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Birth
Penydarren Birth, Marriage, Death in the UK Penydarren- Penydarren
- Penydarren
- Penydarren
Penydarren
Penydarren was the fourth of the great ironworks established at Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales. It was built in 1784 by the brothers Samuel Homfray, Jeremiah Homfray, and Thomas Homfray, all sons of Francis Homfray of Stourbridge. His father (also Francis) managed a nail warehouse there for Ambrose Crowley. Most of the family were involved in trade as ironmasters or ironmongers (in this context meaning a manufacturer of iron goods).
Because the owners of the Cyfarthfa Ironworks dominated the management of Glamorganshire Canal, the other Merthyr Tydfil ironworks built a tramroad to Abercynon bypassing the upper sections of the canal. This "Penydarren Tramroad" (more correctly, the Merthyr Tramroad) was used for a trial of the first railway steam locomotive, built by Richard Trevithick. This successfully hauled wagons but was so heavy that it broke many rails. The engine was then used for other purposes as a stationary engine.
The business was financed by William Forman of the Tower of London[citation needed], who provided all the capital, partly on mortgage but taking a share in it himself. Samuel Homfray left the business in 1813. In 1819, the partners were William Forman and William Thompson of London. William Forman offered the works for sale in 1859, and the Dowlais Iron Company bought the mineral ground. The works were used intermittently by various others until 1883. Some remains of the works can still be seen.
- L. Ince, The South Wales Iron Industry 1750-1885 (1993), 57-60 79-80 etc.
- G. Rattenbury and M.J.T. Lewis. Merthyr Tydfil Tramroads and their Locomotives (Railway & Canal Historical Society, 2004).
- Old Merthyr Tydfil: Penydarren - Historical Photographs of Penydarren.
- Old Merthyr Tydfil: Penydarren Ironworks - Historical Photographs of Penydarren Ironworks.
- Old Merthyr Tydfil: Penydarren Locomotive - Historical Photographs of the 'Penydarren Locomotive'.
- Penydarren Country XI Cricket Club
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Historical Welsh railway companies: |
| Primary companies: |
Great Western Railway • London and North Western Railway |
| Great Western lines: |
Aberdare Railway • Aberdare Valley Railway • Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway • Alexandra Docks and Railway • Bala and Dolgelly Railway • Bala and Festiniog Railway • Barry Dock and Railway • Barry Railway • Blaenavon Tramroad • Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction • Brecon and Merthyr Railway • Bridgend • Bristol and South Wales Union Railway • Burry Port and Gwendraeth Valley Railway • Cambrian Railways • Cardiff Railway • Cardiff and Ogmore • Carmarthen and Cardigan • Carmarthenshire Railway • Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway • Corris Railway • Corwen and Bala Railway • Denbigh, Ruthin and Corwen Railway • Gwendraeth Valley Railways • Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway • Lampeter, Aberayron and New Quay Light Railway • Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway • Llanidloes and Newtown Railway • Llangollen and Corwen railway • Llynvi and Ogmore Railway • Manchester and Milford Railway • Maenclochog Railway • Mawddwy Railway • Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway • Mid Wales Railway • Monmouth and Hereford Railway • Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company • Neath and Brecon Railway • Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway • Newtown and Machynlleth Railway • North Pembrokeshire and Fishguard Railway • North Wales Mineral Railway • Oswestry and Newtown Railway • Pembroke and Tenby Railway • Pontypool, Caerleon and Newport Railway • Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway • Port Talbot Railway • Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway • Rhymney Railway • Ross and Monmouth Railway • Shrewsbury and Chester Railway • South Wales Railway • Taff Vale Railway • Tanat Valley Light Railway • Vale of Glamorgan Railway • Vale of Llangollen Railway • Vale of Neath Railway • Vale of Rheidol Railway • Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway • West Midlands Railway • Wrexham and Ellesmere Railway |
| London and North Western lines: |
Anglesey Central Railway • Bangor and Carnarvon • Carnarvon and Llanberis Railway • Carnarvonshire Railway • Central Wales and Carmarthen Junction • Chester and Holyhead Railway • Chester and Crewe Railway • Chester & Connah's Quay Railway • Conway and Llanrwst Railway • Llanelly Railway • Red Wharf Bay • Vale of Clwyd Railway |
| Joint lines: |
Brynmawr and Western Valleys Railway • Nantybwch and Rhymney Railway • Quaker’s Yard and Merthyr Railway • Taff Bargoed Railway • Buckley Railway • North Wales and Liverpool Railway • Shrewsbury and Welshpool Railway • Vale of Towy Railway • Wrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay Railway • Wrexham and Minerva Railway |
| Independent lines: |
Corris, Machynlleth and River Dovey Tramroad • Denbigh & Mold Junction Railway • Fairbourne Railway • Ffestiniog Railway • Festiniog and Blaenau Railway • Glyn Valley Tramway • Hay Railway • Kinmel Camp Railway • North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways • Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway • Potteries, Shrewsbury & North Wales Railway • Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway • Pwllheli and Llanbedrog Tramway • Ruthin and Cerrig-y-Drudion Railway • Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Railway • Snowdon Mountain Railway • Swansea and Mumbles Railway • Talyllyn Railway • Van Railway • Welsh Highland Railway |
| Industrial railways: |
Bailey's Tramroad • Beaufort Ironworks Tramway • Bryn Oer Tramway • Buckley Tramroad • Carnarvonshire Slate Quarries Railway • Cedryn Quarry Tramway • Cowlyd Tramway • Crawshay's Private Railway • Crickheath Tramway • Croesor Tramway • Deeside Tramway • Dinorwic Railway • Dowlais Railway • Eigiau Tramway • Elan Valley Railway • Gorseddau Junction And Portmadoc Railway • Gorseddau Tramway • Hendre-Ddu Tramway • Kerry Tramway • Little Ormes Head Quarry tramway • Morda Tramway • Nantlle Tramway • Padarn Railway • Penrhyn Quarry Railway • Penydarren Tramway • Pen-yr-Orsedd Quarry tramways • Rhiwbach Tramway • Saundersfoot Railway • Trefor Quarry railway • Tremadoc Tramway |
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Pre-1830 steam locomotives |
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"Pen-y-darren" (1804) • Catch Me Who Can (1808) • The Salamanca (1812) • Puffing Billy, Wylam Dilly, Steam Horse (1813) • Blücher (1814) • Steam Elephant (1815)
Locomotion No. 1 (1825) • Lancashire Witch, Stourbridge Lion (1828) • Novelty, Sans Pareil, Rocket, Perseverance, Invicta (1829)
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See also: Rainhill Trials • History of rail transport in Great Britain to 1830
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