Amlwch Copper

It was the Bronze aged miner who first discovered copper on Parys mountain near Amlwch in Anglesey North Wales.

Many years later the Romans may also have explored the area for copper.

However it was the Industrial revolution of the 1750s which saw the most extensive search for and discovey of ore on the mountain.

The Copper mines at Parys Mountain had a 30 year history where they came to dominate the world's copper market under the management of Thomas Williams.

Under his leadership new markets for copper where deleveoped and a vast industrial empire was formed.

The need to transport copper from the mountain for processing and export led to the development of the small harbour at Amlwch into an important port.

This importance continued even after the copper mine had stopped production. A ship repair and building industry with all the associated trades continued until the World War years.

The publications shown on this page help to tell this incredible story.

More information can also be found at the following web sites :-

www.amlwchhistory.co.uk

www.parysmountain.co.uk

www.amlwchdata.co.uk

www.copperkingdon.co.uk

Amlwch Industrial Heritage Trust Ymddiriedolaeth Ddiwydiannol Amlwch

For anyone with an interest in industrial history, or the history of the island of Anglesey, this book is essential reading.

"Bryan Hope has written...a thorough and detailed examination of the industrial development of Amlwch. He brings a fresh approach to the fascinating story of this once busy copper-smelting port. He has had access to much new material and this, together with his own extensive knowledge, not only explain much that has hitherto been ignored or forgotten, but also brings to life a little of what it must have been like to be a resident of Amlwch Port in it busiest days"
- Aled Eames

Hardbook Price £24.50 UK P&P

In 1768, at the Parys Mountain mines, a prospector's lucky strike set off a copper boom.

Anglesey became the world's main source of copper ore which was exported through Porth Amlwch. The Copper Kingdom helped make Wales the world's first industrial nation.

Soft back Price £8.50 inc UK P&P

In March 1768 the "Great discovery" led to a vast reserve of copper ore being found at Amlwch. Many people were drawn to the Amlwch area incuding Michael Faraday and James Watt.

Another visitor was a German academic called Augustin Lentin who stayed for 6 years and studied the area's copper industry which he described in great detail in a series of letters. For the first time these have now been translated from the original german and give first hand accounts of the copper industry in north Wales.

Soft back Price £8.50 inc UK P&P

Thomas Williams born in Llanidan, Anglesey 1737 was a complex character; tenacious lawyer and remarkable businessman.

Certainly he was a decisive man who could and did act quickly when he saw a business opportunity . When he died in 1802, 1,200 people were employed in his Parys and Mona mines, but five years later the number had dropped to 120. This owing partly to the collapse of copper prices, but also to the exhaustion (so it was said) of the known local copper deposits – but no doubt largely resulting from the death of the firm’s great driving force.

Hardbook Price £12.50 inc UK P&P

Ym 1768, yng nghloddfeydd Mynydd Parys, bu i archwiliwr daro ar wythien fawr o gopr.

Daeth gogledd Ynys Mon yn ffynhonnell fwynau copr mwya'r byd , a allforiwyd drwy Borth Amlwch.

Copi meddal £8.50

In the 1890's a mine worker called Owen Griffiths wrote a series of articles for a popular Welsh Magazine.

This illustrated booklet based on the original article was recently produced for the Trust by J O Hughes a local historian. It tells the story of the "Copper Ladies" who worked on the mountain.

Soft back Price £4.50 inc UK P&P

	For anyone with an interest in industrial history, or the history of the island of Anglesey, this book is essential reading. "Bryan Hope has written...a thorough and detailed examination of the industrial development of Amlwch. He brings a fresh approach to the fascinating story of this once busy copper-smelting port. He has had access to much new material and this, together with his own extensive knowledge, not only explain much that has hitherto been ignored or forgotten, but also brings to life a little of what it must have been like to be a resident of Amlwch Port in it busiest days" - Aled Eames Hardbook Price £24.50 UK P&P
	In 1768, at the Parys Mountain mines, a prospector's lucky strike set off a copper boom. Anglesey became the world's main source of copper ore which was exported through Porth Amlwch. The Copper Kingdom helped make Wales the world's first industrial nation. Soft back Price £8.50 inc UK P&P
	In March 1768 the "Great discovery" led to a vast reserve of copper ore being found at Amlwch. Many people were drawn to the Amlwch area incuding Michael Faraday and James Watt. Another visitor was a German academic called Augustin Lentin who stayed for 6 years and studied the area's copper industry which he described in great detail in a series of letters. For the first time these have now been translated from the original german and give first hand accounts of the copper industry in north Wales. Soft back Price £8.50 inc UK P&P
	Thomas Williams born in Llanidan, Anglesey 1737 was a complex character; tenacious lawyer and remarkable businessman. Certainly he was a decisive man who could and did act quickly when he saw a business opportunity . When he died in 1802, 1,200 people were employed in his Parys and Mona mines, but five years later the number had dropped to 120. This owing partly to the collapse of copper prices, but also to the exhaustion (so it was said) of the known local copper deposits – but no doubt largely resulting from the death of the firm’s great driving force. Hardbook Price £12.50 inc UK P&P
	Ym 1768, yng nghloddfeydd Mynydd Parys, bu i archwiliwr daro ar wythien fawr o gopr. Daeth gogledd Ynys Mon yn ffynhonnell fwynau copr mwya'r byd , a allforiwyd drwy Borth Amlwch. Copi meddal £8.50
	In the 1890's a mine worker called Owen Griffiths wrote a series of articles for a popular Welsh Magazine. This illustrated booklet based on the original article was recently produced for the Trust by J O Hughes a local historian. It tells the story of the "Copper Ladies" who worked on the mountain. Soft back Price £4.50 inc UK P&P