Harold Cresswell Bayldon died on 11th October, 1956, at his home in Richmond, Surrey, at the age of 80.
After two years’ mining experience in South Africa at Clewes Estates mines, near Lydenburg, and at Spitzkop Farm Gold Mining Co., Ltd., Mr. Bayldon came to Britain in 1896 to take the full mining course at Camborne School of Mines, obtaining a first-class diploma in 1898. In the following year he went to Southern Rhodesia in the position of surveyor to Selukwe Gold Mining Co., Ltd., and in June, 1900, was appointed manager of Camperdown mine and Matabele Proprietary Mines, Ltd.
He was acting manager to Selukwe Gold Mining Co., Ltd., two years later and, for a few months in 1903, assistant engineer to Bechuanaland Exploration Co., Ltd. From 1904 to 1905 Mr. Bayldon was mining manager to Northern ‘Copper Co., Ltd., then worked again as engineer to Bechuanaland Exploration Co., Ltd., in the Transvaal.
Late in 1906 he accompanied a reporting expedition to Siberia, and was engaged as chief engineer to Troitzk Goldfields, Ltd., in South-East Russia, later holding the position of general manager until 1912. He remained in Russia until 1919, from 1912 to 1916 as resident manager of the Atbasar copper and coal mines and subsequently as general manager of Spassky Copper Mines, Ltd.
On his return to England Mr. Bayldon was not actively engaged in the mining profession for about five years, but in 1926 he again visited Russia on behalf of Spassky Copper Mines, Ltd. Thereafter he was associated until 1930 with power plant and heavy oil industry. During the 1939-45 war he was an air-raid warden, and afterwards retained a lively interest in the mining industry.
Mr. Bayldon contributed a paper to the Transactions of the Institution entitled ‘Chilian mills in Russia’ (vol. 20, 1910-11).
He was elected to Associate Membership of the Institution in 1902, and transferred to Membership in 1906.
Vol. 67, Trans I.M.M. 1957-58, pp. 227-8
Skinner 1925, p.576. Listed as General Manager of Spassky Copper Mines Ltd.
