Hugh Boyd (1871-1939)
1939 Obituary [1]
"HUGH BOYD was for twenty-nine years superintendent engineer at the United Alkali Company's works at Fleetwood, where he was responsible for many innovations. He introduced into the works high-speed driving engines which greatly improved the processes, and during the War the plant was producing 2,000 tons of nitrate per week.
Mr. Boyd was born on 11th September 1871 and went to the Old Normal Training College, Glasgow, and later received his technical education at the West of Scotland Technical College in the same city. He was apprenticed at the Blochairn Works of the Steel Company of Scotland, Ltd., Glasgow, from 1885 until 1890, and at Messrs. R. Harvey and Company, Parkgrove Iron Works, Glasgow, from 1890 to 1892. He then obtained three years' marine experience with the Orient Steam Navigation Co before proceeding to South Africa to superintend the erection of plant for the New Gordon Diamond Mining Co at Kimberley. He was later appointed chief mechanical engineer to the company and, when the mine closed down, transferred in the same capacity to the Standard Diamond Mining Co, leaving this position in 1899 to take up the appointment with the United Alkali Co. When he joined the latter firm its output of soda ash was 500 tons per week, and at his retirement in 1927 this had grown to 5,000 tons per week. When he retired he travelled extensively, visiting South Africa again, and North and South America. Mr. Boyd was elected an Associate Member in 1903, and was transferred to Membership in 1928."