John Wilkinson
Pioneer of the iron and steelmaking industry.
- Born:
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1728
- Died:
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1808
- Place of Birth:
- Clifton, Cumbria
- Biography:
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Born in Clifton in Cumbria, Wilkinson became known as Iron Mad John Wilkinson, due to his interest in iron and its uses.
His father, Isaac Wilkinson, set up a small business in Lancashire making flat iron heaters, which John assisted with. During this time they patented a new type of smoothing iron. John moved to Bilston in Staffordshire where he raised the money to build his own blast furnace. About 1761 he and his younger brother William took over the running of the furnace at Bersham near Wrexham from their father, who had been running it with little success. Under the brothers the business prospered. John went on to buy Brymbo Hall and build two blast furnaces nearby. This was the beginning of what was to become Brymbo Steelworks. In 1774 John Wilkinson was granted a patent for a new method of boring iron. This revolutionised the production of cannon as it resulted in more accurate weapons. Previously cannon were cast as one piece with the hole up the middle. Wilkinson's method was to cast a solid piece and use his new method of boring to create the hole. Using this method meant there were fewer imperfections in the cannon. Cannon made at Bersham were said to have been used in countries across Europe during the wars at the turn of the century. Joseph Priestley, the chemist who discovered oxygen, was Wilkinson's brother-in-law. Wilkinson's name is also linked with that of James Watt, the inventor of the steam engine, as cylinders for Watt's engines were made at Bersham. Wilkinson became High Sheriff of Denbighshire. Married twice, in his seventies he had three illegitimate children with his mistress, Ann Lewis; the third child was born when he was 78. When he died he was buried in Cumbria in an iron coffin. He was buried four times - the first time while the iron coffin was being prepared, then again when it was discovered that there was not enough soil for the coffin to be buried and a hole had to be blasted in the rock. He was finally laid to rest at the old family estate in Cumbria. But this was sold in 1828 and his body was moved once again to Lindale Church where he rests to this day.
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