Watkin George facts for kids
Watkin George (born 1759, died 1822) was a very clever carpenter, engineer, and a boss of iron factories. He came from a small village called Trevethin in Monmouthshire, Wales. Watkin started out as a simple carpenter but became very important in building ironworks like Cyfarthfa and Pontypool. He also designed some of the first bridges made from cast-iron.
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Watkin George's Early Life
We don't know much about Watkin George's childhood. We know he was born in Trevethin around 1759. His father, who was also named Watkin George, passed away in 1787.
His Amazing Career
We don't know a lot about Watkin George's very first jobs. But from about 1790 to 1794, he might have been working on bridges made of iron beams. These bridges crossed the Glamorganshire Canal.
Working at Cyfarthfa Ironworks
In 1792, Watkin George became a partner at the famous Cyfarthfa Ironworks. The owner, Richard Crawshay, recognized his talent. Over the next few years, this ironworks grew a lot. They used a special method called "puddling" to make iron better. This process was developed by Henry Cort. By 1806, Cyfarthfa became the biggest ironworks in the whole world!
During his time at Cyfarthfa, Watkin George designed or built many important structures:
- Pont-y-Cafnau (1792-1793): This was a bridge for iron wagons (a tramway bridge) and also an aqueduct. An aqueduct is like a bridge that carries water.
- Gwynne Water Aqueduct (1793-1796): This was a long wooden structure, about 185 meters (600 feet) long, that carried water. Part of it even ran over Pont-y-Cafnau.
- Melingriffith Water Pump (1793-1795): This was a large pump that used water power. For a long time, people thought another engineer designed it. But it was actually Watkin George's design!
- Aeolus Waterwheel (1793-1797): This was a huge waterwheel made of cast iron. It was 50 feet (about 15 meters) across!
- Merthyr Bridge (1799-1800): This was a single, gently curved bridge made of cast iron.
- Ynysfach Ironworks (1801): Watkin George's initials were even on the two large furnaces here.
Moving to Pontypool Ironworks
Around 1805, Watkin George left Cyfarthfa. He became a partner at Pontypool Ironworks. He made many changes there. He took down an old wire factory and built a new factory for making tinplate. He also added a new waterwheel at Pontymoile. He built two more tinplate factories nearby.
After he left Cyfarthfa, people said he had become very wealthy. One person wrote that he had earned "from thirty to forty thousand pounds." This was a huge amount of money back then! It showed how successful he was, even though he didn't have a lot of formal education. His partnership with Capel Hanbury Leigh at Pontypool was very successful. In just the first two years, Watkin George earned £8,300 in profits.
In 1811, George sent in plans for a bridge at Chepstow. The bridge was eventually built in 1816. However, it was built using a design by another engineer, John Urpeth Rastrick.
His Family Life
On September 20, 1789, Watkin George married Anne Jenkins. She was also from Trevethin. They got married in a place called Llanhilleth. They had three children: Hannah (born 1793), Anne (born 1794), and Watkin (born 1795). Watkin George passed away on August 10, 1822. He is buried at St Cadoc's Church, Trevethin.
Watkin George's Legacy
Two of Watkin George's amazing creations are still standing today:
- Pont-y-Cafnau
- Melingriffith Water Pump
Both of these are protected as "scheduled monuments." This means they are very important historical sites. Pont-y-Cafnau is also a "Grade II* listed building," which means it's a very special building.
Sadly, the Iron Bridge at Merthyr was taken apart in 1963. But some of its parts are kept safe at Cyfarthfa Castle. Watkin George's work helped shape the industrial landscape of Wales and showed how one person's clever ideas could change the world.
