A tankard from the Japanware collection at Pontypool Museum

John Hanbury's Pontypool Works then proceeded to undertake the first commercial production of tinplate in Britain. By 1703 innovative tinplaying of iron had been achieved at Pontypool.

In 1732, it is recorded that one of the Hanbury family employees, Thomas Allgood had invented a new way of japanning the tinplate. Sir Charles Hanbury (second son of Major John Hanbury) wrote to his wife "Tom Allgood has found out a new way of japanning which I think so beautiful that I'll send you a couple of pieces of it". These latest developments led to a method of japanning metal which was both hard wearing and beautiful.

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