John Josiah Guest

Sir Josiah John Guest, 1st Baronet.

Sir Josiah John Guest, 1st Baronet, known as John Josiah Guest, (2 February 1785 – 26 November 1852) was a Welsh engineer and entrepreneur.

Life

Born in Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, as the son of Thomas Guest, a partner in the Dowlais Iron Company. Guest was educated at Bridgnorth Grammar School and Monmouth School before learning the trade of ironmaking in his father's foundry at the hands of works manager John Evans. He was renowned for his ability to roll a bar of steel or cut a tram of coal as well as any of his father's workmen.^[1]

Guest family tree

On his father's death in 1807, John inherited his share of the company and developed the business, becoming sole owner of the works in 1815. In 1817 he married Maria Rankin but their marriage was short lived, Maria dying just nine months later. He subsequently married Lady Charlotte Elizabeth Bertie, daughter of Albemarle Bertie, 9th Earl of Lindsey. Guest was elected Member of Parliament for Honiton, Devon in 1825, holding the seat until defeated by Sir George Warrender in 1831. In 1832 he became the first MP for Merthyr Tydfil.^[2]

His public works included a school at Dowlais, designed by Sir Charles Barry. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society and a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers. He was the first chairman of the Taff Vale Railway, and was created a baronet, of Dowlais in the County of Glamorgan, in 1838.^[2][3]

On his death, the Dowlais Iron Company having become the largest producer of iron in the world:^[2] He died in 1852, leaving five sons and five daughters, including:

• Ivor Bertie Guest, 1st Baron Wimborne (1835-1914).^[2]
• Montague Guest (1839-1909) was a Liberal politician.
• Arthur Edward Guest (1841-1898) was a Conservative politician.
• Charlotte Maria Guest (d. 1902), who married Richard Du Cane.
• Mary Enid Evelyn Guest, who married Austen Henry Layard.^[4]
• Blanche Guest, who married Edward Ponsonby, 8th Earl of Bessborough.

Guest was buried in an iron coffin under a red granite slab in the local St John's Church, which had been built for him in 1827.^[5]

References

Bibliography

• Obituaries:
  • Gentleman's Magazine, 2nd ser., 39 (1853), 91–2
  • The Times, 9 December 1852

• Davies, P. M. (2007). "Sir Josiah John Guest, Bart., M.P. Provincial Grand Master of South Wales (1836-48)". Province of South Wales Eastern Division Feature. United Grand Lodge of Antient, Free and Accepted Masons of England. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-08-26. 
• Evans, L. W. (1955–6). "Sir John and Lady Charlotte Guest's educational scheme at Dowlais in the mid-nineteenth century". National Library of Wales Journal 9: 265–86.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Gillham, C. L. (1972) "The politics of Sir John Guest, 1825–1852", MA dissertation, University of Wales
• John, A. V. (2004) "Guest, Sir (Josiah) John, first baronet (1785–1852)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, accessed 25 August 2007 (subscription or UK public library membership required).
• Jones, E (1987). A History of GKN Volume 1: Innovation and Enterprise 1759-1918. London: Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-34594-0. 
• Owen, J. A. (1977). The History of the Dowlais Iron Works 1759-1970. Newport: Starling Press. ISBN 0-903-43427-X. 
• Price, W. W. (2007). "Josiah John Guest". Welsh Biography Online. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 2007-08-26. 
• Vaughan, C. Maxwell (1975). Pioneers of Welsh Steel: Dowlais to Llanwern. Newport: Starling Press. ISBN 0-903434-08-3. 

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Josiah Guest
• "History". This is GKN. GKN plc. Retrieved 2007-08-25. 
• "Sir Josiah John Guest, 1st Bt". thePeerage.com. Retrieved 2007-08-26.