Sir Humphrey Mackworth
| Humphrey Mackworth | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 1657 Bretton Grange, Shropshire, England |
| Died | 25 August 1727 |
| Nationality | English |
| Education | Magdalen College, Oxford |
| Occupation | M.P., industrialist, lawyer |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Evans of Neath |
| Children | Herbert Mackworth |
| Parent(s) | Thomas and Ann Mackworth |
Sir Humphrey Mackworth (Jan 1657–1727) was a British industrialist and politician. He was involved in a business scandal in the early 18th century and was a founding member of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.
Mackworth was born in Shropshire to Thomas Mackworth and his wife Ann Bulkeley. His grandfather, also Humphrey Mackworth, was a prominent Puritan soldier and politician in the Civil War. Mackworth was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford, and graduated in 1674. He studied law, entering the Middle Temple in 1675 and was called to the Bar in 1682. Mackworth was knighted by King Charles II in 1683.
In 1686 Mackworth married Mary Evans of Neath and he moved to Wales soon after. Mary was the daughter of Sir Herbert Evans of Gnoll in Neath and she became the sole benefactor of Sir Herbert's estate after the death of her sisters. The Evans family had, for the last two generations, controlled the leases that allowed virtually sole-control of coal mining rights in Neath. The coal from the area had been used for smelting and Mackworth became interested in working with copper and lead, and may have begun copper smelting 1695 at Melincryddan. In 1696, Mary died, leaving Mackworth as the inheritor of the estate, and by 1698 he had branched into controlling interests in Cardiganshire.
Earlier, in 1690, rich mineral deposits had been discovered in the Goreddan estate, whose lease was controlled by Sir Carbery Pryce, whose company developed the site. With the dissolution of the Society of Mines Royal, also in 1690, this estate became very important, and Mackworth acquired Pryce's interest after his death in 1694. Mackworth redeveloped the enterprise and in 1704, his Company of Mine Adventures was given its charter. This led Mackworth to begin smelting copper at Melincryddan in Neath, but found himself in direct competition with Sir Edward Mansel, who owned coal mining in the neighbouring areas. Mackworth employed the use of wooden waggonways to transport coal from his mines on the Gnoll estate to the wharf at Neath and to supply his copperworks at Melincryddan. The latter involved the innovative use of sails to take advantage of the wind to propel the waggons.
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