![Baylies Marker](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Baylies_Marker.JPG)
Thomas Baylies (1687–March 1756) was a
Quaker
Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...
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.
The ironmaster was usually a large ...
first in England, then in
.
Origins and family
Thomas Baylies was the son of Nicholas Baylies of
Alvechurch
Alvechurch ( ) is a large village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove district in northeast Worcestershire, England, in the valley of the River Arrow. The Lickey Hills Country Park is 2.5 miles (4 km) to the northwest. It is south of Birmi ...
in north
Worcestershire
Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see His ...
. On 5 June 1706, he married Esther, daughter of Thomas Seargeant of Fulford Heath, in
Solihull
Solihull (, or ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in West Midlands County, England. The town had a population of 126,577 at the 2021 Census. Solihull is situated on the River Blythe i ...
in a Quaker ceremony at which 38 witnesses were present. They had eight children. Esther's sister Mary married
Abraham Darby I
Abraham Darby, in his later life called Abraham Darby the Elder, now sometimes known for convenience as Abraham Darby I (14 April 1677 – 5 May 1717, the first and best known of several men of that name), was an English ironmaster and foundr ...
.
Coalbrookdale
By 1714, Baylies had joined his brother-in-law,
Abraham Darby Abraham Darby may refer to:
People
*Abraham Darby I (1678–1717) the first of several men of that name in an English Quaker family that played an important role in the Industrial Revolution. He developed a new method of producing pig iron with ...
, at his
Coalbrookdale
Coalbrookdale is a village in the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire, England, containing a settlement of great significance in the history of iron ore smelting. It lies within the civil parish called the Gorge.
This is where iron ore was first s ...
ironworks, becoming a partner with him and John Chamberlain. Together they built a second
blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally pig iron, but also others such as lead or copper. ''Blast'' refers to the combustion air being "forced" or supplied above atmospheric ...
at Coalbrookdale and secured the rights to build a furnace at Dolgûn near
Dolgellau
Dolgellau () is a town and community in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, a tributary of the River Mawddach. It was the traditional county town of the historic county of Merionethshire ( cy, Meirionnydd, Sir Feirionnydd) un ...
and taking over Vale Royal Furnace in 1718. However, Darby died in July 1717, before any progress was made with either project, and the partnership was dissolved.
Vale Royal Company
Baylies took over the Coalbrookdale Company's right to Vale Royal in
Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...
. Lacking sufficient capital, he formed a new partnership with Charles Cholmondeley of
Vale Royal Abbey
Vale Royal Abbey is a former medieval abbey and later country house in Whitegate England. The precise location and boundaries of the abbey are difficult to determine in today's landscape. The original building was founded c. 1270 by the Lord ...
, Richard Turner of Pettywood and William Watts of Newton near
Middlewich
Middlewich is a town in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, east of Chester, east of Winsford, southeast of Northwich and northwest of Sandbach. The population at the 2011 Census was 13,595. ...
. Turner was concerned in a coal mine at
Thatto Heath
Thatta ( sd, ٺٽو; ) is a city in the Pakistani province of Sindh. Thatta was the medieval capital of Sindh, and served as the seat of power for three successive dynasties. Thatta's historic significance has yielded several monuments in and ...
near
St Helens and persuaded his partners to build a furnace at Sutton (there). They also built a
forge
A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to th ...
at
Acton Bridge
Map of the civil parish of Acton Bridge within the former borough of Vale Royal
Acton Bridge (formerly Acton) is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England. Located within the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester on the River Weav ...
and intended to (but perhaps did not) build another at Dean Mill in
Haydock
Haydock is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, in Merseyside, England. At the 2011 Census, it had a population of 11,416 Haydock's historic area covers the Haydock electoral ward and a section of the Blackbrook ward.
Haydoc ...
. Baylies moved to
Marton near the works. The original capital of £5000 was doubled when the second furnace was planned. Baylies had difficulty in paying up the capital of his share, now reduced to one-sixth, because it was still tied up in the stock at Coalbrookdale. His difficulties were made worse by Mary Darby's death following soon after that of her husband. The company suffered substantial losses, forcing Cholmondeley to make an assignment of his estate for the benefit of his creditors, blaming his troubles on the obstinacy of Dick Turner.
Later activities in Great Britain
It is not clear how long Baylies remained a partner in the Vale Royal Company; certainly he was not its clerk. In 1723, he was employed by
William Wood William Wood may refer to:
Politicians
* William Wood (MP for Berkshire), Member of Parliament (MP) for Berkshire, 1395
* William Wood (15th century MP), MP for Winchester, 1413
* William Wood, 1st Baron Hatherley (1801–1881), British statesma ...
to negotiate a lease of an iron ore mine at
Frizington
Frizington is a village in Cumbria, England, historically part of Cumberland, near the Lake District National Park.
Historically, it was a collection of farms and houses, but became a unified village as a result of the mining (both coal and ir ...
in
Cumberland
Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...
, and he may have had some involvement with his works there in 1728. However he was living in
Stourbridge
Stourbridge is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the West Midlands, England, situated on the River Stour. Historically in Worcestershire, it was the centre of British glass making during the Industrial Revolution. The 20 ...
in Worcestershre in 1729. Between 1730 and 1735, he may have even been concerned in the management of the Culnakyle ironworks at
Abernethy
Abernethy may refer to:
Places Scotland
* Abernethy, Perth and Kinross, a village
** Abernethy (NBR) railway station, a former railway station in this village
* Nethy Bridge, Highland, a village formerly known as Abernethy
* Abernethy Forest, ...
of the
York Buildings Company
The York Buildings Company was an English company in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
Waterworks
The full name of the company was The Governor and Company for raising the Thames Water at York Buildings. The undertaking was established in ...
