Arthur Duckham

Sir Arthur McDougall Duckham GBE KCB (8 July 1879 – 14 February 1932) was one of the founders of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, and its first president.[1]

Duckham was born in Blackheath, London, the second son of a Falmouth-born mechanical and civil engineer, Frederic Eliot Duckham (1841 – died 13 January 1918 in Blackheath), who had patented improvements in governors for marine engines and invented a 'Hydrostatic Weighing Machine'.[2] His mother was Maud Mary McDougall (1849–1921), sister of John McDougall of the flour-making family, which had a mill at Millwall Dock. His older brother was Alexander Duckham, notable for the development of machine lubricants.

Arthur Duckham became a trainee gas engineer, while also taking evening classes at King's College, London, and was appointed assistant superintendent of a London gasworks. Along with Harold Woodall he formed a company, Woodall-Duckham, which developed the continuous vertical retort for manufacturing gas from coal.[1][3]

He married Maud Peppercorn, daughter of Arthur Douglas Peppercorn, and they had three children.[3]

During the First World War he was involved in the supply of coal-derived chemicals for use in the manufacture of explosives, becoming Deputy Controller of Munitions Supply in 1915. He performed a number of other executive and advisor roles, notably Chairman of the Advisory Committee, Ministry of Munitions, which resulted in his being knighted with the Order of the Bath (KCB).[4] He was eventually Director of Aircraft Production.[1] He also received the Légion d'honneur (Cross of Officer).[5]

After the war his business flourished, expanding into other areas of chemical engineering. He joined the Institution of Civil Engineers (which then included all non-military engineers) in 1918, but chaired the committee which created the Institution of Chemical Engineers, and became its first president.[3]

In 1928 he led a British trade mission to Australia, and following this received a further knighthood, GBE.[6]

He died 14 February 1932 at Ashtead, Surrey.[3]