User:PotentPotables/Penydarren

The Penydarren Ironworks was an ironworks at Penydarren near Merthyr Tydfil in Wales.

18th century
Francis Homfray had been leasing land from Anthony Bacon at Cyfarthfa Ironworks since 1782, but they fell out in 1784 over accusations that the owner had been supplying inadequate quantities of metal. Homfray proceeded to transfer his lease to David Tanner in October of that year.

Homfray's sons Jeremiah and Samuel had been working at the Cyfarthfa site, but began leasing an iron-rich site in Penydarren with financial assistance from their father and another brother, Thomas Homfray. The brothers built their furnace and works on the banks of the Morlais brook. As this site had a lack of coal, they resorted to leasing coal from rival ironworks Dowlais. At another location, the two companies shared the land, with Penydarren working the iron and Dowlais working coal. The two ironworks became engaged in a series of lawsuits, starting in 1795. The first suit, made at Hereford Assizes, was defended and won by Dowlais. In 1807, Samuel Homfray incurred £300 in damages from a libel action against Dowlais' William Taitt. Four years later, Homfray and his partners sued Dowlais for damaging the Morlais brook with cinders and slag.

In 1789, Jeremiah Homfray became a founding member of the Ebbw Vale Steelworks, giving up his share of Penydarren to his brother Samuel and making him the sole managing director.

Samuel Homfray was instrumental in the construction of the Glamorganshire Canal, a 25 mile canal running from Merthyr to Cardiff which opened in 1795. He gave £40,000 of its £103,000 cost and was only surpassed by Cyfarthfa's new owner, Richard Crawshay.

19th century
In 1859, the ironworks closed.