Abraham Darby IV (30 March 1804 – 28 November 1878) was an Englishironmaster.
He was born inDale House,Coalbrookdale, Shropshire the son of Edmund Darby, a member of the Darby ironmaking family and Lucy (née Burlingham) Darby. He was a Great-Grandson ofAbraham Darby II.
In 1830, he and his brotherAlfred took over the management of theHorsehay foundry, one of several foundries owned by the family business, and set about re-establishing theCoalbrookdale Company's reputation by investing in new technology there for the manufacture of wrought iron.[1]
In 1844, he became a major shareholder in theEbbw Vale ironworks inSouth Wales. After a series of family disagreements, he resigned his management of the Coalbrookdale Company in 1849, and, in 1851, bought Stoke Court,Stoke Poges inBuckinghamshire, and moved to live there. He also rented property atTreberfydd inBreconshire, Wales. He acted as aJustice of the Peace in both counties, and, in 1853, was appointedHigh Sheriff of Buckinghamshire.[2] He also became a member of theInstitution of Mechanical Engineers.[3]
Although born into a notableQuaker family, Darby joined theChurch of England and paid for the building ofHoly Trinity church in Coalbrookdale between 1850 and 1854. In 1851 a new ecclesiastical parish was formed out ofIronbridge andLittle Dawley, and Darby becamepatron of the newbenefice, with the right to nominate the parish priest.[4]
In 1839 he married his cousin Matilda Frances, a daughter of Francis Darby. He died at Treberfydd on 28 November 1878, aged 74,[3] and was buried at the church he had had built in Coalbrookdale. After his death, his widow became patron of the church benefice and lived until 1902. After that, the patronage remained with the owners of the Sunniside estate until 1959, when it was transferred to theBishop of Hereford.[4]
