Anthony Bacon (industrialist) facts for kids

Anthony Bacon was an important English businessman who lived from 1716 to 1786. He helped make Merthyr Tydfil in Britain a major center for making iron.

Who Was Anthony Bacon?

Anthony Bacon was born in a place called St Bees in England. His father, William Bacon, was a ship captain who traded coal. The family believed they were related to a famous person named Sir Nicholas Bacon.

Early Adventures and Business

When Anthony's parents passed away, he moved to Maryland in America. He lived with his uncles who were tobacco traders. Anthony became a merchant and sailor himself. He grew the family business, trading tobacco and Spanish wine. During a big war called the Seven Years' War, he helped the government by providing ships and supplies.

In 1738, Anthony became the captain of a ship called York. This ship was used to transport tobacco. In 1740, he used this ship to transport 115 people from a prison in London to Maryland. These people had been convicted of crimes and were sent to America to work for 7 to 14 years.

Trading Ships and Parliament

Between 1760 and 1766, Anthony Bacon owned or partly owned five ships. These ships made six voyages across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1764, Bacon stopped trading tobacco. He focused on trading with new British colonies in the West Indies, like St Vincent and Tobago.

To help his business with government contracts, he became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Aylesbury. He served as an MP until 1784.

Building the Iron Industry

In 1765, Bacon teamed up with William Brownrigg. They leased a large area of land in the Merthyr valley that was rich in minerals. They hired Charles Wood to build the Cyfarthfa forge. A forge is a place where metal is shaped using heat. They used a special process to turn pig iron into bar iron.

In 1767, they opened a huge blast furnace at Cyfarthfa. It was 50 feet tall! In 1766, Bacon also took over the Plymouth Ironworks to get more pig iron for his forge. Later, in 1780, Bacon leased the Hirwaun ironworks as well.

Making Cannons for the Government

Anthony Bacon also had contracts with the government to supply cannons. In 1773, he offered to make three different types of cannons for testing. One of his cannons was made by casting it solid and then boring a hole through it. This method made the cannons stronger and more durable.

This led to a big contract in 1774. These cannons were made by John Wilkinson for a while. Later, the cannons were made at Cyfarthfa. Bacon continued to supply cannons until 1782, when new rules stopped MPs from having government contracts. At that time, he leased his forge and some of his cannon business to Francis Homfray.

Anthony Bacon's Family

Anthony Bacon married Elizabeth Richardson, but their only son passed away at a young age. Anthony's brother, Thomas, also passed away. Because of this, Anthony made his niece Elizabeth and his own sons his heirs. When he passed away, his sons received a lot of money and property.

His oldest son, Anthony Bushby Bacon, received the Cyfarthfa estate. His second son, Thomas Bacon, received the Plymouth furnace. The Hirwaun furnace became joint property for Anthony II and Thomas. Elizabeth received money each year.

However, Anthony's sons were not very interested in running their father's businesses. They quickly sold or leased them to others. For example, Anthony II sold his share to Richard Crawshay, who was a witness to his father's will.

See Also

• Merthyr Tydfil
• Cyfarthfa Ironworks