Abraham Darby III facts for kids
Abraham Darby III (born April 24, 1750 – died 1789) was an important English ironmaster and a Quaker. He was part of a famous family that played a big role in the Industrial Revolution, a time when new machines and factories changed the world.
Early Life and Work
Abraham Darby III was born in 1750 in a place called Coalbrookdale in Shropshire, England. His father, Abraham Darby the Younger, was also an ironmaster. Abraham III went to a Quaker school in Worcester.
When he was just thirteen, Abraham inherited parts of his family's iron-making businesses. By the age of eighteen, in 1768, he was in charge of the Coalbrookdale ironworks. He cared a lot about his workers. For example, if there wasn't enough food, he bought farms to grow food for them. He also built houses for his workers and paid them more than other local businesses, like coal mines.
Building the Iron Bridge
Abraham Darby III is most famous for building the world's first large cast iron bridge. This amazing bridge crossed the River Severn near Coalbrookdale. It was a huge achievement for its time!
The bridge helped a new village called Ironbridge grow up around it. Today, the whole area is known as the Ironbridge Gorge. It's a very important place in history because of its role in the Industrial Revolution.
Family and Later Life
In 1776, Abraham Darby III married Rebecca Smith. They had seven children together. Sadly, Abraham died young, at only 39 years old, in Madeley. He was buried in the Quaker burial ground in Coalbrookdale. His sons, Francis and Richard, later worked in the family business, the Coalbrookdale Company.
Tributes
- A secondary school in Telford, UK, is named after him. It's called Abraham Darby Academy.
- In 1985, a beautiful rose was named 'Rosa 'Abraham Darby'' in his honor. It was created by a famous rose breeder named David C.H. Austin.
See also
