Sir Martin Onslow Forster, FRS (8 November 1872 – 24 May 1945) was a chemist and a director of the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, India. Forster was born in Lambeth, London. One of four children of Martin Forster, a bank clerk and his wife Ann Hope Limby, he schooled at Dane Hill House (or Boulden's), Margate and in 1888 went to Finsbury Technical College to pursue his interest in chemistry. Further studies and a certificate were achieved in industry. He undertook research under Raphael Meldola and later with Emil Fischer at the University of Würzburg where he obtained a Ph.D. in 1892. He then returned to England and worked under W. A. Tilden at Mason College, Birmingham followed by research under H. E. Armstrong at the Central Technical College, South Kensington. Here he receiv