Thomas Dodd Lawther died suddenly at Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital, Welwyn, Hertfordshire, on 22ne December, 1946, at the age of 71.
He served his apprenticeship in civil and mining engineering in the office of Mr. H.W. Lewin, of Glasgow, from 1887 to 1891, and during than time studied mining and allied sciences at the Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College. He took up employment in 1892 as assistant mining engineer at Calder iron works in connection with the ironworks, mines and collieries of Wm. Dixon, Ltd., of Glasgow, and in the following year was made chief mining engineer to that company.
Five years later, in 1898, he went to the Transvaal as manager of Lydenburg (Transvaal) Gold Exploration Co., Ltd., at Pilgrims Rest, and as manager also of Spitzkop Farm Gold Co., Ltd. He returned home in 1900 and after a visit to coal and oil properties in Assam, was appointed consulting mining engineer in Peña. Copper Mines, Ltd., in 1901. ln 1906 he took up the position of general mine manager to Esperanza Copper and Sulphur Co., Ltd., in the Province of Huelva, Spain, and four years later transferred to the company’s London office. He was made managing director about, 1914 and became chairman and managing Director in 1928, a position which he held until his death. He was also chairman and managing Director of Cyprus Sulphur mill Copper Co., Ltd., and of Seville Sulphur and Copper Co., Ltd.
Mr. Lawther was elected to Membership of the Institution in 1902.
Vol. 57, Trans IMM 1947-8, p.475
