Neilson was born in Shettleston on 22 June 1792. The son of an engineer at the Govan Colliery, he worked from age 14 in the coal and iron industry. From 1814 he was employed in the city's first gasworks, eventually rising to become manager and chief engineer. He studied chemistry, physics and mathematics at the Andersonian Institution and introduced several improvements to the manufacture of gas, including the smokeless "swallow-tail" burner.
Gas street lighting began in September 1818 and popularity increased through the 1820s. In 1828 Neilson patented his hot blast method of smelting iron, and this led to numerous lawsuits in which he defended the patent against infringement.
In recognition of his services to industry, Neilson was elected to the Institution of Civil Engineers, to the Chemical Society and, in 1846, the Royal Society of London. He died on his estate at Queenshill, near Kirkcudbright, on 18 January 1865.
JAMES BEAUMONT NEILSON, the inventor of the hot blast, was born at Shettleston on 22nd June, 1792. His father was engine-wright, or what would now be called engineer, at the Govan Colliery, which was then being worked on a small scale; his fellow-servant being William Dixon, senior, afterwards of Govanhill. Beaumont's education, which was limited to the three R's, he got at the Parish School of Strathbungo and the Chapel School in Gorbals. Before he was fourteen he was put to work, and two years later he was apprenticed to his elder brother John, then engineer at Oakbank - in later life a coal and iron master, and founder of the Summerlee Works (*) - whom he served for three years. Beaumont's leisure was employed in learning grammar, drawing, and mathematics. In 1814 he obtained the situation of engine-wright at a colliery at Irvine, but his master becoming unfortunate in business he was thrown out of employment and returned to Glasgow. About this time the first gas work in the city was established, and the directors of the company, whose chairman was Mr. Henry Monteith of Carstairs, advertised for a superintendent and foreman. Young Neilson applied for the place and was selected for it out of a score of candidates. His engagement was for five years, but before this time expired he was promoted to be manager and engineer of the works. This position he retained until 1847, when he retired after thirty years of faithful service.
Although he knew nothing of gas making when he entered the service of the company, he soon mastered it in all its details, both practical and theoretical. To fit himself the better for his duties he attended the classes of chemistry, natural philosophy, and the higher mathematics at the Andersonian Institution, and afterwards devoted much time to these studies. He introduced several valuable improvements in the method of gas manufacture, and made the Glasgow Gas Work one of the most complete and perfect in the kingdom. The well-known "swallow-tail" burner, a beautiful, smokeless, and economical light, was his invention.
The Gas Company was incorporated in June, 1817, and in fifteen months was ready to supply gas, but had much difficulty in finding customers. In September, 1818, the street lamps were lighted with it for the first time, and the Queen Street Theatre was "illuminated with sparkling gas" in presence of a large and fashionable audience. The whole of the first year's revenue amounted to £4,052 5s., the bulk of which came from the Saltmarket, Princes Street, and King Street.
Only seven houses in Buchanan Street took the new light, four in St. Enoch Square, eight in George Square, fifteen in St. Vincent Street, two in West Nile Street, three in Bath Street, six in Sauchiehall Street, six in Miller Street, thirteen in Queen Street, two in Union Street, five in Carlton Place. The amounts paid by individual customers were very small - Messrs. J. & W. Campbell, for their shop in the Trades' Land, head of the Saltmarket (where London Street now opens), £1 7s. 6d.; Robert Napier, then in Greyfriars Wynd, £1 7s. 3d.; Pollok Gilmour & Co., in the Stockwell, 7s. 6d.; the old Post Office in Nelson Street, £4 18s. 10d.; Dr. Balmanno, for his shop in the Trongate, £3 4s. 2d.; Joseph Bain, 10s. 6d. for his coach office on the opposite side of the street. Gas, however, soon became popular. In 1822 the Company had to obtain a new Act, doubling their original capital of £40,000; three years later it was increased by a third Act, and by a fourth in 1826. A rival company was set up in 1843 with a capital of £150,000, which had likewise to be increased from time to time. The property of both companies was transferred to the Corporation in 1869, when the capital of the old stood at £215,000, and of the new company at £200,000. During the first year of the Corporation management 1,026,618,000 cubic feet of gas were distributed through 93,523 meters. The meter system was not adopted for many years after gas was in common use, but the customers were charged by the jet for six nights in the week, from sunset to eight o'clock, with an extra charge when the light was used on Sundays.
