Crawshay family

Notes:

Traced origins in business to Richard Crawshay, 1739-1810, a leading London iron and ironwares [including guns] merchant, much involved in the Baltic trade, who in 1786 acquired the Cyfarthfa Ironworks, Merthyr Tydfil. He developed them to become the largest ironworks in Britain in the 1790s, using pioneering methods of production and marketing its output through the family's London merchanting business. Under his family, especially his son, William Crawshay, 1764-1834, the works consolidated their position as by far the largest in Britain for production of iron and iron products and continued to be worked in close association with the London merchanting business. Subsequently substantially rebuilt, especially in 1880s when included a steel plant. In the later 19th century Cyfarthfa Works were in decline and in 1902 sold by Crawshay Brothers Ltd to Guest Keen & Nettlefolds Ltd [2023]