Abraham Darby, III

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Abraham Darby, III

Birthdate:
Birthplace: Broseley, Shropshire
Death: 1789 (38-39)
Madeley, Shropshire, England (United Kingdom)
Place of Burial: Coalbrookdale, Shropshire, England
Immediate Family:

Son of Abraham Darby II and Abiah Sinclair Darby
Husband of Rebecca Darby (Smith)
Father of Abraham Maude Darby; Ann Dickinson; Mary Darby; Joseph Darby; Hannah Tothill (Darby) and 2 others
Brother of Rachel Darby; Mary Rathbone; Sarah Darby; Samuel Darby; William Darby and 1 other
Half brother of Hannah Reynolds; Abraham Darby; Edmund Darby and Hannah Darby

Managed by: Private User
Last Updated:

About Abraham Darby, III

Wikipedia biography

He carried on his family's principalities of improving the art of smelting iron. He built the largest cast iron structure of his era: the first iron bridge ever built. It crossed over the Severn near the small principality of Coalbrookdale. The bridge caused the village of Ironbridge, Shropshire to grow up around it, with the area being subsequently named Ironbridge Gorge.

Abraham Darby III took over the family business in the 1770s. As it grew, he attracted more workers with various measures. In times of food shortage, he bought up farms to grow food for his workers, built housing for them, and offered higher wages than were paid in other local industry (such as mining or pottery). He died aged 39.

Date of death has also been (erroneously?) reported to be 1791.

A secondary school in Telford, UK, is named after Abraham Darby III. The school's full name is Abraham Darby Academy for the Performing Arts and Business Enterprise.

The two key themes of Darby's life – iron and the Quakers – and the character himself are present in a fantasy novel, The Iron Bridge, by David Morse.

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Abraham Darby, III's Timeline

1750
June 4, 1750
Broseley, Shropshire
1778
January 23, 1778
Shropshire, England (United Kingdom)
1779
June 10, 1779
Madeley, Shropshire
1780
July 24, 1780
Madeley, Shropshire
1783
April 5, 1783
Shropshire, England, United Kingdom
1785
February 9, 1785
Salop (Shrropshire)
1786
August 15, 1786
Salop (Shropshire)
1788
January 1, 1788
Shropshire
1789
1789
Age 38
Madeley, Shropshire, England (United Kingdom)