George -Fergusson Wilson. 183 



Society, and contributed several papers on Indian Geography to its 

 Proceedings. But throughout his official career in India, and during 

 his membership of Parliament, work of many kinds left him no time 

 for scientific studies, and it was not till 1896, when he became a Privy 

 Councillor, that he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. During 

 the few years that remained of his life he was a frequent attendant at 

 the Society's meetings. He was LL.D. of Cambridge and D.C.L. of 

 Oxford, and his services to the State were recognised by his being made 

 a Companion of the Star of India in 1866, K.C.S.I. in 1867, a Baronet 

 in 1876, and G.C.S.L in 1878. 



W. T. B. 



GEOEGE FERGUSSON WILSON. 18221902. 



George Fergusson Wilson was born at Wandsworth, of Scottish 

 extraction. He died on the 28th of March, 1902, in the eightieth year 

 of his age, at Wey bridge Heath. He was a Fellow of the Linnean, 

 the Chemical, and Royal Horticultural Societies, as well as of the 

 Society of Arts, and was elected a Fellow of this Society in 1855. 



The story of his life is instructive and encouraging. It is contained 

 for the most part in a little autobiographical treatise, which he 

 drew up for the instruction of his sons in 1876, under the title of 

 " The Old Days of Price's Patent Candle Company." 



It is not necessary in this place to do more than allude to the 

 commercial features of this enterprise, nor to the philanthropic 

 measures initiated in connection with it. Our concern lies with the 

 development of chemical knowledge, and its successful application to a 

 large manufacture. 



The Company, of which Wilson was the Managing Director, for 

 the first time not only brought good candle-light within the reach of 

 a large class who could not previously afford it, but, in the collateral 

 products of their manufacture, influenced two of the great staple 

 manufactures of the country by the production of "cloth oil" and 

 " spindle oil." 



The Company were among the first to make practical use of super- 

 heated, low-pressure steam, as a consequence of which they were 

 enabled to put pure glycerine on the market, and to manufacture pure 

 palmitic acid, one result of which latter was the introduction of 

 candles "that do not drop the grease." 



George Wilson was taken from a solicitor's office, in 1840, to take 

 part in the management of this Company. Knowing at first little or 

 nothing about chemistry, but, having from the first a clear perception 



