Darby, Abraham

Darby, Abraham

(born 1678?, near Dudley, Worcestershire, Eng.—died March 8, 1717, Madeley Court, Worcestershire) British ironmaster. In 1709 Darby's Bristol Iron Co. became the first to successfully smelt iron ore with coke (see smelting). He demonstrated the superiority of coke in cost and efficiency by building much larger furnaces than were possible with charcoal as fuel. The quality of his iron made it possible to manufacture thin castings that rivaled brass for pots and other hollowware. Iron from his establishment was used for the cylinders of Thomas Newcomen's engines, for a cast-iron bridge, and for the first locomotive with a high-pressure boiler. See also Dud Dudley.