For the politician see James J. Davis

James J. Davis

James John Davis was an American steel worker and Republican Party politician in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He served as U.S. Secretary of Labor and represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate...

An iron puddler or a 'puddler' is an occupation involved in the manufacture of iron. Puddling was an improved process to convert pig iron into wrought iron with the use of a reverberating furnace.

James J. Davis

James J. Davis

James John Davis was an American steel worker and Republican Party politician in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He served as U.S. Secretary of Labor and represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate...

, who was born in Tredegar

Tredegar

Tredegar is a town situated on the Sirhowy River in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, in south-east Wales. Located within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, it became an early centre of the Industrial Revolution in South Wales...

 but emigrated to The United States of America where he later became a prominent figure in Government, wrote an account of his early experiences as a puddler in his book - "The Iron Puddler", recently republished.