Jean-François Cail is an industrial entrepreneur, French mechanic manufacturer, born February 8, 1804 in Chef-Boutonne (Deux-Sèvres) and died May 22, 1871 at the Plant (or Plans) Domaine in La Faye en Charente.
He was one of the pioneers of the industrial revolution in France, becoming the world's leading manufacturer of equipment for sweets and successfully diversifying in metal construction (locomotives, railways, bridges). He also developed the concept of industrial agriculture with the La Briche farm. Social boss, he was involved in the well-being of his workers (social security fund, construction of housing and schools, etc.).
Jean-François Cail was born on February 8, 1804 (18 pluviôse year XII) in a small house overlooking a venelle connecting the old chief-boutonne to the castle of Malesherbes, in the department of Deux-Sèvres. It is the third child of a siblings that will go up to eight. His parents are Charles Cail (1777-1854) and Marie Pinpin (1777-1839) who married December 13, 1798 (10 nivôse year 7) when they were both twenty-one years old. His father is a cart and also sacristan1.
Apprentice boilermaker, he left his hometown at 12 for his Tour de France to make his companionship2. At 20, he arrived in the company of Charles Derosne (1780-1846), a pharmacist and chemist who builds distillation devices2. Improving the machines produced2, we also owe him the development and construction of the first tray distiller capable of producing pure ethanol: the Adam-Derosne and Cail distiller (this device would later be supplanted by the Savalle distiller which could operate continuously). Derosne suggested to him a few years later in 1836 to join forces with him 2, this is the launch of the Ch.Derosne et Cail Company.
The company will successfully participate in the manufacture of beet sweets, as in Ruffec in Charente, or in Étrépagny in Eure, but also launches into the production of cane sugar in the Antilles, supplying machines and investing in local sugar factories, the company will largely contribute to the economic development of the islands2, putting an end to the system of "sugar housing", a model resulting from slavery2 and it becomes the first fa