John Hanbury (1664–1734)
Encyclopedia
John Hanbury was one of a dynasty
of ironmaster
s responsible for the industrialisation and urbanisation of the eastern valley through which runs the Afon Llwyd
(in English "grey river") in Monmouthshire
around Pontypool
. Hanbury is most notable for patenting the rolling process of tinplating in the early 18th century.
and was christened in Gloucester in 1664. Hanbury was the son of Capel Hanbury, who in turn was the third son of the first John Hanbury of Pursall Green. In 1701 he married Albina, daughter of John Selwyn, and began to enlarge Park House in Pontypool
, a property begun by his father in 1659. In December of 1701 Hanbury became Member of Parliament
for Gloucester
, but after the death of Albina in 1702 he left politics for a short period. He regained his seat in December 1702, and in July 1703 he married Bridget, eldest daughter of Sir Edward Ayscough of Stallingborough
. With his marriage to Bridget came a fortune of £10,000 and connections with established political families. Bridget was a close friend of Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough
and Hanbury was introduced to influential politicians.
. The estate included ironworks, some of which had long belonged to members of the family. Soon after his father's death he wrote down his observations about his ironworks. He had a blast furnace
, forges
(probably two), and mills (including a slitting mill
) at Pontypool and a further furnace and forge at Llanelly
(then in Breconshire). In 1708, he also became interested in the blast furnace at Melin Cwrt, near Neath
. Hanbury continued his Pontypool and Llanelly ironworks for the rest of his life and they passed to his descendants with the rest of his Pontypool estate.
among the costs, which suggests that his Ponntypool plates were blackplate (plates of iron), not tinplate. This is confirmed by its being sold by the ton, not by the box. This may be to prevent the plates rusting that Thomas Allgood, one of Hanbury's managers, began japanning plates as "Pontypool japan
". However, the concept of rolling plate iron was probably brought to Pontypool by Thomas Cooke, probably the son of Thomas Cooke, who had worked at Wolverley
for Andrew Yarranton
, who found out how to produce tinplate by visiting Saxony
.
The first production of tinplate at Pontypool seems to date from 1725, when this commodity first appears in the Gloucester Port Books. This immediately follows the first appearance (in French
of Réaumur
's Principes de l'art de fer-blanc, but prior to a report of it being published in England.
millfounded a rolling mill and started a tinplating industry. Hanbury can thus properly be claimed as the progenitor of the British tinplate industry.
. Although a supporter of the Whig party, in his later life he opposed several of Robert Walpole
's most important bills. In 1731, he joined with Sir James Lowther
and others in opposing the application previously made by William Wood
for a royal charter to incorporate a million pound company for his (ineffectve) ironmaking enterprise. Lowther referred to Hanbury as having 'the greatest skill as well as works' (i.e. ironworks).
In 1720 he benefited from the legacy of his friend Charles Williams of Caerleon, and with the £70,000 left to him he bought Colbrook House near Abergavenny
, which subsequetly passed to John Hanbury's son Charles Hanbury Williams
.
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
of ironmaster
Ironmaster
An ironmaster is the manager – and usually owner – of a forge or blast furnace for the processing of iron. It is a term mainly associated with the period of the Industrial Revolution, especially in Great Britain....
s responsible for the industrialisation and urbanisation of the eastern valley through which runs the Afon Llwyd
Afon Llwyd
The Afon Lwyd is a small river in south Wales which flows from its source north of Blaenavon, through Abersychan, Pontypool and Cwmbran before flowing into the River Usk at Caerleon, which subsequently flows into the Bristol Channel in Newport. The name is Welsh, meaning "Grey River".Historically...
(in English "grey river") in Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
around Pontypool
Pontypool
Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
. Hanbury is most notable for patenting the rolling process of tinplating in the early 18th century.
Background and marriage
Hanbury was born into a family ultimately from Hanbury, WorcestershireHanbury, Worcestershire
Hanbury is a small rural village in Worcestershire, England near Droitwich Spa and the M5 motorway.- History :Although some flint tools of indeterminate date have been found in the parish the main feature surviving from prehistory is the iron age hill fort on Church Hill...
and was christened in Gloucester in 1664. Hanbury was the son of Capel Hanbury, who in turn was the third son of the first John Hanbury of Pursall Green. In 1701 he married Albina, daughter of John Selwyn, and began to enlarge Park House in Pontypool
Pontypool
Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
, a property begun by his father in 1659. In December of 1701 Hanbury became Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Gloucester
Gloucester (UK Parliament constituency)
Gloucester is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was established in 1295 to return two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons but in 1885 representation was reduced to one member under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885...
, but after the death of Albina in 1702 he left politics for a short period. He regained his seat in December 1702, and in July 1703 he married Bridget, eldest daughter of Sir Edward Ayscough of Stallingborough
Stallingborough
Stallingborough is a village and civil parish in North East Lincolnshire, a short distance from both Grimsby and Immingham. The parish stretches from Lincolnshire to the Humber coast, and includes the hamlet of Little London.-Geography:...
