Richard Crawshay
Encyclopedia
Richard Crawshay was a London iron merchant and then South Wales
ironmaster
.
Richard Crawshay was born in Normanton
in the West Riding of Yorkshire
. Initially starting work aged 16, working for Mr Bicklewith of York Yard, Thames Street, London
(to whom he was apprenticed) in a bar iron
warehouse in London, he became sole proprietor of the business on Bicklewith's retirement in 1763.
He married Mary Bourne in 1763 and they had a son William
and three daughters, Anne, Elizabeth and Charlotte. By the 1770s he was a leading London iron merchant, dealing mainly in Swedish
and Russia
n iron. The firm was Crawshay and Moser in 1774, but Crawshay, Cornwell and Moser in 1784. The business still existed as R & W Crawshay in 1816. By 1775, he was acting as Anthony Bacon
's agent for supplying iron cannon
to the Board of Ordnance
and was from 1777 a partner in that business (casting cannon at Cyfarthfa Ironworks
at Merthyr Tydfil
). This continued until Bacon had to give up government contracts in 1782, because he was a member of Parliament.
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 Cockshutt, who had previously managed the forge and boring mill for David Tanner. In May 1787 he took out a licence from Henry Cort
for his puddling
process, but the rolling mill needed was not completed until 1789. He solved the problems of the puddling process by using an iron plate for the furnace ceiling and sea-washed sand for the floor. In 1791 he terminated the partnership, which had made little profit. He continued the business alone, and had two blast furnaces, 8 puddling furnaces, 3 melting fineries
, 3 balling furnaces, and a rolling mill in 1794. A blast furnace was built by 1796, and a fourth in 1796. There were 6 by 1810. He thus developed Cyfarthfa into one of the most important ironworks in South Wales.
Crawshay was very ambitious and imperious in manner, being called 'The Tyrant' by some, but was without social pretension. He was active in protecting the interests of the iron trade and was a major promoter of the Glamorganshire Canal
which immensely improved transport of iron to Cardiff
Docks. At his death in 1810 his estate was worth £1.5 million. In his will he left three-eighths of his ironworks to his son William Crawshay I
, three-eighths to his son-in-law Benjamin Hall
and two-eighths to his nephew Joseph Bailey
.
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
ironmaster
Ironmaster
An ironmaster is the manager – and usually owner – of a forge or blast furnace for the processing of iron. It is a term mainly associated with the period of the Industrial Revolution, especially in Great Britain....
.
Richard Crawshay was born in Normanton
Normanton, West Yorkshire
Normanton is a town and civil parish within the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It is northeast of Wakefield and southwest of Castleford, and at the time of the 2001 Census, the population was 19,949.-History:...
in the West Riding of Yorkshire
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
. Initially starting work aged 16, working for Mr Bicklewith of York Yard, Thames Street, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(to whom he was apprenticed) in a bar iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
warehouse in London, he became sole proprietor of the business on Bicklewith's retirement in 1763.
He married Mary Bourne in 1763 and they had a son William
William Crawshay I
William Crawshay was a South Wales industrialist.The son of Richard Crawshay, he took over the Cyfarthfa Ironworks from his father, but it was never his primary concern, and he continued to live in London. He already had trading interests in India and had only taken a role in the business because...
and three daughters, Anne, Elizabeth and Charlotte. By the 1770s he was a leading London iron merchant, dealing mainly in Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n iron. The firm was Crawshay and Moser in 1774, but Crawshay, Cornwell and Moser in 1784. The business still existed as R & W Crawshay in 1816. By 1775, he was acting as Anthony Bacon
Anthony Bacon (industrialist)
Anthony Bacon was an English-born merchant and industrialist who was significantly responsible for the emergence of Merthyr Tydfil as the iron-smelting centre of Britain.-Background:...
's agent for supplying iron cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
to the Board of Ordnance
Board of Ordnance
The Board of Ordnance was a British government body responsible for the supply of armaments and munitions to the Royal Navy and British Army. It was also responsible for providing artillery trains for armies and maintaining coastal fortresses and, later, management of the artillery and engineer...
and was from 1777 a partner in that business (casting cannon at Cyfarthfa Ironworks
Cyfarthfa Ironworks
The Cyfarthfa Ironworks was a major 18th century and 19th century ironworks located in Cyfarthfa, on the north-western edge of Merthyr Tydfil, in South Wales.-The beginning:...
at Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of...
). This continued until Bacon had to give up government contracts in 1782, because he was a member of Parliament.
In 1786, following the death of Anthony Bacon, he took over the whole Cyfarthfa Ironworks
Cyfarthfa Ironworks
The Cyfarthfa Ironworks was a major 18th century and 19th century ironworks located in Cyfarthfa, on the north-western edge of Merthyr Tydfil, in South Wales.-The beginning:...
, in partnership with William Stevens (a London merchant) and James Cockshutt, who had previously managed the forge and boring mill for David Tanner. In May 1787 he took out a licence from Henry Cort
Henry Cort
Henry Cort was an English ironmaster. During the Industrial Revolution in England, Cort began refining iron from pig iron to wrought iron using innovative production systems. In 1783 he patented the puddling process for refining iron ore...
for his puddling
Puddling (metallurgy)
Puddling was an Industrial Revolution means of making iron and steel. In the original puddling technique, molten iron in a reverberatory furnace was stirred with rods, which were consumed in the process...
process, but the rolling mill needed was not completed until 1789. He solved the problems of the puddling process by using an iron plate for the furnace ceiling and sea-washed sand for the floor. In 1791 he terminated the partnership, which had made little profit. He continued the business alone, and had two blast furnaces, 8 puddling furnaces, 3 melting fineries
Potting and stamping
Potting and stamping is a modern name for one of the 18th century processes for refining pig iron without the use of charcoal.-Inventors:The process was devised by Charles Wood of Lowmill, Egremont in Cumberland and his brother John Wood of Wednesbury and patented by them...
, 3 balling furnaces, and a rolling mill in 1794. A blast furnace was built by 1796, and a fourth in 1796. There were 6 by 1810. He thus developed Cyfarthfa into one of the most important ironworks in South Wales.
Crawshay was very ambitious and imperious in manner, being called 'The Tyrant' by some, but was without social pretension. He was active in protecting the interests of the iron trade and was a major promoter of the Glamorganshire Canal
Glamorganshire Canal
The Glamorganshire Canal was a canal in south Wales, UK, running from Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff. Construction started in 1790, and the 25 miles of canal was fully opened by 1794. Its primary purpose was to enable the Merthyr iron industries to transport their goods, and it later served the coal...
which immensely improved transport of iron to Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
Docks. At his death in 1810 his estate was worth £1.5 million. In his will he left three-eighths of his ironworks to his son William Crawshay I
William Crawshay I
William Crawshay was a South Wales industrialist.The son of Richard Crawshay, he took over the Cyfarthfa Ironworks from his father, but it was never his primary concern, and he continued to live in London. He already had trading interests in India and had only taken a role in the business because...
, three-eighths to his son-in-law Benjamin Hall
Benjamin Hall (ironmaster)
Benjamin Hall, FRS was an industrialist and a prominent figure in South Wales.- Background, Education & Connections :...
and two-eighths to his nephew Joseph Bailey
Sir Joseph Bailey, 1st Baronet
Sir Joseph Bailey, 1st Baronet was an English ironmaster and Member of Parliament .Bailey was born in 1783 in Great Wenham, Suffolk, the son of John Bailey, of Wakefield and his wife Susannah...
.