Abraham Darby, III

Wikipedia biography

He carried on his family's principalities of improving the art of smelting iron. He built the largest cast iron structure of his era: the first iron bridge ever built. It crossed over the Severn near the small principality of Coalbrookdale. The bridge caused the village of Ironbridge, Shropshire to grow up around it, with the area being subsequently named Ironbridge Gorge.

Abraham Darby III took over the family business in the 1770s. As it grew, he attracted more workers with various measures. In times of food shortage, he bought up farms to grow food for his workers, built housing for them, and offered higher wages than were paid in other local industry (such as mining or pottery). He died aged 39.

Date of death has also been (erroneously?) reported to be 1791.

A secondary school in Telford, UK, is named after Abraham Darby III. The school's full name is Abraham Darby Academy for the Performing Arts and Business Enterprise.

The two key themes of Darby's life – iron and the Quakers – and the character himself are present in a fantasy novel, The Iron Bridge, by David Morse.

links

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Darby_III
• Burke, Bernard, Sir. A genealogical and heraldic history of the landed gentry of Great Britain & Ireland 6th ed. London : Harrison 1879. Vol I. page 421