. In 1735, he became the manager of a furnace near
Neath
Neath (; cy, Castell-nedd) is a market town and Community (Wales), community situated in the Neath Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot County Borough, Wales. The town had a population of 50,658 in 2011. The community of the parish of Neath had a po ...
, perhaps Bryncoch Furnace, which belonged to a Quaker Company from
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
.
Massachusetts
In June 1737, Baylies emigrated from London to
Boston, Massachusetts, with his son Nicholas and daughter Esther. The following year, he brought over his wife and his daughters Mary and Helen. He settled at Attleborough Gore (now
Cumberland, Rhode Island
Cumberland is the northeasternmost town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States, first settled in 1635 and incorporated in 1746. The population was 36,405 at the 2020 census, making it the seventh-largest municipality and the largest t ...
), where he was an ironmaster under contract (of 1738) with Richard Clarke & Co. of Boston. Another son, Thomas, Jr. emigrated later, and settled in
Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Bristol County. Taunton is situated on the Taunton River which winds its way through the city on its way to Mount ...
, where he kept a store, and later operated an iron works there. In 1739, Nicholas moved to
Uxbridge, Massachusetts
Uxbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts first colonized in 1662 and incorporated in 1727. It was originally part of the town of Mendon, MA, Mendon, and named for the Marquess of Anglesey, Earl of Uxbridge. The town is located south ...
to operate a forge on the
Mumford River
The Mumford River is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 river in south-central Massachusetts. It is a tributary of the Blackstone River.
The river rises f ...
, in what is now
Whitinsville
Whitinsville is an unincorporated village within the town of Northbridge in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Whitinsville is a census-designated place (CDP) and its population was 6,750 at the 2020 census. Whitinsville is pronoun ...
.
Thomas Baylies, Sr. died at
Cumberland, Rhode Island
Cumberland is the northeasternmost town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States, first settled in 1635 and incorporated in 1746. The population was 36,405 at the 2020 census, making it the seventh-largest municipality and the largest t ...
in March 1756. He was buried in the family burying ground beside the
Taunton River
The Taunton River (historically also called the "Taunton Great River"), is a river in southeastern Massachusetts in the United States. It arises from the confluence of the Town River and Matfield River, in the town of Bridgewater. From the ...
, next to his wife Esther, who had died in 1756. A few months later in July 1756, Thomas, Jr. also died. Nicholas Baylies left Uxbridge to take over the works in Taunton later that same year. The Baylies Iron Works, as it became known, was located on the
Three Mile River
The Three Mile River or Threemile River is a river in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is formed by the junction of the Rumford and Wading rivers in the town of Norton. It flows in a southeasterly direction for U.S. Geological Survey. Nation ...
in west Taunton, near the
Dighton town line. The business flourished under the leadership of Nicholas Baylies. He soon became a large land owner in the area.
After the end of the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
, Hodijah, youngest son of Nicholas and a distinguished veteran of the war, took over control of the iron works. During this time, among other large contracts, he made the
anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal , used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ''ancora'', which itself comes from the Greek ἄγ ...
for the frigate
USS Constitution
USS ''Constitution'', also known as ''Old Ironsides'', is a three-masted wooden-hulled heavy frigate of the United States Navy. She is the world's oldest ship still afloat. She was launched in 1797, one of six original frigates authorized ...
in 1797. This was considered a great event in iron manufacture at the time. It required ten yoke of oxen to transport the anchor to tidewater at Dighton, to be taken on board Old Ironsides at Boston.
Hodijah continued in the iron business until 1810, when he received the appointment of judge of probate, which office he held twenty four years. He disposed of the privilege and old mills to John West in 1809, who built the paper mill on the opposite side of the river. West, who had been a merchant in Boston, was the first paper manufacturer in the
Old Colony. In 1823–24, West associated with Crocker & Richmond built a cotton mill on the site of the old iron works. He continued as agent of the cotton and paper mills until the time of his death in 1827. The cotton mill was then managed by Crocker & Richmond until the time of their suspension in 1837. It later became part of
Whittenton Mills, operating as Westville Spinning Mill. In 1930, a bronze plaque was placed near the spot once occupied by the Baylies Iron Works.
The Baylies family became very well known in the Taunton and Dighton area for many years, including
William Baylies
William Baylies (September 15, 1776 – September 27, 1865) was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, and brother of congressman Francis Baylies. His great-grandfather was Thomas Baylies, an ironmaster from Coalbrookdale, England, who emig ...
and
Francis Baylies
Francis Baylies (October 16, 1783 – October 28, 1852) was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, and brother of congressman William Baylies. His great-grandfather was Thomas Baylies, an ironmaster from Coalbrookdale, England, who immigrated ...
, who represented
in the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
during the early 1800s, and
Nicholas Baylies
Nicholas Baylies (April 9, 1768April 14, 1847) was a Vermont lawyer, politician, and judge. He served as a justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1831 to 1833.
Biography
Nicholas Baylies was born in Uxbridge, Massachusetts on April 9, 1768, th ...
, who served as a Justice of the
Vermont Supreme Court
The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court.
The Court ...
.
In 1923, the remains of Thomas Baylies and the first branch of the family were relocated a few miles from the Walker Blake Cemetery in south Taunton to the burial ground behind the family's church in Dighton.
[ ] The church is now known as the
Dighton Community Church.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baylies, Thomas
American ironmasters
People from Alvechurch
British Quakers
People of colonial Rhode Island
1687 births
1756 deaths
People from Cumberland, Rhode Island
English emigrants
Burials in Massachusetts