John Wilkinson- Iron Mad Jack

John "Iron-Mad Jack" Wilkinson (1728 – 14 July 1808) was nicknamed “Iron Mad Jack” as he was a shrewd entrepreneur who owned shares in Thomas Williams’ copper companies in Flintshire and Anglesey. He was however most well known as a pioneer of the Iron Industry in Wrexham. John Wilkinson was at the centre of the slave trade which triggered the Industrial Revolution.
John Wilkinson was born in Cumbria, England. His father Isaac Wilkinson was an ironmaster who bought Bersham Ironworks near Wrexham in 1753 from the Lloyd family. Much like Thomas Williams’ copper mills and other industries of the time the Bersham ironworks was powered by large water wheels. However, by 1762 the ironworks struggled to make a profit as demand for iron armaments had slowed down drastically after the end of Seven Years’ War with France in 1763. John and his brother, William took over the business and soon turned it around.
In 1774 John Wilkinson patented a new technique for boring cannon from one solid piece of iron making the cannons more accurate and less likely to explode. John was an extremely intelligent engineer he was able to use the same boring technique to create cylinders which were used on Matthew Boulton’s and James Watts’ newly invented steam engines that went on to power the Industrial Revolution. By using Boulton and Watts’ new coal powered steam engine, John was able to increase the speed of cannons and cylinders production on a huge scale.
The cannons made at Bersham were sold to the Royal Navy who used them on their battle ships and slave ports in Western Africa which were essential for the protection and growth of the British Empire. It is said that he even sold the cannons to the Americans who were fighting the British during the American Revolutionary War from 1775 to 1783.This may have been one of the reasons why in 1779 the Royal Navy pushed the British government to revoke John Wilkinson’s patent on the cannon boring technique as he clearly had the monopoly over the industry. Nevertheless, he remained a major manufacturer in Britain and earned his fortune this way.
John Wilkinson was evidently more concerned about making a profit than the ethics behind the slave trade, he eagerly supplied cannon to privateers and merchant ships transporting and selling African slaves and goods like tobacco, sugar and cotton around the world.
By 1787 John Wilkinson had become extremely rich and powerful and employed hundreds of workers across Wrexham and the Midlands. However, due to there being a severe shortage of small coins to pay his workers, like his business partner, Thomas Williams, he commissioned Matthew Boulton from Birmingham, to make him his very own halfpenny copper tokens. These were nicknamed Willy tokens (as they had the profile of his head on the front of them). Much like Thomas Williams’ Druid tokens, John Wilkinson’s Willy tokens could also be exchanged across North Wales, London, Birmingham and Cornwall.
From the profits that he made indirectly from the slave trade John bought the Brymbo estate in 1792 (less than five miles from Bersham). At Brymbo he built a new blast furnace ironworks and a new home for himself, Brymbo Hall. While Brymbo Hall was not as grand or as opulent as many other industrialists' estates, it was much more functional being situated next to the ironworks. John Wilkinson it seems was a practical man who was more interested in amassing his wealth rather than showing it off.
John Wilkinson died in Brymbo Hall in 1808 and was buried in an iron coffin in Cumbria.
John Wilkinson was born in Cumbria, England. His father Isaac Wilkinson was an ironmaster who bought Bersham Ironworks near Wrexham in 1753 from the Lloyd family. Much like Thomas Williams’ copper mills and other industries of the time the Bersham ironworks was powered by large water wheels. However, by 1762 the ironworks struggled to make a profit as demand for iron armaments had slowed down drastically after the end of Seven Years’ War with France in 1763. John and his brother, William took over the business and soon turned it around.
In 1774 John Wilkinson patented a new technique for boring cannon from one solid piece of iron making the cannons more accurate and less likely to explode. John was an extremely intelligent engineer he was able to use the same boring technique to create cylinders which were used on Matthew Boulton’s and James Watts’ newly invented steam engines that went on to power the Industrial Revolution. By using Boulton and Watts’ new coal powered steam engine, John was able to increase the speed of cannons and cylinders production on a huge scale.
The cannons made at Bersham were sold to the Royal Navy who used them on their battle ships and slave ports in Western Africa which were essential for the protection and growth of the British Empire. It is said that he even sold the cannons to the Americans who were fighting the British during the American Revolutionary War from 1775 to 1783.This may have been one of the reasons why in 1779 the Royal Navy pushed the British government to revoke John Wilkinson’s patent on the cannon boring technique as he clearly had the monopoly over the industry. Nevertheless, he remained a major manufacturer in Britain and earned his fortune this way.
John Wilkinson was evidently more concerned about making a profit than the ethics behind the slave trade, he eagerly supplied cannon to privateers and merchant ships transporting and selling African slaves and goods like tobacco, sugar and cotton around the world.
By 1787 John Wilkinson had become extremely rich and powerful and employed hundreds of workers across Wrexham and the Midlands. However, due to there being a severe shortage of small coins to pay his workers, like his business partner, Thomas Williams, he commissioned Matthew Boulton from Birmingham, to make him his very own halfpenny copper tokens. These were nicknamed Willy tokens (as they had the profile of his head on the front of them). Much like Thomas Williams’ Druid tokens, John Wilkinson’s Willy tokens could also be exchanged across North Wales, London, Birmingham and Cornwall.
From the profits that he made indirectly from the slave trade John bought the Brymbo estate in 1792 (less than five miles from Bersham). At Brymbo he built a new blast furnace ironworks and a new home for himself, Brymbo Hall. While Brymbo Hall was not as grand or as opulent as many other industrialists' estates, it was much more functional being situated next to the ironworks. John Wilkinson it seems was a practical man who was more interested in amassing his wealth rather than showing it off.
John Wilkinson died in Brymbo Hall in 1808 and was buried in an iron coffin in Cumbria.
References
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