Work and authority in an iron town : Merthyr Tydfil 1760-c.1815
This thesis focuses on work relations within the ironworks established at Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, in the second half of the eighteenth century. From the 1780s, theseconcerns expanded at high speed, to rank amongst the largest industrial plants in Britain. A variety of manuscript sources are exploited to provide an unusually detailed account of eighteenth-centuryworkplace practice. Particular attention is paid to the problems of capitalist control that arose in enterprises which were of unparalleled size, and growing at breakneck pace. The ways in which the slippage of capitalist control was offset are examined. Firstly, the 'culture' of work in the iron trade, the set of protocols which governed the organisation of work by senior workmen, is anatomised. Secondly, an analysis of the peculiar forms of working practice in the collieries and mines of Merthyr is developed to provide an explanation of the fierce loyalties which the rival ironworks could command. The second part of the thesis examines the power of the Merthyr ironmasters, both in south-east Wales, and, more especially, in the corporate politics of the national irontrade. The evolution of a piece of legislation which was sponsored by the ironmasters
Evans, Christopher
European History
Work and authority in an iron town : Merthyr Tydfil 1760-c.1815. This thesis focuses on work relations within the ironworks established at Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, in the second half of the eighteenth century. From the 1780s, theseconcerns expanded at high speed, to rank amongst the largest industrial plants in Britain. A variety of manuscript sources are exploited to provide an unusually detailed account of eighteenth-centuryworkplace practice. Particular attention is paid to the problems of capitalist control that arose in enterprises which were of unparalleled size, and growing at breakneck pace. The ways in which the slippage of capitalist control was offset are examined. Firstly, the 'culture' of work in the iron trade, the set of protocols which governed the organisation of work by senior workmen, is anatomised. Secondly, an analysis of the peculiar forms of working practice in the collieries and mines of Merthyr is developed to provide an explanation of the fierce loyalties which the rival ironworks could command. The second part of the thesis examines the power of the Merthyr ironmasters, both in south-east Wales, and, more especially, in the corporate politics of the national irontrade. The evolution of a piece of legislation which was sponsored by the ironmasters
work authority iron town focus work relation within establish expand high speed rank amongst large industrial plant britain variety manuscript source exploit provide unusually detailed_account eighteenth practice particular_attention_pay problem capitalist control arose enterprise unparalleled size grow pace way capitalist control offset examine firstly culture work iron trade set protocol govern organisation work senior secondly analysis peculiar form work practice colliery mine develop provide_explanation fierce loyalty rival could command second_part examine power south_east wales especially corporate politics national evolution piece legislation sponsor