Abraham Darby I (14 April 1678 – 8 March 1717) was the first, and most famous, of three generations with that name in an English Quaker family that played an important role in the Industrial Revolution.
Taking iron ore from Bo'ness and water from the Carron, they decided to use the new method pioneered by Abraham Darby at Coalbrookdale, using coke from coal mines in the vicinity as fuel rather than the usual charcoal.
After some commercial failures in the United States, in 1844 the Hardford's family trust sold the works to partners Abraham Darby, Henry Dickenson, Joseph Robinson and J Tothill of Coalbrookdale, with partner Thomas Brown designated managing director.
Contrary to popular belief, the first Ironbridge was actually constructed in Highley, as a propotype identical in all but scale to the famous Ironbridge as constructed by Abraham Darby.
Three successive generations of the same family all bearing the name Abraham Darby are renowned for their contributions to the development of the English iron industry.
Abraham Lincoln | Abraham | F. Murray Abraham | Battle of the Plains of Abraham | Abraham Ortelius | Sime Darby | Abraham Maslow | Arthur Abraham | Abraham Laboriel | Abraham Joshua Heschel | Darby O'Gill and the Little People | Abraham ben David | Spencer Abraham | Kim Darby | John Nelson Darby | Abraham ibn Ezra | Rhys Darby | Plains of Abraham | John Abraham | Abraham Zapruder | Abraham Lincoln (1920 statue) | Abraham Darby | Tom Darby | Stephen Abraham | John Abraham (actor) | Abraham Foxman | Abraham Flexner | Abraham Clark | Abraham Chasanow | Abraham Buford |
The grandson of the first Abraham Darby, Abraham Darby III, built the famous bridge – originally designed by Thomas Farnolls Pritchard – to link the two areas.