George Keith (1846-1916)
George Keith (1846-1916)
1917 Obituary [1]
GEORGE KEITH was the fourth son of the late James Keith of Chapelhall, Ellon, Aberdeenshire, and was born in 1846.
He was educated at the Aberdeen Grammar School and Aberdeen University, after which he was apprenticed to the engineering business and went through the engineering course at Glasgow University under the late Professor Rankine.
For several years he was on the staff of Sir William Thomson (afterwards Lord Kelvin) and Professor Jenkin, consulting engineers for the construction and laying of submarine cables on the coast of Brazil, and he received from the Emperor Pedro II the order of "Cavalliero da Ordin da Rosa."
He was afterwards for a considerable time resident in Cuba, where he held the position of manager and engineer of the Cuba Submarine Telegraph Company.
From 1892 until his death, which occurred on the 22nd August, 1916, following an operation, he was director and engineer of the company in this country, and latterly its chairman.
He was also chairman of the Chili Telephone Company, chairman and managing director of the Amazon Telegraph Company, and a director of the River Plate Telephone Company.
He was elected a Member of the Institution in 1878.