In 1824 Mr. Neilson had his attention directed to the smelting of iron, and in 1825 read a paper upon the subject to the Philosophical Society. His ideas were somewhat crude at first, but they matured during the next three years, and in 1828 he obtained letters patent, charta donationis, according to the language of the day, protecting his invention. The specification was prepared by Lord Brougham, who was then at the bar, and by good luck or good guiding was so drawn that while the principle was clearly stated, the method of carrying it out was described so generally that it covered all the modifications or improvements which the practical use of the invention suggested. The smelting of iron in a furnace has been practised from a very early date, and the use of a blast to increase the heat is very ancient. Prior to Neilson's discovery it was produced by a blowing power, passed through a regulator, and entered the furnace in a cold stream. It was the common belief of both practical and scientific men that the colder the air the more effective would be the furnace, and artificial means were taken to lower its temperature as far as possible. Neilson's idea, founded on observation and experiment, was that the reverse was the case, and his invention consisted in introducing the stream of air into the furnace hot instead of cold. The discovery revolutionized the whole iron industry. Previously Scotch coal could not be used in smelting without coking, and it was practically unfit for this purpose, but by using the hot blast this coal could be used in its raw state as well as the inferior and harder anthracite or non-bituminous coal of South Wales. Neilson was not in a position to make the necessary practical trials to prove the value of his invention, so he disposed of part of his interest in the patent to Charles McIntosh of Crossbasket, Colin Dunlop of Tollcross, and John Wilson of Dundyvan, formerly Mr. Dunlop's manager, while Mr. Robert Aitken, accountant (of Aitken and Mackenzie) acted as secretary to the syndicate. The value of the invention was demonstrated by a series of experiments at Clyde Iron Works in 1828 and 1829, and in the course of a few years it was in general use in Great Britain and various continental countries, the United States, and India. The royalty charged by the patentees was only 1s. per ton, and by 1840 licenses had been taken out by fifty-eight ironmasters in England and thirteen in Scotland.
In 1740 the whole make of iron in the United Kingdom was only 17,350 tons, and in 1788 it was 65,000. In 1828 it had risen to 690,000 tons, of which only 36,500 were made in Scotland. In 1840 the Scotch make was 300,000 tons, in 1864 it was 1,160,000, in 1881 1,176,000 tons, and in 1884 988,000 tons. In 1828 the average selling price of a ton of Scotch pig iron was about £7, in 1864 it was £2 17s. 3d., in 1881 £2 19s. 1d., and in 1884 £2 2s. 2d. The increased production was very largely due to the hot blast. The produce of iron was one third more than by the old process, and of a superior quality; and the valuable blackband ironstone, discovered by David Mushet in the beginning of the century, could now, by the hot blast, be fully utilized and successfully treated.
In its early years several attempts had been made to infringe the patent, but proceedings were taken and the infringement was stopped in every case. In 1840 various ironmasters determined to make a bold attempt to overthrow it, and entered into a combination for the purpose. The attack was conducted in a systematic manner, and nothing was omitted that persistence, assertion, and a prodigal expenditure of money could effect, but in vain. To say nothing of a host of minor suits, the novelty and merit of the patent were successfully established in five leading cases in England and two in Scotland, all of which were fought with the greatest keenness from court to court, and four of them reached the House of Lords. It was submitted to three juries, one of which sat for ten days and heard 102 witnesses, the law costs on both sides amounting, it was estimated, to at least £40,000. The two principal Scotch cases were one with William Baird & Co. of Gartsherrie, against whom a prosecution had been abandoned in 1833 on their agreeing to pay royalty and not to challenge the validity or effect of the patent on any ground or pretext whatever, and the other with the Househill Coal and Iron Company, of which J. & P. Coats, the eminent thread manufacturers, and several of their Paisley and Greenock friends, were the partners. Amongst the various witnesses examined in these cases were Professor James Forbes of Edinburgh, Dr. William Gregory of Aberdeen, David Mushet, Alexander (Sandy) Christie of the Muirkirk Iron Works, John Houldsworth, still a machine maker in Glasgow, as well as an ironmaster at Coltness, which he had started about eight years previously, and Alexander Buttery, of the Monkland Iron and Steel Company, for the pursuers; while amongst those who appeared for the defenders were Professor Penny of the Andersonian Institution, David Elder, then manager to Robert Napier & Co., and John Condie, the manager at Blair, inventor of the water-tuyere, which made the use of the hot blast practicable.
The great value of the invention was duly appreciated by the scientific world, and in recognition of his services to mechanical industry, Mr. Neilson was elected a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, of the Chemical Society, and in 1846 of the Royal Society of London.
In 1851 he purchased the estate of Queenshill, in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, whither he retired to spend his well earned leisure, and where he died suddenly on 18th January, 1865.
He was a quiet, reflective, unassuming, and earnest man, thoroughly honest and straight-forward. He was kind-hearted and fond of harmless mirth and social intercourse. He took great interest in the welfare of his workmen, and while manager of the gas work, established in 1824 a workmen's institution, which became a model for many others in various parts of the country. It was provided with a library and laboratory, models, and scientific apparatus, and was the first known attempt in this country to provide the means of technical education.
Mr. Neilson was twice married and left a large family. His eldest son is the well-known locomotive engine builder of Glasgow.
(*) John Neilson carried on the Oakbank Works for many years with much success. Here in after years he built and engined the first iron steamer that sailed from the Clyde. He had built some iron steamboats for canal navigation, and finding that they answered his expectations he proposed to build a sea boat, but could get no one to join him in what was then looked upon as far too speculative a project. Nothing daunted, he carried out his plan on his own account, succeeded, and soon had a crowd of imitators. His vessel was the "Fairy Queen." She was built in 1831, and plied as a passenger steamer on the Largs route. He had, however, been to a certain extent anticipated by David Napier, who built the "Aglaia" in 1827, and sailed her on Loch Eck.
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