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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Ironmaster

Ironmaster \I"ron*mas`ter\, n. A manufacturer of iron, or large dealer therein.
--Bp. Hurd.

Wiktionary
ironmaster

n. 1 A manufacturer of iron 2 (context dated English) The proprietor of an ironworks

Wikipedia
Ironmaster

thumb|upright=1.5| The Iron Bridge of Abraham Darby's Coalbrookdale works

An ironmaster is the manager, and usually owner, of a forge or blast furnace for the processing of iron. It is a term mainly associated with the period of the Industrial Revolution, especially in Great Britain.

The ironmaster was usually a large scale entrepreneur and thus an important member of a community. He would have a large country house or mansion as his residence. The organization of operations surrounding the smelting, refining and casting of iron was labour-intensive, and so there would be a large number of workers reliant on the furnace works.

There were ironmasters (possibly not called such) from the 17th century onwards, but they became more prominent with the great expansion in the British iron industry during the Industrial Revolution.

Usage examples of "ironmaster".

We looked down from the gantry where its ironmaster, who was as white and skinny as his charge was black and huge, worked stripped to the waist with braces dangling, stroking and willing his machine to bear impossible pressures.

On the other side of the Witchfires, below the pass of the Leaning Man, the Ironmaster of Thyra cast his own auguries.

A tremendous steam arose, and a wild bubbling, and when all that had gone the apprentice dipped away what water was left and the Ironmaster looked at the pattern that had formed on the sand.

And once again Stark stood, in memory, in the House of the Ironmaster at Thyra, when Hargoth the Corn-King turned in his rage upon Gerrith, whom he himself had wished to sacrifice.

Both men and beasts were there, for these stations on the Lower Road were still maintained, and the Ironmaster was well pleased.

He looked past the Ironmaster and the soldiers to where the laden beasts stood with the arms and legs of their burdens dangling down.

The Ironmaster, having touched and felt and tasted of the soil of Ged Darod, which was barren of ore, announced that he, too, would look for a new forge-place among the stars.

Without calling himself a reformer, the young ironmaster proved to be a practical sociologist.

But the young ironmaster was looking at his watch, and the confidences were postponed.

The son of a lord and an ironmaster of great influence were the serious candidates.

Auguste Marmont, son of an ironmaster, had outmanoeuvred the Englishman, outmarched him, and all that had to be done now was to outrun him to Portugal.

CHAPTER XXVIII The Ironmaster Sir Leicester Dedlock has got the better, for the time being, of the family gout and is once more, in a literal no less than in a figurative point of view, upon his legs.

Therewith the ironmaster takes his departure, Sir Leicester ringing the bell and my Lady rising as he leaves the room.

My Lady, with that motherly touch of the famous ironmaster night, lays her hand upon her dark hair and gently keeps it there.

On her coming in, the ironmaster leaves his chair, takes her arm in his, and remains with her near the door ready to depart.