Richard Steven Roper
Richard Steven Roper (1835-1876), F.G.S., F.C.S., of Ebbw Vale Ironworks and R. S. Roper and Co
1876 Obituary [1]
MR. RICHARD STEVEN ROPER, son of the late Mr. Thomas Roper, of Ulverston, was born on the 20th of February, 1835.
He studied under Dr. Muspratt in the School of Chemistry, Liverpool, from whom he received, in 1852, a certificate in praise of his diligence, progress, and accuracy in analyses and assays. He afterwards became a student at the School of Mines, London, and on the 20th of January, 1855, he received a first-class certificate.
After leaving the School of Mines, he was engaged under the late Mr. Ebenezer Rogers at the Abercarn Collieries, Monmouthshire, where, in addition to attending to the general routine of colliery work, he was much occupied in the laboratory.
In 1856 he was employed at Dudley under Mr. Samuel H. Blackwell (a brother-inlaw of Mr. Ebenezer Rogers), and in 1857 he entered the service of the Ebbw Vale Company, Monmouthshire, and was engaged at their Ebbw Vale and Victoria Iron Works, and also at their Pontypool works.
Shortly after this, in conjunction with Mr. George Claridge, of Dudley, he took out a patent for an improved mode of manufacturing coke, and wrote a useful pamphlet on the desulphurization of coke.
In 1859 he entered into partnership with Mr. John Lawrence, of the Cwmbran Iron Works, Monmouthshire.
In 1856 he was elected a Fellow of the Geological Society of London; in 1859, a Fellow of the Chemical Society; in April 1872, an Associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers. He was also a member of the South Wales Instituteof Engineers and of the Iron and Steel Institute.
He died in London on the 7th of April, 1876, after an illness extending over about three years.