John Baildon

John Baildon (11 July 1772 – 7 August 1846) was a British pioneer in metallurgy in continental Europe.

Baildon was born in Larbert, Scotland. In 1793, he came to Prussian Silesia on the invitation of Friedrich von Reden. During the remainder of his life in Silesia, Baildon was involved in numerous pioneering industrial undertakings, including construction of the first blast furnaces fired by coke in continental Europe (in Gleiwitz (Gliwice) and Königshütte (Chorzów), the first pig iron produced on 21 September 1796), the Klodnitz (Kłodnica) Canal, and the first iron bridge in continental Europe (over the Strzegomka river in Łażany, Lower Silesia, erected in Spring 1796).

John married in 1804 and had 7 children (5 sons, 2 daughters). He died in Gleiwitz and is buried there (at the "Hutniczy" cemetery).

A major steel works ( in Katowice) was named after him.

External links

* [http://www.warsawvoice.pl/view/14399 Szymonowicz, Jarosław "A Scotsman in Silesia" Warsaw Voice, 28 March 2007] , retrieved on October 18 2007.

Persondata
NAME = Baildon, John
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = engineer
DATE OF BIRTH = 11 July 1772
PLACE OF BIRTH = Larbert, Scotland
DATE OF DEATH = 7 August 1846
PLACE OF DEATH = Gliwice, Poland