Glasgow
-Elder Park
-John Elder statue

The Scotland Guide
www.scotland-guide.co.uk
© David Williams

171

1887-8; Sir J. E. Boehm

This statue stands in Elder Park in Govan. Elder (1824-69) learned his shipbuilding skills under Robert Napier and was a co-founder of what is now the Govan shipyard.

He was an important figure in the history of shipbuilding in Glasgow and his greatest achievement was the development in 1854 of the marine compound steam engine which cut ships` fuel costs by around one third by extracting more energy from the steam by passing it though additional low-pressure cylinders. This technological advance meant dramatic savings on long sea voyages and it led to the yard gaining many orders from shipowners such as the Pacific Steam Navigation Company which operated transcontinental services.

This article is based on the guidebook "The Glasgow Guide".

John Elder`s statue stands in the park named after him.

List of Govan articles:
Govan

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