Everything about Penydarren totally explained
Penydarren was the fourth of the great
ironworks established at
Merthyr Tydfil. It was built in
1784 by the brothers
Samuel Homfray,
Jeremiah Homfray, and Thomas Homfray, all sons of
Francis Homfray of
Stourbridge. His father (also Francis) managed a nail warehouse there for
Ambrose Crowley. Most of the family were involved in trade as
ironmasters or
ironmongers (in this context meaning a manufacturer of iron goods).
Because the owners of the
Cyfarthfa Ironworks dominated the management of
Glamorganshire Canal, the other
Merthyr Tydfil ironworks built a
tramroad to
Abercynon bypassing the upper sections of the canal. This "Penydarren Tramroad" (more correctly, the Merthyr Tramroad) was used for a trial of the first railway
steam locomotive, built by
Richard Trevithick. This successfully hauled
wagons but was so heavy that it broke many rails. The engine was then used for other purposes as a stationary engine.
The business was financed by William Forman of the
Tower of London, who provided all the capital, partly on mortgage but taking a share in it himself. Samuel Homfray left the business in
1813. In
1819, the partners were William Forman and William Thompson of London. William Forman offered the works for sale in 1859, and the
Dowlais Iron Company bought the mineral ground. The works were used intermittently by various others until
1883. Some remains of the works can still be seen.
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