industrial biography-第38章

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The　career　of　Richard　Crawshay；　the　first　of　the　great　ironmasters

who　had　the　sense　to　appreciate　and　adopt　the　methods　of

manufacturing　iron　invented　by　Henry　Cort；　is　a　not　unfitting

commentary　on　the　sad　history　we　have　thus　briefly　described。　　It

shows　how；　as　respects　mere　money…making；　shrewdness　is　more　potent

than　invention；　and　business　faculty　than　manufacturing　skill。

Richard　Crawshay　was　born　at　Normanton　near　Leeds；　the　son　of　a　small

Yorkshire　farmer。　　When　a　youth；　he　worked　on　his　father's　farm；　and

looked　forward　to　occupying　the　same　condition　in　life；　but　a

difference　with　his　father　unsettled　his　mind；　and　at　the　age　of

fifteen　he　determined　to　leave　his　home；　and　seek　his　fortune

elsewhere。　　Like　most　unsettled　and　enterprising　lads；　he　first　made

for　London；　riding　to　town　on　a　pony　of　his　own；　which；　with　the

clothes　on　his　back；　formed　his　entire　fortune。　　It　took　him　a

fortnight　to　make　the　journey；　in　consequence　of　the　badness　of　the

roads。　　Arrived　in　London；　he　sold　his　pony　for　fifteen　pounds；　and

the　money　kept　him　until　he　succeeded　in　finding　employment。　　He　was

so　fortunate　as　to　be　taken　upon　trial　by　a　Mr。　Bicklewith；　who　kept

an　ironmonger's　shop　in　York　Yard；　Upper　Thames　Street；　and　his　first

duty　there　was　to　clean　out　the　office；　put　the　stools　and　desks　in

order　for　the　other　clerks；　run　errands；　and　act　as　porter　when

occasion　required。　　Young　Crawshay　was　very　attentive；　industrious；

and　shrewd；　and　became　known　in　the　office　as　〃The　Yorkshire　Boy。〃

Chiefly　because　of　his　〃cuteness；〃　his　master　appointed　him　to　the

department　of　selling　flat　irons。　　The　London　washerwomen　of　that　day

were　very　sharp　and　not　very　honest；　and　it　used　to　be　said　of　them

that　where　they　bought　one　flat　iron　they　generally　contrived　to

steal　two。　　Mr。　Bicklewith　thought　he　could　not　do　better　than　set　the

Yorkshireman　to　watch　the　washerwomen；　and；　by　way　of　inducement　to

him　to　be　vigilant；　he　gave　young　Crawshay　an　interest　in　that　branch

of　the　business；　which　was　soon　found　to　prosper　under　his　charge。

After　a　few　more　years；　Mr。　Bicklewith　retired；　and　left　to　Crawshay

the　cast…iron　business　in　York　Yard。　　This　he　still　further　increased；

There　was　not　at　that　time　much　enterprise　in　the　iron　trade；　but

Crawshay　endeavoured　to　connect　himself　with　what　there　was　of　it。

The　price　of　iron　was　then　very　high；　and　the　best　sorts　were　still

imported　from　abroad；　a　good　deal　of　the　foreign　iron　and　steel　being

still　landed　at　the　Steelyard　on　the　Thames；　in　the　immediate

neighbourhood　of　Crawshay's　ironmongery　store。



It　seems　to　have　occurred　to　some　London　capitalists　that　money　was

then　to　be　made　in　the　iron　trade；　and　that　South　Wales　was　a　good

field　for　an　experiment。　　The　soil　there　was　known　to　be　full　of　coal

and　ironstone；　and　several　small　iron　works　had　for　some　time　been

carried　on；　which　were　supposed　to　be　doing　well。　　Merthyr　Tydvil　was

one　of　the　places　at　which　operations　had　been　begun；　but　the　place

being　situated　in　a　hill　district；　of　difficult　access；　and　the

manufacture　being　still　in　a　very　imperfect　state；　the　progress　made

was　for　some　time　very　slow。　　Land　containing　coal　and　iron　was　deemed

of　very　little　value；　as　maybe　inferred　from　the　fact　that　in　the

year　1765；　Mr。　Anthony　Bacon；　a　man　of　much　foresight；　took　a　lease

from　Lord　Talbot；　for　99　years；　of　the　minerals　under　forty　square

miles　of　country　surrounding　the　then　insignificant　hamlet　of　Merthyr

Tydvil；　at　the　trifling　rental　of　200L。　a…year。　　There　he　erected　iron

works；　and　supplied　the　Government　with　considerable　quantities　of

cannon　and　iron　for　different　purposes；　and　having　earned　a

competency；　he　retired　from　business　in　1782；　subletting　his　mineral

tract　in　four　divisionsthe　Dowlais；　the　Penydarran；　the　Cyfartha；

and　the　Plymouth　Works；　north；　east；　west；　and　south；　of　Merthyr

Tydvil。



Mr。　Richard　Crawshay　became　the　lessee　of　what　Mr。　Mushet　has　called

