John Elder

Who was John Elder?

John Elder was a Scottish marine engineer and shipbuilder. He was born at Glasgow on 8 March 1824. His family was connected with Kinross, where, for several generations, his forefathers had followed the occupation of wrights, for which they seemed to have a special aptitude.

He followed his father in constructing marine steam engines and in 1854 established the compound engine as its most efficient form, which made the use of steamships more competitive than sail. He took out numerous patents and expanded the business to employ thousands of workers.