Biography and Family Life:
– John Wilkinson was born in Little Clifton, Cumberland, to Isaac Wilkinson, a potfounder.
– Raised in a non-conformist Presbyterian family, he was educated at a dissenting academy in Kendal.
– Married Ann Maudesley in 1755, later marrying Mary Lee and having children with his mistress, Mary Ann Lewis.
– By 1796, Wilkinson produced about one-eighth of Britain’s cast iron.
– His estate was valued at over £130,000 upon his death in 1808, leading to posthumous estate management challenges and disputes.
Industrial Ventures:
– Became a partner in the Bersham concern in 1755 and took over Bersham Ironworks in 1761.
– Developed iron works in various locations in Shropshire, known as the Father of the South Staffordshire iron industry.
– Prolific inventor, creating a machine tool for boring cast iron cannons and improving air supply for blast furnaces.
– Patented techniques for boring iron guns and developed high-quality casting at Bersham.
– Invented a boring machine for steam engines and a hydraulic powered blowing engine for blast furnaces.
Infrastructure Contributions:
– Initiated the construction of the Iron Bridge in 1775, persuading the use of iron for its construction.
– Launched the first barge made of wrought iron in 1787.
– Supported the construction of the first cast iron bridge at Coalbrookdale.
– Involved in lead mines and works, installing steam pumping engines for lead mines and operating a lead pipe works in Rotherhithe.
– Contributed to the development of the industrial district in Madeley.
Business Ventures and Philanthropy:
– Made a fortune selling high-quality iron goods and engaged in copper mining interests.
– Supported his brother-in-law, chemist Dr. Joseph Priestley, and contributed to various community projects.
– Provided housing for employees and their families, served as High Sheriff of Denbighshire, and contributed iron troughs to schools.
– Engaged in business ventures to expand his industrial empire and patented several inventions related to iron and copper.
– Bought lead mines and established a lead pipe factory, eventually producing solder filler alloys for a car factory.
Legacy and Documentation:
– Various historical records and publications detail Wilkinson’s contributions and estate management issues posthumously.
– Burial location and movements of Wilkinson’s iron coffin are documented.
– Financial figures and inflation-adjusted values related to Wilkinson’s estate are cited.
– Works like ‘Wilkinson Studies’ by Douglas Braid and ‘Builders of Industry: John Wilkinson, Ironmaster’ by W.H. Chaloner provide insights into his life.
– The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography includes a biography of Wilkinson, and various external links offer additional information and resources.
John "Iron-Mad" Wilkinson (1728 – 14 July 1808) was an English industrialist who pioneered the manufacture of cast iron and the use of cast-iron goods during the Industrial Revolution. He was the inventor of a precision boring machine that could bore cast iron cylinders, such as cannon barrels and piston cylinders used in the steam engines of James Watt. His boring machine has been called the first machine tool. He also developed a blowing device for blast furnaces that allowed higher temperatures, increasing their efficiency, and helped sponsor the first iron bridge in Coalbrookdale. He is notable for his method of cannon boring, his techniques at casting iron and his work with the government of France to establish a cannon foundry.
John Wilkinson | |
|---|---|
 Wilkinson by Lemuel Francis Abbott | |
| Born | 1728 Little Clifton, Cumberland, England |
| Died | 14 July 1808 (aged 79–80) Bradley, Staffordshire, England |
| Resting place | Lindale Church, Lindale-in-Cartmel, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation(s) | Ironmaster, Entrepreneur, builder of first iron boat, partner in world's first iron bridge |
| Website | broseley |
