keir ultimately settled at hill top, west bromwich, staffordshire, and devoted himself to chemistry and geology. in 1772, with others, keir leased a long-established glassworks at amblecote near stourbridge, which he managed. partners included samuel skey (who manufactured vitriol near bewdley) and john taylor (a leading birmingham manufacturer). while there, keir continued his chemical experiments, particularly into the properties of alkalis. a paper by him "on the crystallisations observed on glass" was communicated to the royal society by his friend george fordyce and printed in the society's "philosophical transactions" in 1776.