George McRoberts

George McRoberts (1839–1896) was a Scottish chemist and early explosives expert. He assisted Alfred Nobel in establishing the original Nobel Enterprises dynamite factory at Ardeer. He was a close colleague of Nobel and probably a close friend.

Life He was born in 1839 in central Scotland the son of John N McRoberts and his wife, Sarah Ogle. He was educated at Falkirk Grammar School.

In 1870 he established a chemical factory at Westquarter in Falkirk, mainly producing sulphuric acid. Alfred Nobel bought the company in 1871 and started making detonators there, mainly for the Scottish coalfields. The company had its offices at 7 Royal Bank Place in Glasgow.

In 1883 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh his proposers being Sir James Dewar, William Dittmar, John Gray McKendrick and Robert Rattray Tatlock.

He died on 15 January 1896.

Family

He was married to Jane Paton.