THE FAMILY WHO BUILT MERTHYR

The richest family in Merthyr Tydfil once controlled an industrial empire that helped change the world. The Crawshays. The family who transformed Merthyr into one of the most important industrial centers on Earth. The story begins with Richard Crawshay, born in Yorkshire in 1739. Unlike many of his time, he was not born into great fortune. He built his success through the iron trade in London before seeing opportunities in South Wales. In 1786, Richard took control of the Cyfartha Ironworks in Merthyr Tydfil. And at the time, the town was already becoming the center of iron production. Richard saw the potential to build something much bigger. Through investment, ambition, and determination, he turned Cyfarthfa into one of Britain's most successful iron works. Iron for a changing world. Britain was at war with Napoleonic France, and demand for iron was increasingly rapid. Iron was needed for weapons, ships, machinery, and eventually the railways that would transform the world. Crawshay's fortune grew, and so did their influence over Merthyr Tydfil. William Crawshay II, son of Richard, took the family empire even further. Known as the "Iron King", he expanded Cyfarthfa into one of the largest ironworks in the world. In 1825, William built Cyfarthfa Castle, not as a fortress, but as a statement of wealth and power. The grand mansion overlooked the iron works and the furnaces that had created the Crawshay fortune. Luxurious interior. But while the Crawshays lived in great comfort, thousands of workers depended on the iron works for their livelihood. The same industry that created enormous wealth also brought dangerous work conditions and hardship for many families. The next major figure in the Crawshay story was Robert Thompson Crawshay. Often described as the last great iron master of the family. Robert was a fascinating and complicated character. He was known for personally inspecting the furnaces and was famous for carrying a huge ring of keys around the works, a symbol of his authority. Away from industry, he had a passion for music, played the violin, and was interested in poetry and culture. But Robert's story has a mysterious final chapter. When he died in 1879, his grave was marked with the few simple words: "God forgive me." Nobody knows what it meant. Whatever the reason, those words remain one of the most mysterious parts of the Crawshay legacy. The Crawshays changed Merthyr Tydfil forever. Nearly 200 years later, their legacy is still debated today. Were they the people who built Merthyr, or a family who became too powerful? What do you think?