In 1787, David Williams leased the quarrying and mineral rights at Gaewern and Braich Goch from John Edwards, representing the Vane Estate.

The early mining took place at Gaewern, the northern of the two quarry areas, under the auspices of the Merionethshire Slate Company.

He obtained a new lease directly from the Vanes Estate, thus removing the subleasing arrangement with John Edwards.

Meanwhile, the neighbouring Gaewern quarry was struggling and in 1848, the Merionethshire Slate Company was dissolved after the discovery of serious financial mismanagement.

However, an attempted flotation of the company failed to attract enough investors and as a result, the partners were brought out by John Rowlands, who owned Gaewern and Ratgoed quarries.

The Birley family saw the opportunity of this new transportation route for improving the profitability of the local quarries and purchased the lease for Braich Goch from Rowlands, forming Braich Goch Slate Quarry Ltd. Rowlands continued with Gaewern, though without financial success and in 1868 sold it to the Talyllyn Slate Company.

[3] By the mid-1840s, Braich Goch quarry maintained a wharf at Morben, with slate being shipped by horse cart.