Richard Griffiths (industrialist) facts for kids
Richard Griffiths (1756–1826) was a Welsh pioneer in industry. He is famous for building the first important transport routes into the Rhondda Valley. These routes helped open up one of the world's richest coal fields.
Contents
Early Life
Richard Griffiths was born in 1756 in Llanwonno, Wales. He was the third child in his family. His parents were William and Elizabeth Griffiths. Richard grew up in a strong Methodist family.
He later worked as a doctor in Cardiff. But he became well-known for finding and developing mineral rights. People described Griffiths as a "dynamic and colourful personality." He was also known for being a practical joker! He even planned a funny funeral for himself. Richard Griffiths passed away in 1826.
Business Adventures
Getting Started in Coal
Richard Griffiths' youngest sister married Evan Morgan. Evan owned a farm called Hafod Fawr Estate. This farm was in the Lower Rhondda, near what is now Trehafod.
In 1808, Griffiths got permission to use the mineral rights on this farm. He then let Jeremiah Homfray start digging for coal there in 1809. Homfray worked the coal mine until 1813.
Building New Transport Routes
To make the farm more successful, Griffiths decided to improve how coal was moved. He wanted to connect the farm to the new Glamorganshire Canal. This canal linked the ironworks at Merthyr Tydfil to the ports in Cardiff. Both places were good markets for coal.
Before Griffiths, coal was moved by pack horses. This was slow and not very efficient. Each horse could only carry a small amount of coal.
Griffiths first built a special road called a tramroad. It went from the Hafod Estate to the town of Newbridge, now known as Pontypridd. He then built a bridge over the River Taff. Next, he built a short private canal to reach the Glamorganshire Canal. This canal became known as the 'Doctor's Canal'.
The tramroad opened on September 29, 1809. Horses pulled wagons along it. This was the very first transport link into the Rhondda Valley!
Setting the Record Straight
Some early stories said that Griffiths was the first person to dig for coal in the Rhondda in 1790. However, later information showed this wasn't true.
Griffiths himself said he didn't own a coal mine. He told a special committee from the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in 1810 that he had never owned one. Even so, many modern books still incorrectly say he opened a mine in 1790.
A Lasting Legacy
Griffiths' transport link to the Glamorganshire Canal proved very useful. Walter Coffin was the first person to dig deep coal mines in the Rhondda. Coffin's mine was further up the valley at Dinas. He needed to build his own four-mile tramline to connect his mine to Griffiths' link at Trehafod.
When Griffiths died, the rights to the Trehafod Estate went to his family. John Calvert successfully mined deep coal there in 1851. Griffiths' tramline was used until a new railway, the Taff Vale Railway, replaced it in 1841.
