Ynysfach Ironworks – The Melting Pot

Memories of Old Merthyr

We continue our serialisation of the memories of Merthyr in the 1830’s by an un-named correspondent to the Merthyr Express, courtesy of Michael Donovan.

Mr William Davies was the forge and mill manager at Cyfarthfa, and Mr John Jones, the furnace manager at Ynysfach. Mr Wiltshire was the vet or farrier (for the Veterinary College had not so many members then), but others also occur to me in other spheres of labour.

John Pritchard was the weigher on the top of the yard (approaching Gellideg). He was the father of the Dr Pritchard many of your readers may recall, living in High Street, opposite Glebeland Street. There was also a weigher at Ynysfach yard some few years later whose name I wish to mention; it was John Morgan, and his contributions to the mathematical part of the Gentleman’s Magazine of that time is ample evidence of his knowledge.

Possibly some of the descendents of those mentioned yet exist, and may read this – some can be recalled. Mr Davies, the mill manager had two daughters, one became Mrs John James (draper). Mr James married a Miss Kirkhouse, Llwyncelyn, an elder sister (half sister really) of the Rev Howell Kirkhouse. I do not think they had a family; nor can I recall either of Mr Jones’ brothers – William, who went to North Wales; or Charles, who went to London – having any; perhaps he (Charles) made up for it by becoming the secretary of the Welsh Girls’ School at Ashford.

William Crawshay II by an unknown artist. Courtesy of Cyfarthfa Castle Museum & Art Gallery

At the present time, when ‘combines’ for trade purposes are rife, and ever and anon a paragraph appears respecting what Mr Robert Thompson Crawshay said he would have done of the workmen had fallen in with his views, perhaps it may be appropriately state what Mr Wm. Crawshay did do in order to meet the varying conditions of demand for produce.

No matter what the marketable produce may have to be – whether bars, rails, sheets or slit rods – all were made from puddled bars rolled to 3 and 3½ inches wide and one-half to five-eighths thick; these were all cut when hot to suit the length of the ‘pile’, as a rule these may be about 18 inches only. After being cut to the length they were taken to an open place – there was one in front of what was afterwards erected and called the Pandy Mill – where they were packed up in the form of a shed, with the roof on, say 16 feet or 18 feet long, 12 feet wide, and 10 feet to the commencement of the slope forming the roof. The weight of one of these ‘houses’ would be about 500 tons. In very bad times, many of these would be built; I think as many as twenty have been seen at one time at the spot indicated, besides others elsewhere, so that there was a stack of 20,000 tons ready for working off when the demand required.

The value of a ton of puddled bars varied from £3 up, so that if 20s were added to the value, there was a virtual profit of about 30 percent on the full amount. Tin-plate manufacturers work for stock occasionally, and the pig-iron manufacturers can deposit their produce and obtain an advance thereon, but rail makers, or bar-iron makers cannot do so to a great extent. In the one case, because of the section, on on the other, the difficulty of avoiding the oxidation. Is it any wonder that the Crawshays are wealthy?

“Cyfarthfa Ironworks at Night” (1825) by Penry Williams. Courtesy of Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery

To be continued at a later date.

Memories of Old Merthyr

We continue our serialisation of the memories of Merthyr in the 1830’s by an un-named correspondent to the Merthyr Express, courtesy of Michael Donovan.

Reader, take a ride by the Taff Vale Railway from Merthyr to Troedyrhiw, and the locus in quo ought to be recognised.

William Williams by an unknown artist. Courtesy of Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery

Mr Henry Kirkhouse was the chief mineral agent at Cyfarthfa, but two of his sons were with him. They resided at Llwyncelyn. Old Mr Wm Williams (known as No 8) was the mechanical engineer; he lived at Pwll Watt. Mr Thomas, the cashier, lived at Nantygwenith Turnpike Gate. Mr Jeffries was the furnace manager at Cyfarthfa, and Mr John Jones was so for Ynysfach. There were some excellent workmen at Cyfarthfa – Saunders, the master moulder of one part and Wm Thomas of the other foundry. The master fitter’s name has slipped my memory, but one of the men, David Charles, can be recalled.

Cyfarthfa was always celebrated for its machinery and engines. Watkin George, the predecessor of Mr Williams, was a man of noted ability; and, as far as known, that reputation is still maintained. George Cope Pearce was the mechanical engineer for a quarter of a century, his predecessor being his brother-in-law, John P Roe. The Williams family were good engineers too.

I forbear to mention some things that can be remembered lest I am prolix, but George Cope Pearce was so original that some two or three things will be stated. His desire for engineering was so strong as to induce his running away from home (his father was the custos of Hereford cathedral), and in coming to Dowlais he enquired for work. Seeing he was not of the class that generally applied, enquiries were made of him, with the result that, while he was hanging on in hopes, his father was communicated with, and came for him; but Sir John (Guest) agreed to take him on after spending some terms at King’s Engineering College. This was done, but his family and friends endeavoured to turn him.

