William Lewis, 1st Baron Merthyr

William Thomas Lewis, 1st Baron Merthyr (5 August 1837-27 August 1914), known as Sir William Lewis, 1st Baronet, from 1896 to 1911, was a Welsh coal mining magnate.

Lewis was the son of Thomas William Lewis, an engineer, of Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorganshire. He at first worked for the Bute coal mining pits in southern Wales, but between 1870 and 1880 he acquired his own pits in Rhondda, which became known as Lewis Merthyr Consolidated Collieries Limited. He was also the founder of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Association as a response the growing strength of the trade unions. Lewis was created a Baronet, of Nantgwyne, in 1896 and in 1911 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Merthyr, of Senghenydd in the County of Glamorgan.

Lord Merthyr died in August 1914, aged 77, and was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son Herbert.

A sculpture by Thomas Brock was erected in Aberdare Park and unveiled in 1913.

References

*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). "Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage" (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
* [http://www.angeltowns.com/town/peerage/ Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page]
* [http://www.archivesnetworkwales.info/cgi-bin/anw/fulldesc_nofr?inst_id=1&coll_id=20308&expand= Short summary of Lord Merthyr's career at www.archivesnetworkwales.co.uk]