Abraham Darby III

Abraham Darby III was an influential 18th-century engineer and ironmaster from England. He is best known for pioneering the use of coke—a processed form of coal—in the large-scale production of iron, which made it cheaper and more efficient to produce. This innovation helped fuel the Industrial Revolution by enabling the construction of stronger, more reliable iron structures, including bridges and machinery. Darby’s most famous achievement was building the first-ever cast-iron bridge, the Iron Bridge in England, which demonstrated the potential of his methods and transformed engineering and industry worldwide.