John Elder (engineer)

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John Elder

John Elder (born March 8, 1824 in Glasgow , † September 17, 1869 ) was a Scottish marine engineer, shipbuilder, inventor and entrepreneur.

Life

Like his father, Elder became a marine steam engine designer. Elder graduated from the High School of Glasgow . After a five-year apprenticeship with Robert Napier , he became head of the drawing department at Napier's shipbuilding company . In 1854 he succeeded in developing the compound steam engine, an invention that made these steam engines more compact (taking up less space) and more efficient. It contributed to the fact that steamships displaced sailing ships on many sea routes. John Elder received patents on many of his developments; his company grew rapidly and employed thousands of workers.

In 1869, Elder suffered from an illness that lasted several months, so he went to London . Despite treatment, he died on September 17, 1869 of liver disease. He left behind his wife Isabella (nee Ure, daughter of A. Ure, esq., Of Glasgow), to whom he had been married since 1857.

Isabella became a patron after 1869 . She sponsored the University of Glasgow with large sums and endowed the 'John Elder Professorship of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering' chair. She also promoted the establishment of Queen Margaret College.

An obituary by Prof. Macquorn Rankine published in 1871 describes and acknowledges Elder's patents and engineering achievements in detail.

Entrepreneurial activity

In 1852, Elder became a partner in Randolph, Elliott, & Co. In 1860, the company, now renamed Randolph, Elder, & Co. , was first active in shipbuilding. In 1868 the partnership ran out. Elder continued to build the ship successfully. He soon became known as an engineer of exceptional skill. The company became the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in 1886 .

Awards

In the Govan district of Glasgow , a park was named after Elder in 1885 and a statue of the engineer was erected there. In 2012, Elder was inducted into the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame .

Web links

  • Elder in the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Macquorn Rankine (1871): A memoir of John Elder , p. 55
  2. ^ William JM Rankine : Memoir of John Elder, Engineer and Ship-Builder . W. Blackwood, Edinburgh 1871, pp. 28, 37, OCLC 646943763 .
  3. ↑ Elder Park ( Memento of the original from November 4, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on the Clyde Waterfront Heritage website  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.clydewaterfrontheritage.com
  4. ↑ 2012 Inductees . Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
personal data
SURNAME Elder, John
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Scottish marine engineer, shipbuilder, inventor and entrepreneur
DATE OF BIRTH March 8, 1824
PLACE OF BIRTH Glasgow
DATE OF DEATH September 17, 1869