Mr. Edward P. Martin

Description

Mr. E. P. Martin was born at Dowlais on January 20, 1844, and was the eldest son of Mr. George Martin, who occupied the post of mining engineer to the Dowlais Iron Company for over 58 years. Having been, educated under Dr. Irving in Gloucestershire and studied in Paris under Dr. Rollin, he became apprenticed to the Dowlais Iron Company in 1860, under the late Mr. Edward Williams, whom he accompanied to London early in 1864 to assist in the management of Guest and Co. at the London office of the Dowlais Iron Company. His next advance was at the end of 1870, when he was, appointed general manager of the works at Cwmavon of the Governor and Company of Copper Miners in England. At Blaenavon he rendered invaluable service to the evolution of the metallurgy of iron by providing facilities for two young men to pursue chemical research and experiments in the manufacture of steel by the Bessemer process, which in their ultimate triumph, simply revolutionised the industry.
The Bessemer Process.

When Bessemer was finally successful in perfecting his process, with the help of a simple suggestion from Robert Mushet, he had only accomplished one thing, namely the conversion of iron into steel, by, the use of high-grade ores, which were, almost entirely free from phosphorus. Suitable ores for his process were, only found in the Forest of Dean and on the West coast of Cumberland. The bulk of the supplies came from the Bilbao district, in the north of Spain.

The vast deposits of iron ore in South Wales, in Northamptonshire, in Cleveland and in Scotland were unsuitable for Bessemer's process. The same thing applied to the huge deposits in Lorraine (France) and Luxembourg (Germany). For Bessemer steel, phosphoric ores were unsuitable.

Two young men, Sydney Gilchrist Thomas, a clerk in a London police court, and Percy Gilchrist, chemist in the laboratory of the Blaenavon Iron Company, were hard at work by study and experiment at Blaenavon in a quiet way to solve the problem of the adaptation of these low-grade phosphoric ores to the purposes of Bessemer steel. Mr. Martin had observed the very regular weekend journeys of Mr. Sydney Thomas to his cousin at Blaenavon, and their very private co-operation there upon some secret business connected with the manufacture of iron.

One day he approached them and frankly told them that he was sure they were "up to something" of an important nature, and if they would take him into their confidence, they would find in him a helping friend. The young men did, and E. P. Martin immediately perceived the immense importance of the problem and its incalculable effects upon the steel trade if satisfactorily solved, He became involved in the investigation, and provided finance out of his own pocket for continuing the research and arranged facilities for large scale experiments on the dephosphorization of steel, at Blaenavon. E. P. Martin also secured the interest of William Menelaus at Dowlais to an extent where Mene- laus also gave Thomas and Gilchrist similar extensive facilities at Dowlais.

A pupil of Menelaus and friend of E. P. Martin, Mr. E. Windsor Richards, was in, charge of Ironworks in the North of England. E. P. Martin aroused Richard’s interest in the process, Richards validated the process and became one of its most active promoters.

When Sidney Gilchrist Thomas received his Bessemer Gold Medal in 1883, he remarked publicly that "the present position of dephosphorisation had only been rendered possible by the frank, generous and unreserved co-operation of Mr. Windsor Richards, and of our earlier and consistent supporter, Mr. E. P. Martin."

In this connection also, Sir William Roberts-Austen, in his Presidential Address to the Iron and Steel Institute in 1899 stated that the whole metallurgical world was under a lasting debt of gratitude to E. P. Martin, it being due to his foresight that they owed the adoption in practice of one of the great processes which would render the nineteenth century memorable.

Thomas and Gilchrist discovered and demonstrated that it was commercially practicable to use low grade phosphoric ores for, the production of high-quality steel by the simple, process of putting a basic dolomite lining to the converters, this absorbed the phosphoric contents of the charge in the process of blowing. It was a stupendous triumph and made the fortunes of both the inventors, Mr. E. P. Martin shared in the financial success. This Thomas and Gilchrist invention enabled the Middlesborough ironmasters to use their native ores and enabled Germany to build up a gigantic business in iron and steel.

E. P. Martin received the Bessemer Gold Medal of the Iron and Steel Institute for his invaluable aid in the advancement of that process by the perfection of the Thoams-Gilchrist invention. Mr. Windsor Richards was, awarded a Bessemer Medal on the same occasion, Sir Henry Bessemer was present, Mr. Samuelson, M.P., presided over these events. In 1882 William Menelaus died, and Mr. George T. Clark, trustee of the Dowlais Iron Works, appointed E. P. Martin as General Manager.

