John Loudon McAdam was born in Ayr in 1756. He became famous as a road builder, in particular for his seminal book Remarks on the Present System of Road Making (1816). McAdam was so influential that his surname has entered the English language as 'tarmacadam' and 'tarmac', a synonym for the tarred road surface he invented.
From the guide to the McAdam, John Loudon: letter, 1826, (Senate House Library, University of London)
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