In 1838 he was loco. superintendent at Dowlais; but as was the general rule, he did not get money enough to satisfy him, and went to Messrs Powell at Clydach, near Abergavenny, and engaged in their service. This becoming known, Mr Thomas Evans took him in hand, and by fair promises induced him to write a letter abandoning the idea. Cope could not get the advance expected, and ere three months had gone, Mr Evans began ruling with usual iron rod. They had a few words, and, upon Mr Evans alluding to his having written the letter, heard, “Oh yes; but I forgot to post it”. What followed need not be said. He went to Clydach, and, after a few years, thinking their machinery did not require such a high-priced man, Messrs Powell spoke to him, pointing out what an easy place he had. “Oh then you want a smash or two, I suppose. Well, I daresay that can be arranged, if you wish”. Do not think this is untrue, for it is a fact.

He left Clydach some years ago and came to Cyfarthfa. He was very friendly with William Menelaus. Menelaus was a hot-tempered man, and Pearce was quite the opposite. “Now Menelaus”, he said, “you are very foolish to go on so; it would pay you better to pay a man 30s a week to do the swearing”. He was a good horologist, a microscopist and a musician. Amongst his other makings was a machine to delineate sound curves.

My last visit to Cefn Cemetery was to pay the only tribute to his memory, and I was rather surprised at the paucity of attendance, knowing how highly he was esteemed. He sleeps, however, quite as soundly. During one of the many conversations I asked him, “Why did you leave Cyfarthfa?”. “Well, you see, I had been there some time, and got on very well with the old ones, but somehow or other, not much with the young ones, and rather than lose my temper I resigned”.

To be continued at a later date.

Watkin George

Today marks the 200th anniversary of the death of one Merthyr’s greatest pioneers – Watkin George.

Watkin George is not a name that most people think of when talking about Merthyr’s great men of the past, but his contribution to the town’s history and his legacy is incalculable.

Born in about 1759 in Trevethin, Pontypool, very little is known about his early life, other than he trained as a carpenter, but by his early thirties, he had had married Anne Jenkins (of also of Trevethin), and had moved to Merthyr to work at the Cyfarthfa Ironworks as an engineer, as his expertise in designing and building metal structures had become well known.

He soon became the foundry manager at the Cyfarthfa Works, and in 1792, Richard Crawshay appointed him as a partner in the business. One of his first projects as partner was designing the Pont-y-Cafnau (Bridge of Troughs), a combined tramroad and enclosed aqueduct built to supply the works with limestone and water.

The Gwynne Aqueduct leading to the Pont-y-Cafnau (middle right) from a painting by Penry Williams

Pont y Cafnau Aqueduct, rendered still in a south-east isometric view, taken from the 3D Studio Max model. © Crown copyright: RCAHMW. This image is Crown copyright and is reproduced with the permission of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW), under delegated authority from The Keeper of Public Records.

This was closely followed by the incredible and innovative design for a mechanism to pump air into the blast furnaces – a huge timber aqueduct spanning the River Taff and providing water to power a 15m diameter waterwheel, used to work an air pump for blowing the iron smelting furnaces. The Gwynne Aqueduct and ‘Aeolus Waterwheel’ soon became famous throughout the country, and visitors would come to Merthyr just to see them. Indeed Some contemporary accounts actually referred to the Aeolus Wheel as ‘the Eighth Wonder of the World’.

‘Cyfarthfa Works and Waterwheel’ by William Pamplin. The Aeolus Waterwheel can clearly be seen at the centre of the illustration. Photo courtesy of Cyfarthfa Castle Museum & Art Gallery

In 1799, George designed what would become his most iconic structure – the Old Iron Bridge, and two years later he designed the Ynysfach Ironworks.

In about 1805, having helped Cyfarthfa Ironworks expand, George left the partnership. Reports vary on the amount of money he amassed for his 13 years of service, either £40,000 or £100,000 — “equal to one share”. He joined Pontypool Ironworks as partner to its owners Capel Hanbury Leigh (1776-1861) and Robert Smith, restructuring the works and making great improvements to balling and refinery operations.

In 1811 he prepared a design for Chepstow Bridge – a series of cast iron spans on the existing piers. His design was not adopted, and the new bridge was eventually designed by John Urpeth Rastrick. George’s designs for the Chepstow bridge are his last known work.

Watkin George died on 10 August 1822 and was buried at St Cadoc’s Church in Trevethin.

Today, of his works, the Ynysfach Ironworks Engine House still stands, and his Pont-y-Cafnau is the oldest surviving example of a cast iron railway (tramway) bridge and aqueduct, and is probably the second oldest surviving iron bridge in the British Isles (after Ironbridge in Shropshire), so he is certainly someone who should be remembered amongst the great men of Merthyr.