Beilby, George (Thomas) (1854–1924)

Scottish industrial chemist whose researches into low-temperature carbonization of coal provided Britain with vital extra supplies of fuel oil during World War I. In 1917, he was appointed as first chairman of the Fuel Research Board, and from 1907–23 was also chairman of the Royal Technical College, Glasgow (later Strathclyde University).

Beilby was born in Edinburgh and educated at the university there. He set up the Fuel Research station at Greenwich for the systematic study and classification of British coals, and for research into efficient extraction of coal by-products. Another of his innovations was the therm system of charging for town gas supplies, whereby the consumer pays not for volume irrespective of quality but for calorific power. He also worked on cyanides for gold extraction. Beilby was knighted in 1916.