Broseley Ironmaster, Inventor and Entrepreneur Countrywide.

 Born July 14^th 1728 in Clifton, Cumbria, son of Isaac Wilkinson.

Died July 14^th 1808 in Bradley, Staffordshire.

Major achievements:

·        Many improvements in the production of iron.

·        Use of sound castings for cannon manufacture

·        Accurate boring machine for cannon

·        Method for making spiral drive grooves (rifling) to improve accuracy of cannon fire

·        Method for producing accurate, truly circular cylinders for steam engines

·        Major instigator of the use of cast iron for the Bridge at Coalbrookdale

·        Promoted use of iron for barge manufacture

·        Promoted use of railways for carrying his products down to the River Severn

·        Major investor in copper mining and refining

·        Investor in other industries including production of lead and chemicals

After his education, Wilkinson was apprenticed to an ironmonger in Liverpool and then worked for his father in his ironworks at Bersham in Denbighshire.  In the late 1750s he established ironworks near here at Willey with financial support from Bristol merchants.

In 1761 he took over Bersham works from his father and in 1766 set up Bradley Ironworks in Bilston, now part of Wolverhampton.  He made money after establishing his reputation for producing and machining high quality castings, especially cannon and steam engine cylinders.   

John married Ann Maudsley in 1759 and found that her dowry helped to finance the ‘New Willey’ ironworks just outside Broseley.  Unfortunately Ann died.  He moved to ‘The Lawns’ in Broseley about 1763, the year that he married for the second time to Mary Lee.

King of the Ironmasters

New Willey

John Wilkinson - Copper King?

http://www.broseley.org.uk/wilkfiles/Wilkinson%20tokens.htm

http://www.broseley.org.uk/wilkfiles/us.htm

http://www.broseley.org.uk/bibliogr.htm#Iron%20Industry

http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/english/heritage/famous_people/john_wilkinson.htm

http://www.bahs.org.uk/05n1a4.pdf

http://www.henrycort.net/ficumbria.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northeast/guides/halloffame/innovators/john_wilkinson.shtml

http://www.oakengates.com/history/john_wilkinson_and_the_snedshill.htm