Jlly I, 1909.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



361 



The Late James Bennett Forsyth. 



Ax exceedingly wide circle in the rubber trade received with 

 a sense of personal bereavement the news of the death of 

 James Bennett Forsyth, who, for a longer period than is 

 usual in a career of business activity, had been identified with 

 one of the oldest companies in the rubber industry in America. 

 Though Mr. Forsyth had been an invalid for some time, until 

 within a month or so his associates in the business had looked 

 forward to his return to the office in which he was so long the 

 leading spirit. But in time his physician became less and less 

 hopeful, and on the evenipg of June 13 he passed away peace- 

 fully and without pain, 



Mr. Forsyth was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, February 

 2, 1850, and six years later his family removed to Ro.xbury (now 

 in Boston), where his father, William Forsyth, had charge of a 

 department in the factory of the Boston Belting Co. The son's 

 health at an early age was such as to prevent his regular attend- 

 ance at school, and the family physi- 

 cian advised that he be put at some 

 light employment as a probable means 

 of improving his health. Early in his 

 fourteenth year, therefore, he was 

 placed in the office of Mr. Merrill, 

 clerk of the company at the fac- 

 tory, to assist him generally in 

 the office, and to go to the post- 

 office and the bank. At that time 

 John G. Tappan was treasurer of the 

 company, and Charles McBurney, the 

 manufacturing agent, the company's 

 store in Boston being conducted under 

 the style of Tappan, McBurney & Co., 

 selling agents. The superintendent 

 was Robert Hale. It was a part of the 

 duties of the young assistant clerk to 

 go frequently through the mill, partic- 

 ularly in regard to goods to be shipped 

 to the store, and after a time he asked 

 permission of the superintendent to 

 work in the mill when he could be 

 spared from the office. Mr. Hale con- 

 sented, and he worked for several 

 hours each week, first in one depart- 

 ment and then another as he chose, 

 for a year or more. 



On February i, 1864, Mr. Merrill, having been forced by illness 

 to retire, his assistant was promoted to the office of clerk. 

 Fourteen months later, he was made assistant superintendent 

 under Charles McBurney, who had succeeded Mr. Hale, and 

 on April i, 1866, Mr. Forsyth became superintendent. Four 

 years later he took the position also of manufacturing agent. 

 These two positions he held until the spring of 1884, when he 

 relinquished the work of superintendent, and in addition to 

 manufacturing agent, was made general manager of the com- 

 pany, and these two positions he held for several years. The 

 presidency of the company, at the date first mentioned, was 

 held by Henry F. Durant, who was succeeded by Elisha S. Con- 

 verse. For a while the office was filled by Mr. Eaton, after 

 whose death Mr. Forsyth was elected president, which office, in 

 connection with that of general manager, he occupied until the 

 end of his life. 



If any single rubber factory should be selected, to illustrate in 

 its history the development of the india-rubber industry in the 

 broadest sense, there could scarcely be an objection anywhere to 

 giving the preference to the Boston Belting Co. The seal of 



that company bears the date 1845, but the business dates back, 

 in unbroken succession, to the first important attempts to make 

 rubber goods in the United States, and their premises embrace 

 the original building— one which possesses additional historic in- 

 terest as having been the scene of part of Charles Goodyear's 

 early work. The company started on a career of success from 

 its first adoption of the process of vulcanization, and perhaps 

 in no other rubber factory have a greater number of practical 

 processes and appliances been developed. 



Mr. Forsyth contributed greatly and in very many ways to the 

 success and prosperity of the company, both through his inven- 

 tions and his administrative ability. His patented inventions 

 cover many useful machines employed in the industry, and 

 many important articles of manufacture. Several years ago it 

 was stated that he had taken out more than 50 patents. A com- 

 plete list of these is not now available, but a reference to the 

 patent office records subsequent to the 

 date alluded to shows that many addi- 

 tional patents have been granted to 

 him. They cover machinery for the 

 making of rubber hose, for making 

 and stretching rubber lined cotton and 

 linen hose; rubber covered rollers for 

 use in cotton, woolen and paper mills, 

 print and dye works, bleacheries and 

 so on. 



The family of Mr. Forsyth is of 

 French extraction, existing for many 

 generations under the name Forsath 

 or Forsaith. which became Forsyth on 

 the removal of a branch of the family 

 to Scotland. Captain Alexander 

 Forsyth, born in Ayrshire in 1689, re- 

 moved to Boston, where he was 

 married in 1715, and where for many 

 years he was selectman and otherwise 

 a prominent citizen. His son John 

 also rose to many positions of public 

 trust in Boston. Both eventually re- 

 turned to Scotland, and died there. A 

 son of the latter, born in Scotland, 

 was Captain John Forsyth, of the 

 British army, whose son William 

 (born in Ayrshire 1807— died in Bos- 

 ton, 1876) was the father of the subject of this sketch. He 

 married, Jane, daughter of Hamilton Bennett, Esq., of Buxton, 

 England. They were survived by four sons, of whom James 

 Bennett was the second, all becoming connected with the Boston 

 Belting Co. There now remain two brothers— John Hamilton 

 and Thomas Alexander— and they are still with the company. 



Mr. Forsyth served as a director in the National Rockland 

 Bank of Roxbury from 1882 to 1894. He was one of the incor- 

 porators of the Rubber Manufacturers' Mutual Insurance Co., 

 was elected to its first board of directors, and continued in that 

 capacity until January 28, 1903, when he resigned. From l888 

 until his death he was one of the trustees of Forest Hills Ceme- 

 tery, in which he always took great interest and pride. He was 

 a member and honorary vice-president of the New England 

 Rubber Club and a life member of Joseph Warren Lodge, A. F. 

 and A. M. Mr. Forsyth was unmarried and had resided at the 

 Hotel Touraine since that hostelry was first opened. It was here 

 that his death occurred. 



Funeral services were held on June 15 in St. James's church, 

 Roxbury. The officiating clergyman was the Rev. Murrav W. 



