Fonderie d'Indret
La fonderie d'Indret (Indret foundry) is an industrial establishment created in 1777 by decision of the Minister of the Navy Antoine de Sartine on an island in the Loire in the parish of Indre , downstream from Nantes, in order to cast cannons for the Marine royale
The industrial activity of Indret has existed until today since the site of the old foundry is currently occupied by the l'Unité Propulsion de Naval Group.
In 1775, Marchant de la Houlière , an officer and owner of ironworks in the Alès region, went to England to study the manufacture of wrought iron using coal. He observed in John Wilkinson's factory the manufacture of cannons by secondary melting, using coke-fired cast iron remelted in a reverberatory furnace. He proposed, in a report to the king, to join forces with William Wilkinson (1744-1808), John's younger brother, to set up a factory of this type in France. In December of the same year, William Wilkinson was at Versailles and began the construction of a demonstration furnace near Marly. ...... continued in the Wikipedia entry for Fonderie d'Indret.