Sir John Roper Wright, 1st Baronet (12 March 1843 – 25 July 1926) was a British steel manufacturer. Wright was born in Croston, near Chorley, Lancashire. He became a pupil at the Soho Engineering Works in Preston and then worked for Sir William Siemens. He established his own company, Wright, Butler & Co, at Gowerton, near Swansea, and founded a number of steel works. His company was later absorbed by Baldwins Ltd, of which he became a director. He became chairman in 1908, succeeding Alfred Baldwin, father of Stanley Baldwin, the future prime minister. Wright was a prominent Liberal Unionist and unsuccessfully stood for Parliament in 1895 and 1910. He was created a Baronet in the 1920 New Year Honours. Wright was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son, Sir William Charles Wright, OBE, upon whose death the title became extinct in 1950.
Roper Wright Close was so named in memory of a Lancashire man,John Roper Wright, born in l895, who was largely responsible for the development of the little thatched cottage hamlet of Ffosfelen, into the industrialised and prosperous village of Gowerton, which is today mainly a residential area.
Before coming to Gowerton, J.R.Wright had been associated with the famous Dr.Siemens at Birmingham, where they produced some mild steel by the Siemens process, which was the foundation of the country's steel industry.
In 1872 there came to Ffosfelen a colliery proprietor, Alfred Sterry, who, with colleagues Roger Beck and a Mr. Healey, started a small iron works on the site which was later to contain the Elba Steelworks.
This venture ceased about 1875 and after three years of idleness, the works was taken over by J.B.Wright, who continued there his experiment in the production of mild steel, some of which was conveyed by horse-drawn carts :0 a Llanelli works, lt~er to be known as the Western Tin Company.
At that time the name Ffosfelen gave way to the name of Gower Road, which led to the final appellation, Gowerton.
Wright lived for a while at E1ba House, now the Chemist's shop acjacent to the Doctor's Surgery, before building the Mount in 1881.
During his years at Gowerton, apart from his deep involvement in industry, he took an active part in everything pertaining to the education, health and comfort of the community, and its social and religious needs. He was instrumental in the founding of St.John's Churh, where he was an active worker, read the Lesson each Sunday,
and built and maintained St.John's Hall, now the Unionist Club.
A great achievement was his construction of the Stafford Common road to Kingsbridge, which linked Gowerton with the main road from Swansea to the west. Previously the only way out from Gowerton was via the marsh road, which was frequently flooded with tidal water.
Roper Wright took the keenest interest in all worthy village movements and remained a patron of the local cricket and lawn tennis clubs until his death. He was knighted by George V for his great service to the nation's steel industry. Sir J.Roper Wright was an excellent example of that paternalism practiced by the better type of employer in the Victorian era.