Editing Glamorgan (section)

=====Metals industry=====
[[File:George Childs Dowlais Ironworks 1840.jpg|right|thumbnail|250px|''Dowlais Ironworks'' by [[George Childs]] (1840)]]

From the mid-18th century onwards, Glamorgan's uplands underwent large-scale industrialisation and several coastal towns, in particular [[Swansea]] and later [[Cardiff]], became significant ports.<ref name="Davies319"/> From the late 18th century until the early 20th century Glamorgan produced 70 per cent of the British output of [[copper]].<ref>D. Gareth Evans (1989), p.17</ref> The industry was developed by English entrepreneurs and investors such as [[John Henry Vivian]]<ref name="Davies18-19">D. Gareth Evans (1989), pp.18–19</ref> and largely based in the west of the county, where coal could be purchased cheaply and ores imported from [[Cornwall]], [[Devon]] and later much further afield. The industry was of immense importance to Swansea in particular; in 1823 the smelting works on the [[River Tawe]], and the collieries and shipping dependent on them, supported between 8,000 and 10,000 people.<ref>D. Gareth Evans (1989), p.18</ref> Imports of copper ores reached a peak in the 1880s, after which there was a steep fall until the virtual end of the trade in the 1920s. The cost of shipping ores from distant countries, and the growth of foreign competitors, ended Glamorgan's dominance of the industry.<ref name="Davies18-19"/> Some of the works converted to the production of [[zinc]] and the [[Swansea Valley|Tawe valley]] also became a location for the manufacture of [[nickel]] after [[Ludwig Mond]] established a works at [[Clydach, Swansea|Clydach]] in 1902.<ref>Davies (2008), p.169</ref>

[[File:IKBrunelChains.jpg|right|thumbnail|200px|[[Isambard Kingdom Brunel|Isambard Brunel]] standing in front of the [[SS Great Eastern|Great Eastern]] whose chains were made by [[Brown Lenox & Co Ltd|Brown Lenox]] of [[Pontypridd]]<ref>[http://webapps.rhondda-cynon-taff.gov.uk/heritagetrail/taff/pontypridd/pontypridd.htm History of Pontypridd] Rhondda Cynon Taf Library services {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928135944/http://webapps.rhondda-cynon-taff.gov.uk/heritagetrail/taff/pontypridd/pontypridd.htm |date=28 September 2011 }}</ref>]]

Even at its peak, copper [[smelting]] was never as significant as iron smelting, which was the major industrial employer of men and capital in south Wales before the rise of the sale-coal industry. Ironmaking developed in locations where [[ironstone]], coal and limestone were found in close proximity – primarily the northern and south-western parts of the [[South Wales coalfield]].<ref name="Davies, p.393">Davies (2008), p.393</ref><ref>D. Gareth Evans (1989), p.26</ref> In the second half of the 18th century four ironworks were built in [[Merthyr Tydfil County Borough|Merthyr Tydfil]]. In 1759 the [[Dowlais Ironworks]] were established by a partnership of nine men. This was followed by the [[Plymouth Ironworks]] in 1763, which was formed by [[Isaac Wilkinson]] and John Guest, then in 1765 [[Anthony Bacon (industrialist)|Anthony Bacon]] established the [[Cyfarthfa Ironworks]]. The fourth of the great ironworks, [[Penydarren Ironworks]] was built in 1784. These works made Merthyr Tydfil the main centre of the industry in Wales.<ref name="Davies, p.393"/>

As well as copper and iron, Glamorgan became an important centre for the tinplate industry. Although not as famous as the Llanelli or Pontypool works, a concentrated number of works emerged around Swansea, Aberavon and Neath towards the late 19th century.<ref name="Davies871">Davies (2008), p.871</ref> Glamorgan became the most populous and industrialised county in Wales and was known as the 'crucible of the Industrial Revolution'.<ref name="BBC" /><ref name="Newman68">Newman (1995), p.68</ref>

Other areas to house heavy industries include ironworks in [[Maesteg]] (1826), tinplate works in Llwydarth and [[Pontyclun]] and an iron ore mine in [[Llanharry]].

Alongside the metalworks, industries appeared throughout Glamorgan that made use of the works' output. Pontypridd was well known for the [[Brown Lenox & Co Ltd|Brown Lenox Chainworks]], which during the 19th century was the town's main industrial employer.<ref name="Davies693">Davies (2008), p.693</ref>