David Mushet

• It was to Clyde Iron Works that David Mushet came, at the age of 19 in 1791, as a clerk in the Accounts Branch. He became interested in metallurgy and was allowed to carry out experiments in his spare time.

• He later moved to the Calder Iron Works, then to Derbyshire, and in 1810 to Coleford in the Forest of Dean.

• David Mushet was the father of Robert Foster Mushet, an even more famous metallurgist who improved the Bessemer process and went on to develop tool steels, wear resistant rails and other steel alloys.

• David Mushet contributed many valuable papers on the nature of metals and also discovered the native Black Band ironstone in North Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Stirlingshire that later helped lead to the meteoric rise in the Scottish Iron industry, particularly in the Coatbridge area. This was primarily lead by the invention of the hot blast process at Clyde Iron Works, in 1828, by the Glasgow engineer, James Beaumont Neilson, which transformed the cost of iron production.

• 1855 A number of letters published by DM

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1848 Obituary

Mr. David Mushet early imbibed a taste for mineralogical and metallurgical pursuits, which he cultivated to the greatest extent, indeed, in many of his views respecting the smelting and manipulation of metals, he was far in advance of the period in which he lived, and to the result of his researches, the world is indebted for many of the improvements introduced in the iron and copper trades, and which have even been patented by other persons, without any benefit accruing to Mr. Mushet.

This is, however, but too commonly the case with men of genius, who appear to be sent as pioneers, to clear the obstructions from the path of the more matter of fact, but not less meritorious, practical men, who find their industry solidly rewarded, whilst even the bare credit of the discovery, is sometimes withheld from the original inventors.

The discovery by Mr. Mushet of the black-band iron ore in Scotland, and, subsequently, in South Wales, may be given as an instance of the manufacturing prosperity of whole districts being advanced by a discovery, which never produced him even a vote of thanks from those who were enriched by it.

His investigations into the changes during processes of smelting and working metals were acute, and produced some good practical results; that into the causes of red-shortness and cold-shortness in bar-iron may be particularly mentioned, because of the simple and easy methods he pointed out for remedying those defects.

As an Iron Master in Scotland, in Derbyshire, and in the Forest of Dean, and during his connexion with the British Iron Company, as well as when he was consulted by various foreign Governments, and by private individuals, on practical questions, he had ample opportunities, not only for experiments on a large scale; but also for collecting information, which he used in numerous well written and useful articles in the Encyclopedias and Periodicals, and in his Papers on Iron and Steel.

He has left a large collection of MSS., relative to the processes of iron-making and metallurgy generally, which it is hoped some of his talented family will collate and give to the world, as there have been few experimentalists whose researches were carried on with such indefatigable industry and perseverance, and yet of whose labours so little is really known.

Mr. Mushet's career, although eminently active and useful, during stirring and eventful times, was not as fortunate as it deserved; but, he was as highly esteemed by all who knew him in private life, as he was admired for his talents and acquirements in his public career.

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See Also

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Sources of Information

• Mechanics Magazine Volume LXIII (63) 1855 Pt2
• [1] Clydebridge Steel Work history
• David Mushet by Samuel Smiles