Person    | Male  Born 1853  Died 1906

Alfred Beit

Co-founder and funder (with Sir Julius Wernher) of the Royal School of Mines building.

Born Hamburg, learnt the diamond trade in Amsterdam and went to Kimberley where he met Wernher and Cecil Rhodes. In 1884 he and Wernher converted the firm Jules Porgès & Co into Wernher, Beit & Co. On his death he left vast sums of money for education and research in South Africa, Rhodesia, Britain and Germany.

His brother Otto, also made a fortune in the diamond trade. See Otto's page for the difficulties this is causing Imperial College in 2021.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Alfred Beit

Commemorated ati

Other Subjects

Sir Richard Arkwright

Sir Richard Arkwright

Industrialist and inventor. From Preston. Set up a factory with a newly designed method of cotton-spinning. He worked his employees, including children, very hard and became very rich.

Person, Industry, Science

1 memorial
M. V. Rudi M

M. V. Rudi M

While berthed in Limehouse Basin undergoing a conversion, on 25 January 1980 a fire on this 1,000-ton petroleum gas tanker caused the death of Leading Fireman Stephen Maynard. Our colleague Andrew...

Vehicle, Industry, Tragedy

1 memorial
Transport for London / London Transport

Transport for London / London Transport

This organisation has been a bit of a political football, often having its name changed, as follows: 1902 - 1933 Underground Electric Railways Company of London 1933 - 1948 London Passenger Transpo...

Group, Industry, Transport

46 memorials
John Ringwood

John Ringwood

Known as Johnny, a former seaman who later worked in the Royal Docks. Used to live in Murray Square, Custom House and moved to Hornchurch.  YouTube interview about his interesting life.

Person, Industry, Politics & Administration

1 memorial