David Thomas, Ironmaster

David Thomas was known for his pioneering work in the smelting of iron ore. His improvements to furnace techniques led to the first effective use of the 'difficult' but very efficient anthracite coal commonly found in South Wales. He eventually was persuaded to take his expertise and his family to the U.S.A.

I have encountered some degree of interest in my great-great-great-great-uncle's deeds and genealogy, and have discovered that this interest is shared by Peter Williams of Trucksville, U.S.A., to the extent of writing a book on David Thomas.

I hope that the following links, to which I will be adding further material re-keyed from old documents, will be of some use to researchers.

  1. Neath Guardian article 28/4/1950
  2. An entry in the online version of the Dictionary of Welsh Biography, originally published (1959) by the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion. Useful for the list of references.
  3. A History of Catasauqua in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania (1914) has many references to David's great contribution to the prosperity and religious life of the town. A potted biography is on page 268.
  4. History of the Manufacture of Iron in all ages, and particularly in the United States from Colonial times to 1891
  5. Welsh History Timeline, Britannia Internet Magazine
  6. Grace's Guide to British Industrial History
  7. (Selected letters from the Hagley accessions will appear here in due course)
  8. An article in The Red Dragon, The National Magazine of Wales, Vol.4, Jul.-Dec.1883
Further references not online:
  1. "From Wales to Pennsylvania - The David Thomas Story", by Dr. Peter N. Williams, Ph.D., published by Wales Books (Glyndwr Publishing), 2002. ISBN 1-903529-085. This is an update on the self-published "David Thomas: Iron Man from Wales".
  2. 2 boxes of documents, not readable online, are in the Hagley library - select Library Catalog and enter a search for the quotemarked phrase "David Thomas". They have kindly scanned these letters for me, and I am currently working on the batch written originally in English, so that the plain text may be made available for searching. The second batch, of translations from the Welsh, was deposited at the Hagley by its translator, who retained the originals.
  3. "Mastering Iron - The Struggle to Modernize an American Industry", by Anne Kelly Knowles. The University of Chicago Press, 2013. E-book available.