David Sime Cargill

David Sime Cargill
Born	Template:Birth date Maryton near Montrose, Scotland
Died	May 25, 1904(1904-05-25) (aged 78) Kilmacolm, Scotland
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, company chairman
Known for	Founder of Burmah Oil

David Sime Cargill (9 April 1826 – 25 May 1904) was a Scottish entrepreneur and the initiator of Burmah Oil, which evolved into one of the foremost oil enterprises in the United Kingdom.

Biography

Originating from Maryton near Montrose, he was the son of James Cargill and Helen Thomson. His professional journey commenced in Glasgow with the East India trading firm William Milne & Co. In 1844, he launched a branch office in Ceylon and by 1850 had become a partner based in Colombo. After returning to Glasgow in 1861, he took full ownership of the company, which maintained significant trade links with India and Ceylon. He held the position of chairman for Cargills in Ceylon until his passing in 1904.

In 1872, Cargill joined the board of directors for the Rangoon Oil Company, headquartered in Glasgow and specializing in oil product distribution. He acquired full control of the company in 1876 and continued to invest despite facing obstacles from the oil monopoly held by the Kingdom of Upper Burma. By 1886, he had secured exploration permissions and improved refining technologies in Rangoon, leading to the establishment of Burmah Oil Ltd that same year. Under his guidance, Burmah Oil met all of Burma’s oil requirements and supplied 13% of India’s kerosene consumption. He remained chairman until his death at Carruth, Bridge of Weir.

Aside from his involvement in oil, Cargill served as a director for both the Merchants House of Glasgow and the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce. He was also an advocate for the arts, acting as president of Glasgow’s Royal Institute of Fine Arts.

Cargill died at his home in Kilmacolm on 25 May 1904 at age 78 and was interred alongside his first wife Margaret in the Glasgow Necropolis. Despite his considerable fortune, his tombstone is notably understated.

Family

In 1861, Cargill married Margaret Traill from Arbroath; they had five children—three sons and two daughters. Margaret passed away during childbirth in 1872 while delivering their son David William Traill Cargill.

He remarried in 1878 to Connel Elizabeth Auld, with whom he had one son and one daughter. His second son, John, succeeded him as chairman of Burmah Oil.