6. John and Margaret Cartwright of Shropshire

The Cartwright name comes from the trade. Our family was based around Much Wenlock, a small market town nr Telford in Shropshire, which originally grew up around an abbey, founded around 680 by Merewalh, son of King Penda of Mercia. My photos are here (the abbey ruins were closed...).

Much Wenlock church (my photo)

For the record, and with the usual cautions, my oldest direct ancestors we know about in this part of the family are: Henry Cartwright (1682), William Duddell (1689), James Lewis (1671), Elisabeth Dawes (1710), John Bradney (1744) and Richard Henshaw (1703).

Henry's son Henry's son Henry's son Henry's son was... John (1788). John probably married Margaret (1783) around 1809 and they had two children:

• 35.2.1 - Margaret Cartwright (1810, Tettenhall nr Wolverhampton)
• 35.2.2 - Sarah Cartwright (1811, Little Wenlock)

Henry also had a daughter Sarah who had a daughter with James Clayton:

• 35.3.1 - Sarah Clayton (1801, Dawley, now in Telford)

There will be more on these individuals in Chapter 35.

In later life, John and Margaret lived in Coalbrookdale, a village in the Ironbridge Gorge, a settlement of great significance in the history of iron ore smelting. This is where iron ore was first smelted by Abraham Darby using easily mined "coking coal". The coal was drawn from drift mines in the sides of the valley. As it contained far fewer impurities than normal coal, the iron it produced was of a superior quality. This discovery was a major factor in the growing industrialisation of Britain, which was to become known as the Industrial Revolution. My photos of Coalbrookdale are here. 

In 1841, John was described as a fitter, like some of his neighbours; others were iron turners and moulders. In 1851, he was a retired brass founder.

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