One of the most important, events connected with E. P. Martin's return to Dowlais was the decision of the company to establish new Works at Cardiff. This created fears that the Dowlais Iron Company's Works at Dowlais would be, closed but this did not happen till the 1980's. George T. Clark was, regarded as the SAVIOUR OF DOWLAIS, at the time. At, a later date Lord Buckland of Bwlch was, given credit by Mr. W. Bertram Harris, J.P., for persuading Messrs. Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds to keep the Dowlais Works operating.

The first portion of the Dowlais Iron Company's New Works at the East Moors, Cardiff, for the production, of steel plates, was, opened in February 1891. E. P. Martin was present, the party from Cardiff Castle included Lord and Lady Bute; Lady Margaret Crichton Stuart, (their daughter); The Earl of Dumfries, (son); Lord Ninian Stuart, (son); Lord and Lady Wimborne; Lord Edmund Talbot; Hon. W. Ryder; Sir W. T. Lewis; Mr. Pitman; Mr. Sneyd; Mr. G. T. Clark and Miss Clark.)

The following account of the Dowlais Iron Company's exhibits at THE CARDIFF EXHIBITION appeared in the Merthyr Express on 9.5.1896:- "The great Cardiff Exhibition, opened on Saturday last with much éclat by His Worship the Mayor (Lord Windsor), contains in the Metal Trades Section, of which Mr. Edward P. Martin, J.P., is President, an exceedingly fine and imposing stand, illustrating the manufactured goods of the Dowlais Iron Company.

The most noticeable of the exhibits is that of a mammoth steel plate, 69 ft. long by 4 ft. two-and one-half inches wide and ten twentieth of an inch in thickness and weighing 3 tons 3 cwt. This huge plate, which was specially manufactured at the Cardiff Works of the Company and is the largest of its kind yet made, cannot fail to impress the visitors with the capabilities of the extensive Works of the Company.

Another steel plate, twenty six feet long, six feet ten inches wide, and one and one eighth inch thick, with two steel ingots weighing about seven tons each, are also shown, together with an ingot of Bessemer steel weighing and one half tons, and a bloom of Bessemer steel (for rolling into rails), eight and a half inches by twenty feet, two tons in weight.

Amongst a multitude of minor exhibits by the Dowlais Co., we noticed steel sleepers used by the Southern Mahratta, Bengal Nagpur and other Indian State Railways, flange rails used by the same Companies, as well as on the, Uganda, Bahan and San Francisco, Grand Trunk of Canada, and home lines.

There are, also shown sections of steel bar, bridge rail, steel tin bar, tram rail, combination fish plate and sleeper for electric railways and tramways, casing for telegraph posts (used by the Egyptian Government), pit guide in use at Harris's Navigation Deep Colliery, and many other interesting examples of the products of the Company. Altogether the Show is one well worthy the Company and its high reputation and forms a monument to the gigantic character of the Works and Collieries."

There were few high posts connected with the various Institutes and Associations related to the iron, steel, and coal trades which E. P. Martin did not fill. He was more than once President of the South Wales Institute of Engineers, was President of the Iron and Steel Institute, in 1897, and President of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.

The New Management at Dowlais Works.
22/04/1882

Mr. Edward Martin, of Blaenavon Works, has been, appointed manager at Dowlais Works, in the room of the late Mr. Menelaus. It was for some time a question whether Mr. Darling, Mr. Colquhoun, of Tredegar, or Mr. Martin would obtain the position, but it is now, we learn, definitely settled. Mr. Edward Martin is a son of Mr. George Martin, one of the oldest, agents of the Dowlais Works; He served for many years under Mr. Menelaus, and more than any other man may be, said to be thoroughly conversant with the plans and projections of the late manager.

After serving an efficient, apprenticeship at Dowlais, he left some years ago for Cwmavon to undertake the management of the works there, under the directorate of the Governors of Copper Miners in England. From Cwmavon Mr. Martin went, to Blaenavon, where he has been most successful, and has brought the steel works up to a high order of efficiency. There is general satisfaction in Dowlais at the wisdom shown in the selection, and he will enter upon his new duties under most favourable circumstances, and it is, hoped will carry, out those further projections which Mr. Menelaus contemplated.

