironworks, for supplying iron cannon to the board of ordnance, and in 1777 he became a partner in the business. Merthyr iron works exposed by car park jump to media player developers building a new diy store in merthyr tydfil have uncovered significant remains of the cyfarthfa iron works. As an industrial centre, it is perhaps appropriate that merthyr tydfil was. Great improvement was made in the sanitary and social condition of the work people by sir john guest. Named for the famous iron works at tredegar, wales, tredegar iron works opened in 1837 and stood as richmonds foremost business concern for more than a century. The citys location next to a waterpower source, its proximity to working coalfields, and the development of the railroad industry in the 1830s and 1840s, made richmond the iron. Tredegar iron works 500 tredegar street richmond, va.
Funding from the european union through the convergence programme took effect last year 2007 and will be administered by the welsh european. Tredegar supplied about half the artillery used by the confederate states army, as well as the iron plating for css virginia, the first confederate ironclad warship, which fought in the historic battle of hampton roads in march 1862. Lewis, r, richard lewis, if cap and tie are worn, cyfarthfa school, cyfarthfa, merthyr memories, the kirkhouse, ymca, penydarren end, palace cinema, cyfarthfa park, top field. Penry was an engineer in his own right, with the 1891 census revealing that he was an iron master and joint owner and manager of blast furnaces all by the age of 24. Addis, jp, 1957, the crawshay dynasty barclay, wj, 1988, geology of the south wales coalfield part v merthyr tydfil memoir for sheet e231. By the 1820s, merthyr was the source of 40% of britains iron exports. History of dowlais, in merthyr tydfil and glamorgan map. Merthyr tydfil iron works discovery open to the public. First it was a forge only, and the manufacture of tin plates and of other specialities in the make of iron plates to meet foreign requirements and orders was added. The dowlais ironworks by 1823, about the time that hopkin thomas may have been in merthyr tydfil, dowlais had ten blast furnaces and produced 22,287 tons of pig iron. A vast iron establishment is here, including seventeen furnaces, and huge rollingmills and forges. Under richard crawshay, the cyfarthfa works rapidly became an important producer of iron products.
Paypal is the most popular method of making credit card purchases on the internet today. In 1786, following the death of anthony bacon, he took over the whole cyfarthfa ironworks, in partnership with william stevens a london merchant and james. Childs, dowlais worlds largest ironworks, merthyr tydfil 1840. The cyfarthfa works were begun in 1765 by anthony bacon by then a merchant in london, who in that year with william brownrigg, a fellow native of whitehaven, cumberland, leased the right to mine in a tract of 4,000 acres 16 km 2 land on the west side of the river taff at merthyr tydfil. In glamorgan, the cyfarthfa school in merthyr tydfil was the outstanding. Iron production was already making its mark on the landscape by the late 18th century, and this contemporary painting of the iron works at merthyr tydfil, depicts early iron workers and the hazardous job they faced. Hopkin would have been 36 years old then, later in. Glyn jones book the island of apples is largely set in merthyr. Tales and sketches of wales wilkins, charles of merthyr tydfil on. In 1815 the beynon family moved to merthyr tydfil where john beynon secured a job at the cyfarthfa ironworks. History of taff trail tongwynlais to llandaff outdoor cardiff.