1728-1808

English Inventor

John Wilkinson is best remembered for developing the machine tools and techniques that helped make it possible to power the Industrial Revolution. By developing precision metalworking tools, Wilkinson was able to bore accurate, consistent cylinders for the steam engines under development by James Watt (1736-1819). These same techniques, it turned out, were also very useful in constructing cannons, pipes, and other similar devices.

Wilkinson was born in Clifton, England, in 1728, moving to Staffordshire at the age of 20. There, he helped build one of the first iron furnaces, making cast iron. Although cast iron is much stronger than native iron and is less brittle than wrought iron, it is difficult to work with. However, its superior material properties made the added effort worthwhile, while Wilkinson's furnace design helped make it affordable for a much larger group of people than had previously been the case...