Fifty years before Mr. E. P. Martin's appointment the conditions of things in the iron trade would not have called for the exercise of such extreme care in the selection of a successor, but when iron gave way to steel there arose a few problems before every ironmaster, especially if, in addition to ironworks, he had also new coalpits to sink. How well Mr. Martin succeeded is evidenced by the fact that the great works were kept well in front, that one of the deepest sinkings in Wales was carried out in a most successful manner, and that a new Dowlais was built up on the Cardiff Moors, fulling the forecast of the shrewdest prophets in the iron trade, that with the decline of Welsh ironstone in use the future furnaces must be on the seashore.

Visits to America.

Edward P. Martin travelled the world searching for ideas to increase the efficiency of his Dowlais Iron Works. An account of one such trip to America in 1898 was located.

"When it was stated that Lord Wimborne (Guests’) was in negotiation with a syndicate of American capitalists, with a view to a sale or transfer of his Glamorganshire property, significance was attached to the fact that Mr. Edward R Martin, J.P., the general manager of the Dowlais works, was then actually on his way to America. The reason for his departure was a mystery, even to the officials of the Works, both in Cardiff and in Dowlais and the conclusion was at unnaturally arrived at that it was in, order to expedite the negotiations before referred to. It was natural that Mr. Martin should want to inspect the much-vaunted blast furnaces of Mr. Andrew Carnegie in the Pittsburgh district but was conceded that he was too busy to undertake the journey for such a purpose alone, especially as he had already seen the furnaces on the, occasion of the Iron and Steel Institute's meetings being held in the States. Mr. Martin has recently returned home and we regret to learn that he has been, indisposed.

It seems, that the journey to America was, undertaken with the object of negotiating, not for the sale of the Works, but for the purchase of iron ore. The superiority of this ore over that imported from Bilbao has long been, asserted and the assertion has been, proved. Mr. Martin visited the ore beds on the shores of the great lakes between Canada and the United States and it is, stated that he concluded negotiations for the purchase of no less a quantity than two million tons. The Dowlais Company will not use the whole quantity. Mr. Martin was, accompanied to the States by Mr. Windsor Richards, whose own Works in the North of England will benefit to some extent by the purchase. The price paid for the ore is not known, but it is, declared that it is at such a figure that the American ore can be, carried from Lake Superior to the coast, shipped to Cardiff and brought to Dowlais at a cheaper rate than is now, paid for Spanish ore. This fact combined with the admitted superiority of the American article would appear to ring down the curtain upon the metalliferous exports from the northern ports of Spain.

The first to suggest the placing of steel sleepers on the line was Mr. Webb, the well-known locomotive engineer, but it is due to Mr. Martin that he was one of the earliest to adopt the mechanical arrangements at Dowlais for the make of these sleepers, and Dowlais was one of the first in the field to meet the demand.


President of the Institute.

In connection with the Iron and Steel Institute, of which Mr. Martin had long been a member, he was in 1897 selected as president for the year, when special reference was made to his labours in connection with the Thomas-Gilchrist system for the dephosphorisation of steel, which he materially aided in the management of Blaenavon Works, and for which, in connection with Mr. Windsor Richards, he was also awarded, with that gentleman, the Bessemer medal.

The date stated by Mr. G. T. Clark. the trustee, and Mr. E. P. Martin finally decided upon for the building of Dowlais-by-the Sea at Cardiff was 1887, and to Mr. Martin, the general manager, the highest credit must be, given for the careful and elaborate steps in placing the works and obtaining the most perfect plant.

Public Life.

Mr. Edward Martin, who had held high positions in the various institutions and societies connected with his profession, was a justice of the peace for the counties of Glamorgan, Monmouth, and Brecon, and had also been high constable for Caerphilly Higher. Among the positions he had held was that of president of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, as well as of the Iron and Steel Institute. In 1884 he assumed the high constableship of Merthyr. He was at various times president of the South Wales Institute of Engineers and of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Colliery Owners' Association, and a manager of the Orconera Iron Company (Dowlais Company's mines in Spain).

He was also a member of the Board of Trade inquiry upon steel rails. He became managing director of the new proprietary Messrs. Guest, Keen, and Co. (Limited), but subsequent, to the Dowlais-Cyfarthfa fusion he retired from that position. He retained his seat on the directorate of the company under its modern style of Messrs. Guest, Keen, and Nettlefolds (Limited), and was also a director of the Rhymney Railway Company. Another prominent position which he retired from was the chairmanship of the South Wales Iron and Steel Workers' Sliding-scale Board.

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