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John Wilkinson: King of the Ironmasters
From a farming background in Cumbria, John Wilkinson’s remarkable abilities and ambitions ensured his rise to pre-eminence among the gifted pioneers of the industrial revolution. His colleagues and friends were similarly talented characters, including James Watt, Josiah Wedgwood, Richard Crawshay of Cyfartha, and Thomas Telford.Wilkinson achieved great leaps in the iron industry and munitions, including the first use of sound castings and accurate boring for cannon manufacture, as well as developing steam railway engines, waterways, and also in copper refining and lead and chemicals. But while Wilkinson’s technological triumphs were admired by contemporaries, his personal affairs were complicated and sometimes tragic. This well-informed and readable book gives a unique insight into the character and thinking of this formidable "king of the ironmasters."
192 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 2011
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July 20, 2022
Interesting and rather detailed life of John Wilkinson, Ironmaster
I read this book because I had the privilege of knowing Frank Dawson and is wife, Fev, when they were running Castle Head Field Centre at Lindale near Grange-over-Sands in Cumbria.
While staying at the Field Centre as either a customer on a weekend or, briefly, as a volunteer I remember Frank giving a talk on John Wilkinson which I found really interesting.
This book is detailed and must have been the subject of a great deal of preparatory research but it does mean you do need to stick at it. If you've been to Ironbridge and visited the seven museums there, plus the bridge and been to Broseley nearby you'll be aware of all the other tie-ins there to John Wilkinson. Having stayed in Broseley twice, that connection also piqued my interest in reading this book.
My regard for Frank Dawson as an inspirational and practical teacher also meant I thought this book deserved the time and attention in reading it.
So, the Industrial Revolution and the development of Iron founding. The interlinking of all the famous names you will read in this book....Watt, Darby, Wilkinson. The development of steam engines. All make this book worth reading. It is as much, if not more an account of the man John Wilkinson, Ironmaster rather than a more general history of this key period of British industrialisation.
I liked it but it wasn't an easy read in places.....
I read this book because I had the privilege of knowing Frank Dawson and is wife, Fev, when they were running Castle Head Field Centre at Lindale near Grange-over-Sands in Cumbria.
While staying at the Field Centre as either a customer on a weekend or, briefly, as a volunteer I remember Frank giving a talk on John Wilkinson which I found really interesting.
This book is detailed and must have been the subject of a great deal of preparatory research but it does mean you do need to stick at it. If you've been to Ironbridge and visited the seven museums there, plus the bridge and been to Broseley nearby you'll be aware of all the other tie-ins there to John Wilkinson. Having stayed in Broseley twice, that connection also piqued my interest in reading this book.
My regard for Frank Dawson as an inspirational and practical teacher also meant I thought this book deserved the time and attention in reading it.
So, the Industrial Revolution and the development of Iron founding. The interlinking of all the famous names you will read in this book....Watt, Darby, Wilkinson. The development of steam engines. All make this book worth reading. It is as much, if not more an account of the man John Wilkinson, Ironmaster rather than a more general history of this key period of British industrialisation.
I liked it but it wasn't an easy read in places.....
Displaying 1 of 1 review