18 Facts About Crawshay Bailey

Crawshay Bailey was an English industrialist who became one of the great iron-masters of Wales.

Crawshay Bailey's parents had moved from Normanton, near Wakefield in around 1780 by which time they had already had at least three children.

Crawshay Bailey was the youngest of six children to be born in Great Wenham.

Joseph Crawshay Bailey sold his share in Cyfarthfa, and together with Matthew Wayne later of Gadlys, Aberdare, he bought Nantyglo Ironworks from the Blaenavon Iron Company.

At some point, Crawshay Bailey joined his brother at Nant-y-glo and, upon Wayne's departure to Aberdare, he became a partner with his brother in 1820.

In contrast to most of his fellow iron masters, Crawshay Bailey recognised the potential for the future development of the coal industry in South Wales, and far-sightedly bought up large areas of coal-rich land, at their agricultural value too, in the Rhondda Valleys, at Mountain Ash and Aberaman and was prepared to sit on these assets for nearly nine years before developing them as some of the richest coal and iron ore deposits in the world.

Crawshay Bailey promoted railways between Coleford, in the Forest of Dean, via Monmouth and Usk to Pontypool.

Crawshay Bailey remained the owner of the Aberaman Estate but despite the profitability of his colliery activities, the depression in the iron trade meant that the enterprise did not prove as successful as Crawshay Bailey had hoped so he decided to sell the Aberaman estate and return to Monmouthshire.

Crawshay Bailey disposed of the entire Aberaman estate including its collieries, ironworks, brickworks and private railway, to the Powell Duffryn Steam Coal Co.

Crawshay Bailey was anti trade union and opposed to his workers organising themselves along these lines.

Crawshay Bailey had already been appointed High Sheriff of Brecknockshire in 1837 and held the same office in Monmouthshire in 1850.

Crawshay Bailey was a Conservative Member of Parliament for Monmouth Boroughs from 1852 to 1868 and was elected in five successive parliamentary elections.

Crawshay Bailey retired in this year, selling off all his assets over the next three years.

Crawshay Bailey died in 1872, aged 83, after at least seventy years in industry.

Crawshay Bailey was the last and among the first of our great Iron Kings.

Crawshay Bailey helped to develop this country before an iron rail was ever laid down on it.

Crawshay Bailey was the original subject of the song now usually corrupted to Cosher Bailey.

Crawshay Bailey is mentioned by name in the song "Ironmasters" on The Men They Couldn't Hang album Night of a Thousand Candles.