John Neilson (1839-1935)
John Neilson (c1839-1935), chairman of the Summerlee Iron Co
1839 Born the son of Walter Neilson and Jane Fulton at Old Monkland, Lanarkshire[1], thus grandson of John Neilson, who was brother of James Beaumont Neilson.
1872 of Summerlee, Coatbridge - he was a member of the Iron and Steel Institute
1935 Died
1935 Obituary [2]
JOHN NEILSON, of Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, died early in July, 1935.
At his death he was chairman of the Summerlee Iron Co., Ltd., of Glasgow.
The Nelson family has been closely connected with the Scottish Iron Industry for a great many years, and it was J. B. Neilson, the uncle of Mr. John Neilson, who introduced the use of hot blast in the blast-furnace, which was probably the most marked advance in fuel economy made in the history of iron-making.
Mr. Neilson was ninety-six years of age, and thus was almost certainly the oldest member of the Iron and Steel Institute. He was in fact the senior from the point of view of length of membership, for he was one of that small and dwindling group, the Original Members, which, with Mr. Nelson's decease, has now completely disappeared; thus, the last link with the days of the Institute's birth in 1869 has been broken.