People/scientist

William Forrest

William Forrest, scientist, from United Kingdom. Linked to gold.

The lucky break

A Glasgow doctor who, with his brother Robert and John MacArthur, acquired refractory gold ore in 1885 and began the experiments that led to the cyanide process.1

Legacy

Co-named in the MacArthur-Forrest cyanide process, which transformed Witwatersrand gold recovery from 1890.1

Story cards

Timeline

  1. 1887Cyanide process for gold developed in Scotland2
Drag to turn the globe

Where next

People

Partner ofJohn Stewart MacArthurThe Forrest brothers backed his cyanide experiments.1FamilyRobert Wardrop ForrestTwo Glasgow doctor brothers behind the cyanide process.1

Events

DiscoveredCyanide process for gold developed in ScotlandThe process carries his name beside MacArthur's.1

Sources

  1. MacArthur papers: John Stewart MacArthur Balliol College Archives, Oxford
  2. Cyanide hazards to plants and animals from gold mining and related water issues (publication page) US Geological Survey

Pictures on this page: Jsmacarthur-X-007r.jpg, Elliott & Fry according to verso jsmacarthur-X-007v on flickr (Public domain).

From the Prospector Trails mining history dataset: each fact links to the source it was checked against. Figures are as the source gives them, in the money of their day. Not investment advice.

Keep exploring

Stories with these minerals

Lessons from historyPrice shocks and the supply response1893-2025History of miningThe first miners: ochre, flint, copper and silver25000 BC-AD 400History of miningThe cost underground: mining disasters and the laws they forced1887-2020Lessons from historySocial licence: when a mine loses trust1842-2020

All mining storiesThe world runs on rockAll mineralsMining by country

Pictures: Pangkalpinang. Mijn 3b. Een reeks koelies bezig met het transporteeren van grond, Europeana (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Timna in de Negevwoestijn; rotspartij "de zuilen van Salomo", Poll, Willem van de / Europeana (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Mijnramp Bois du Caizier, Marcinelle, België. Schacht, Rossem, Wim van / Anefo / Europeana (Public Domain Mark 1.0); NASA's ASTER Shows Brazilian City After Dam Disaster, NASA/METI/AIST/Japan Space Systems, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team (Public domain (NASA media, no copyright)).