Men of Iron
Shropshire, U.K.
Twenty years after the death of Charles II and less than 15 miles from the oak tree where he had evaded Cromwell’s soldiers, Shropshire began the transformation from rural landscape to the industrial centre of the world, thanks to the ingenuity of the Darby family of ironmasters. At Coalbrookdale, Abraham Darby I pioneered the use of coke in iron smelting, more cost-effective than coal or charcoal. His innovation brought the price of ironware within the reach of working-class people and gradually improved their lives, which as a Quaker entrepreneur would have aligned with his values.
Sadly, there are no portraits of him as the religion discouraged the practice of creating images (no ‘selfies’). He died at the age of 38 at Madeley Court (now a hotel) in Broseley and is buried in the Quaker graveyard in Broseley.
An early customer for Darby’s iron, Thomas Newcomen used it for the engine cyclinders for his new steam engine that pumped water from mines. It was completed in 1712 and laid the ground for James Watt’s improved version in 1776, which really got the Industrial Revolution motoring. The Darby company had produced 100 cylinders by 1758, and were to supply iron for the world’s first cast iron bridge, built by Darby’s grandson Abraham Darby III in 1779, and Richard Trevithick's railway locomotive in 1802. Ironbridge Gorge was designated a World Heritage Centre in 1986. In recognition of the Darbys’ contribution, in 1985 the Shropshire rose breeder David Austin named one of his rose creations after Abraham Darby.
Shropshire county surveyor, Thomas Telford built some 40 bridges in Shropshire, his first iron bridge at Buildwas in 1796 influenced by Darby. Telford’s reputation as a civil engineer spread far and wide, (rather like his roads), prompting his friend Robert Southey to give him the nickname Colossus of Roads. After investigating a leaking roof at St Chad's Church in Shrewsbury he pronounced that the church was in danger of collapse. When it actually did three days later, his reputation was – dare I say – cemented.
On his death in 1834, his clerk wrote of him: ‘. . . [he was] of the most genial disposition and a delightful companion, his laugh was the heartiest I ever heard; it was a pleasure to be in his society.’ He might well have laughed his heartiest in appreciation of the creation in the 1960s of the new town of Telford named in his honour.
Roads in the 18th century were full of ruts and pot-holes and almost impassable during the winter months. The system of canals, financed by landowners and merchants, was the safest way to transport manufactured goods to markets and ports but the locks needed to negotiate the hills in Shropshire made it a costly and time-consuming process. The construction in 1792 of the Hay Inclined Plane raised and lowered tub boats between different water levels over 200 feet in four minutes, an operation that would have otherwise taken three hours to negotiate the 27 locks required.
Victorian Britain is of course renowned for its engineering prowess. You can experience what it was like to live at the time at Blists Hill Victorian Town, where you can also see the remains of the inclined plane. At least a couple of days are needed to do justice to this fascinating area, as there are more than half a dozen museums and other buildings showcasing its world-changing history. Economic historians believe the Industrial Revolution was the most important development for humanity since the transition from hunter gatherer.