Sir Josiah John Guest, 1st Baronet, known as John Josiah Guest, was a Welsh engineer and entrepreneur.
Background
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.
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.
He subsequently married Lady Charlotte Elizabeth Bertie, daughter of Albemarle Bertie, 9th Earl of Lindsey.
Career
In 1832 he became the first Member of Parliament for Merthyr Tydfil. His public works included a school at Dowlais, designed by Sir Charles Barry. He was the first chairman of the Taff Vale Railway, and was created a baronet, of Dowlais in the County of Glamorgan, in 1838.
Ivor Bertie Guest, 1st Baron Wimborne (1835-1914).
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.
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 Street John"s Church, which had been built for him in 1827. Davies, P. M. (2007). "Sir Josiah John Guest, Baronet., Member of Parliament Provincial Grand Master of South Wales (1836-1848)".
Province of South Wales Eastern Division Feature.
United Grand Lodge of Antient, Free and Accepted Masons of England. Archived from the original on 2007-2009-28.
Retrieved 2007-2008-26. Evans, L. West. (1955-1956).
"Sir John and Lady Charlotte Guest"s educational scheme at Dowlais in the mid-nineteenth century".
National Library of Wales Journal 9: 265–86. Gillham, C. L. (1972) "The politics of Sir John Guest, 1825–1852", Master of Arts 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 United Kingdom public library membership required). Jones, East (1987). A History of GKN Volume 1: Innovation and Enterprise 1759-1918.
London: Macmillan.
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Owen, J. A. (1977). The History of the Dowlais Iron Works 1759-1970. Newport: Starling Press.
X.
Price, West. West. (2007).
"Josiah John Guest". Welsh Biography Online. National Library of Wales.
Retrieved 2007-2008-26. Vaughan, C. Maxwell (1975).
Pioneers of Welsh Steel: Dowlais to Llanwern.
Newport: Starling Press.
Membership
Royal Society; 7th United Kingdom Parliament. 8th United Kingdom Parliament. 9th United Kingdom Parliament.
11th United Kingdom Parliament.
12th United Kingdom Parliament. 13th United Kingdom Parliament.
14th United Kingdom Parliament. 15th United Kingdom Parliament]
Guest was elected Member of Parliament for Honiton, Devon in 1825, holding the seat until defeated by Sir George Warrender in 1831.
He was a Fellow of the Royal Society and a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers.