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Amy Dillwyn

Amy Dillwyn
Born: 1845
Place of Birth: Swansea
 

Famous For: One of Britain's first female industrialists

Biography: She was a member of one of Swansea's leading families, but her life was not without struggle. When her father died, leaving her the Llansamlet Spelter Works, he was leaving her a debt-ridden business.

She declined the bankruptcy route and decided instead to take on the job of managing the works. She turned its fortunes around - taking no profits for herself and using the money to pay off its creditors instead. Ultimately, it was to become one of the largest producers of zinc in Britain.

In 1905 she sold the works and became fully immersed in civic life in Swansea.

Comment on this story

Paul Weatherall, Milntown Trust, Isle of Man
Amy Dillwyn's Managing Director was John Corfield. He eventually took over ownership of her company. His daughter, Kathleen Ermintrude Corfield married John Bryn Edwards. They moved into Hendrefoilan, Swansea former home of Amy Dillwyn. She and her son Sir Clive Edwards moved to Milntown, Isle of Man in 1963. On his death in 1999, Sir Clive left the estate in trust for the benefit of the people of the Isle of Man.
Tue Mar 11 08:42:37 2008

David Painting Swansea
To claim AD as the world's first, or Britain's first, woman industrialist is too ambitious a claim. What is true is that she was the first woman industrialist in Wales who, unlike Lady Charlotte Guest for example, was actually born in Wales, in Swansea. (See my biography of AD published by the University of Wales press in 1987.)
Fri Jun 15 18:09:29 2007

P Stickley
Until recently I had never heard of Amy Dillwyn. I saw the blue plaque on the seafront in Swansea, where it says that AD was the WORLD's first lady industrialist. In other places it says she was BRITAIN's first...who is correct? Is she being uder-represented somewhere? Without doubt she was a hardworking and most enterprising lass; I have not yet studied her other achievements.
Wed Nov 1 13:42:29 2006

Kathy Talbot, Pontardawe
We should not forget Amy's mother, Bessie Dillwyn (nee de la Beche) who died young but must have had a considerable influence on her enterprising daughters.
Tue Sep 20 14:30:23 2005

Sarah Allen-Stevens
Amy Dillwyn was the sister of my great great grandmother. I am looking forward to learning more about this remarkable lady and her sisters.
Tue Jul 26 00:13:42 2005

Richard Morris, Port Eynon
My wife is a relation descended from Amy's father Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn. My mother in law knew her very well. She appears in the new Oxford DNB along with her father, uncle John Dillwyn Llewelyn the pioneer photographer and her grandfather Lewis Weston Dillwyn.
Mon Feb 21 17:12:16 2005

Llys from Wrexham
An amazing lady full of Welsh grit.
Thu Dec 16 15:41:38 2004



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