Sir Oliver Lyle, OBE (1891–1961) was a British sugar technologist during the early 20th century.

Sir Oliver Lyle
Born1891
Weybridge, Surrey
Died1961
London
SpouseLilian Spicer
ParentJohn Lyle & Margaret Macgregor Yorke
Engineering career
DisciplineEnergy engineering
Employer(s)Tate & Lyle
ProjectsSteam Efficiency at Thames Refinery

Early life

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Lyle was born in Weybridge, Surrey in 1891 (the year his grandfather, Abram Lyle died), to John Lyle, a sugar refiner and ship owner.[1] He grew up in Surrey.

Military

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During World War I, Lyle was an officer in the Highland Light Infantry.[2]

Work at Tate & Lyle

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Lyle started work at what had been Abram Lyle's sugar factory at Plaistow when he was 21 and did various manual jobs such as boiling sugar in the refinery pans; in 1921 sugar refiners: Henry Tate & Sons and Abram Lyle & Sons merged to form Tate & Lyle.[3] Later he and his older brother, Philip, became joint refinery directors. Philip died in 1955.[4] Oliver was now the sole male survivor of the third generation of sugar Lyles. Oliver Lyle was a meticulous record-keeper, as can be seen in his pocketbook, which he carried around with him for over 30 years.[5]

Other activities

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Lyle was an investor in Noel Macklin's Invicta Cars.[6][7][8][9]

Family

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Lyle married Lilian Spicer in Chertsey, Surrey in 1914.[10] The couple had five children. Their eldest son, John, went on to work in the family business.

Honours

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In 1919, Lyle was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.[11] In the 1954 New Year Honours, he was knighted for services in promoting fuel efficiency.[11][12]

Publications

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  • The Efficient Use of Steam. H.M. Stationery Office. 1947. ISBN 9780114101305.[13]
  • Technology for sugar refinery workers. Chapman & Hall. 1950.
  • The Plaistow Story. Tate & Lyle. 1960.

See also

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^ "Penmon, St Georges Avenue, Weybridge, Chertsey, Surrey, England". 1891 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription. 1891. Retrieved 18 September 2014. – via Findmypast (subscription required)
  2. ^ "No. 29077". The London Gazette. 19 February 1915. p. 1732.
  3. ^ "Tate & Lyle Home".
  4. ^ Whalley, H. C. S. (17 September 1955). "Mr Philip Lyle" (PDF). Nature. 176: 534. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  5. ^ Chalmin 1990.
  6. ^ Andrew English (30 April 2012). "Invicta goes bust". The Telegraph. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  7. ^ "Bonhams : 1931 Invicta 4½-Litre S-Type Low-chassis Tourer Chassis no. S46 Engine no. 7423". Bonhams. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  8. ^ Williams, Jean; Williams, Simon (2013). "Sir (Albert) Noel Campbell Macklin (1886–1946), racing motor car and warship manufacturer". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/101214. hdl:2086/10570. ISBN 978-0-19-861411-1. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  9. ^ Baldwin 1994.
  10. ^ "England & Wales marriages 1837–2008 Transcription". Findmypast. Retrieved 18 September 2014. – via Findmypast (subscription required)
  11. ^ a b "Lyle, Sir Oliver", Who Was Who (online ed., Oxford University Press, 2021). Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  12. ^ "No. 40053". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1953. p. 2.
  13. ^ Harris, P. S. (1994). "Management accounting for food industry environmental issues". Food Industry and the Environment. pp. 347–398. doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-2097-9_10. ISBN 978-1-4613-5872-5.

Sources

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