. With his marriage to Bridget came a fortune of £10,000 and connections with established political families. Bridget was a close friend of Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough
Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough
Sarah Churchill , Duchess of Marlborough rose to be one of the most influential women in British history as a result of her close friendship with Queen Anne of Great Britain.Sarah's friendship and influence with Princess Anne was widely known, and leading public figures...
and Hanbury was introduced to influential politicians.
Ironmaster
When his father died in Jan 1704, Hanbury inherited the estate at PontypoolPontypool
Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
. The estate included ironworks, some of which had long belonged to members of the family. Soon after his father's death he wrote down his observations about his ironworks. He had a blast furnace
Blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...
, forges
Finery forge
Iron tapped from the blast furnace is pig iron, and contains significant amounts of carbon and silicon. To produce malleable wrought iron, it needs to undergo a further process. In the early modern period, this was carried out in a finery forge....
(probably two), and mills (including a slitting mill
Slitting mill
The slitting mill was a watermill for slitting bars of iron into rods. The rods then were passed to nailers who made the rods into nails, by giving them a point and head....
) at Pontypool and a further furnace and forge at Llanelly
Llanelly
Llanelly is the name of both a village and its respective parish in Monmouthshire principal area, within the historic boundaries of Brecknockshire, south-east Wales.- Situation :...
(then in Breconshire). In 1708, he also became interested in the blast furnace at Melin Cwrt, near Neath
Neath
Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
. Hanbury continued his Pontypool and Llanelly ironworks for the rest of his life and they passed to his descendants with the rest of his Pontypool estate.
Tinplate
The observations included details of the production costs of iron and "Pontpoole plates". Edward Lhwyd in 1697 described the process for making these as involving a rolling mill. Hanbury's Observations do not include tinTin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
among the costs, which suggests that his Ponntypool plates were blackplate (plates of iron), not tinplate. This is confirmed by its being sold by the ton, not by the box. This may be to prevent the plates rusting that Thomas Allgood, one of Hanbury's managers, began japanning plates as "Pontypool japan
Pontypool japan
Pontypool japan is a name given to the process of japanning with the use of an oil varnish and heat which is credited to Thomas Allgood of Pontypool. In the late 17th century, during his search for a corrosion-resistant coating for iron, he developed a recipe that included asphaltum, linseed oil...
". However, the concept of rolling plate iron was probably brought to Pontypool by Thomas Cooke, probably the son of Thomas Cooke, who had worked at Wolverley
Wolverley
Wolverley is a village, and with Cookley together, a civil parish in the Wyre Forest District of Worcestershire, England. It is located a few miles to the north west of Kidderminster, near the town of Bewdley, and the villages of Kinver and Cookley...
for Andrew Yarranton
Andrew Yarranton
Andrew Yarranton was an important English engineer in the 17th century who was responsible for making several rivers into navigable waterways.-Biography:...
, who found out how to produce tinplate by visiting Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
.
The first production of tinplate at Pontypool seems to date from 1725, when this commodity first appears in the Gloucester Port Books. This immediately follows the first appearance (in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
of Réaumur
René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur
René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur was a French scientist who contributed to many different fields, especially the study of insects.-Life:Réaumur was born in a prominent La Rochelle family and educated in Paris...
's Principes de l'art de fer-blanc, but prior to a report of it being published in England.
millfounded a rolling mill and started a tinplating industry. Hanbury can thus properly be claimed as the progenitor of the British tinplate industry.
Politics
Hanbury lost his Parliamentary seat in 1708, but re-entered politics in 1720 as an MP for the Welsh constituency MonmouthshireMonmouthshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Monmouthshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of Parliament of England from 1536 until 1707, of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1801, and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885...
. Although a supporter of the Whig party, in his later life he opposed several of Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, KG, KB, PC , known before 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British statesman who is generally regarded as having been the first Prime Minister of Great Britain....
's most important bills. In 1731, he joined with Sir James Lowther
Sir James Lowther, 4th Baronet
Sir James Lowther, 4th Baronet, FRS was an English landowner, politician and industrialist. He obtained immense wealth from coal mines in northern England, which he extensively developed and modernised.-Early life:...
and others in opposing the application previously made by William Wood
William Wood (Mintmaster)
William Wood was a hardware manufacturer and mintmaster, noted for receiving a contract to strike an issue of Irish coinage from 1722 to 1724. He also struck the 'Rosa Americana' coins of British America during the same period....
for a royal charter to incorporate a million pound company for his (ineffectve) ironmaking enterprise. Lowther referred to Hanbury as having 'the greatest skill as well as works' (i.e. ironworks).
In 1720 he benefited from the legacy of his friend Charles Williams of Caerleon, and with the £70,000 left to him he bought Colbrook House near Abergavenny
Abergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
, which subsequetly passed to John Hanbury's son Charles Hanbury Williams
Charles Hanbury Williams
Sir Charles Hanbury Williams, KB , diplomat, writer and satirist, son of John Hanbury, a Welsh ironmaster, assumed the name of Williams on succeeding to the estate of his godfather Charles Williams, in 1720....
.