Bessemer

Bessemer, Sir Henry, was born at Charlton, Herts, in 1813, his father being an artist of Breton origin. His inventive talents shewed themselves early by the construction of an apparatus to prevent the fraudulent use of obliterated stamps. Several profitable patents, e.g. "Bessemer's Gold Paint," were taken out by him at this period. It was not, however, till 1856 that he perfected the system which bears his name for manufacturing steel by introducing oxygen into molten iron, and so eliminating the carbon. This discovery revolutionised the iron and steel trades, and brought Bessemer a great fortune and high honours. In 1871 he was chosen president of the Iron and Steel Institute, and in 1879 was made F.R.S. and knighted.