〃the　Cyfartha　flitch　of　the　great　Bacon　domain。〃　　There　he　proceeded

to　carry　on　the　works　established　by　Mr。　Bacon　with　increased　spirit；

his　son　William；　whom　he　left　in　charge　of　the　ironmongery　store　in

London；　supplying　him　with　capital　to　put　into　the　iron　works　as

fast。　　as　he　could　earn　it　by　the　retail　trade。　　In　1787；　we　find

Richard　Crawshay　manufacturing　with　difficulty　ten　tons　of　bar…iron

weekly；　and　it　was　of　a　very　inferior　character；*

　＇footnote。。。

Mr。　Mushet　says　of　the　early　manufacture　of　iron　at　Merthyr　Tydvil

that　〃A　modification　of　the　charcoal　refinery；　a　hollow　fire；　was

worked　with　coke　as　a　substitute　for　charcoal；　but　the　bar…iron

hammered　from　the　produce　was　very　inferior。〃　　The　pit…coal　cast…iron

was　nevertheless　found　of　a　superior　quality　for　castings；　being　more

fusible　and　more　homogeneous　than　charcoal…iron。　　Hence　it　was　well

adapted　for　cannon；　which　was　for　some　time　the　principal　article　of

manufacture　at　the　Welsh　works。

　。。。＇

　the　means　not　having　yet　been　devised　at　Cyfartha　for

malleableizing　the　pit…coal　cast…iron　with　economy　or　good　effect。

Yet　Crawshay　found　a　ready　market　for　all　the　iron　he　could　make；　and

he　is　said　to　have　counted　the　gains　of　the　forge…hammer　close　by　his

house　at　the　rate　of　a　penny　a　stroke。　　In　course　of　time　he　found　it

necessary　to　erect　new　furnaces；　and；　having　adopted　the　processes

invented　by　Henry　Cort；　he　was　thereby　enabled　greatly　to　increase

the　production　of　his　forges；　until　in　1812　we　find　him　stating　to　a

committee　of　the　House　of　Commons　that　he　was　making　ten　thousand

tons　of　bar…iron　yearly；　or　an　average　produce　of　two　hundred　tons　a

week。　　But　this　quantity；　great　though　it　was；　has　since　been　largely

increased；　the　total　produce　of　the　Crawshay　furnaces　of　Cyfartha；

Ynysfach；　and　Kirwan；　being　upwards　of　50；000　tons　of　bar…iron

yearly。



The　distance　of　Merthyr　from　Cardiff；　the　nearest　port；　being

considerable；　and　the　cost　of　carriage　being　very　great　by　reason　of

the　badness　of　the　roads；　Mr。　Crawshay　set　himself　to　overcome　this

great　impediment　to　the　prosperity　of　the　Merthyr　Tydvil　district；

and；　in　conjunction　with　Mr。　Homfray　of　the　Penydarran　Works；　he

planned　and　constructed　the　canal*

　＇footnote。。。

It　may　be　worthy　of　note　that　the　first　locomotive　run　upon　a

railroad　was　that　constructed　by　Trevithick　for　Mr。　Homfray　in　1803；

which　was　employed　to　bring　down　metal　from　the　furnaces　to　the　Old

Forge。　　The　engine　was　taken　off　the　road　because　the　tram…plates　were

found　too　weak　to　bear　its　weight　without　breaking。

　。。。＇

to　Cardiff；　the　opening　of　which；　in　1795；　gave　an　immense　impetus　to

the　iron　trade　of　the　neighbourhood。　　Numerous　other　extensive　iron

works　became　established　there；　until　Merthyr　Tydvil　attained　the

reputation　of　being　at　once　the　richest　and　the　dirtiest　district　in

all　Britain。　　Mr。　Crawshay　became　known　in　the　west　of　England　as　the

〃Iron　King；〃　and　was　quoted　as　the　highest　authority　in　all　questions

relating　to　the　trade。　　Mr。　George　Crawshay；　recently　describing　the

founder　of　the　family　at　a　social　meeting　at　Newcastle；　said；〃In

these　days　a　name　like　ours　is　lost　in　the　infinity　of　great

manufacturing　firms　which　exist　through　out　the　land；　but　in　those

early　times　the　man　who　opened　out　the　iron　district　of　Wales　stood

upon　an　eminence　seen　by　all　the　world。　　It　is　preserved　in　the

traditions　of　the　family　that　when　the　'Iron　King'　used　to　drive　from

home　in　his　coach…and…four　into　Wales；　all　the　country　turned　out　to

see　him；　and　quite　a　commotion　took　place　when　he　passed　through

Bristol　on　his　way　to　the　works。　　My　great　grandfather　was　succeeded

by　his　son；　and　by　his　grandson；　the　Crawshays　have　followed　one

another　for　four　generations　in　the　iron　trade　in　Wales；　and　there

they　still　stand　at　the　head　of　the　trade。〃　　The　occasion　on　which

these　words　were　uttered　was　at　a　Christmas　party；　given　to　the　men；

about　1300　in　number；　employed　at　the　iro