THOMAS, RICHARD (1838 - 1916), industrialist

son of a London metal-merchant; born at Bridgwater and educated at the Wesleyan College at Taunton. He entered the tinplate trade at Margam, and was afterwards clerk-of-works during the erection of Melincryddan works (1863), near Neath. In 1865 he borrowed money to buy the Ynys-pen-llwch iron and tinplate works; in 1871 he rented the Lydbrook tinplate works; in 1875 he acquired the Lydney works, and in 1877 the Lydbrook colliery. The depression of 1883 forced him to compound with his creditors, whom however, he eventually repaid in full. In 1884 he formed, with his sons, the private company of Richard Thomas and Sons, and in 1888 bought the Melingriffith iron and tinplate works. The firm expanded its activities rapidly, acquiring works at Aberdare (1890), Aber-carn (1895), Cwmfelin (1896), Llanelly and Burry Port (1898), Cwmbwrla (1898), and elsewhere (1902-8). By his wife, Ann (Loveluck), whom he had married in 1859, Thomas had five sons and two daughters. He took but little part in public life, but was a generous supporter of hospitals at Llanelly, Swansea, Cardiff, Newport, Ross, and Lydney. He died 28 September 1916, and was buried in Lydney parish churchyard. His sons, in September 1918, turned the firm into a public company, which continued to flourish, and in 1935 acquired the Ebbw Vale steel works. By today it has been merged into the firm of Richard Thomas and Baldwin, Ltd.

Author

• Watkin William Price, (1873 - 1967)

Sources

• Files of the Western Mail and of the South Wales Daily News
• The Times, 30 September 1916 and 11 January 1917
• The Engineer (1910-13), 6 October 1916

Further Reading

• Wikipedia Article: Richard Thomas

Additional Links

• VIAF: 43524931
• Wikidata: Q7329448

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/