Glamorgan Lovelucks

Iron and tinplate industrialist

From the notes of Janet Hearle et al. - taken from the files of Western Mail and S. Wales Daily News, Times 30th Sept. 1916 and 11th January 1917, and The Engineer, 6th October, 1916.

Richard Thomas, 1838-1916, industrialist; son of London metal merchant: b. at Bridgewater and educated at Wesleyan College at Taunton. He entered the tinplate trade at Margam, and was afterwards clerk-of-works during the erection of Malineryddan works 1863, near Neath.

In 1865 he borrowed money to buy the Ynys-pen-llwch iron and tin plate works; in 1871 he rented the Lydbrook tinplate works, and in 1877 the Lydbrook colliery. The depression of 1883 forced him to compound with creditors, whom however he eventually repaid in full. In 1884 he formed with his sons the private company of Richard Thomas and Sons, and in 1888 bought the Melingriffith iron and tinplate works. The firm expanded its activities rapidly, acquiring works at Aberdare 1890, Abercan 1895, Cwmfekin 1896, Llanelly and Burry Port 1898, Cwmwrla 1898, and elsewhere 1902-8.

By his wife Ann (Ann Loveluck) whom he had married in 1859, Thomas had 5 sons and 2 daughters. He took little part in public life but was a generous supporter of hospitals at Llanelly, Swansea, Cardiff, Newport, Ross and Lydney.

He died 28 September, 1916 and was buried in Lydney Parish Churchyard (*). His sons in September 1918 turned the firm into a public company, which continued to flourish and in 1935 acquired the Ebbw Vale steel works. By 1940 it had been merged into the firm of Richard Thomas and Baldwin Ltd.

• This is incorrect - he, Ann and 2 children were buried at Lydbrook, Gloucestershire, and there is a memorial window to them and their children in the Church. However, there is a tablet in Lydney Church erected to the memory of his eldest son.