Francis William Payne died on January 15th, 1988, at the age of 68.
After serving his apprenticeship with a firm of engineers in England, he went to New Zealand in 1893, where he obtained his first practical acquaintance with alluvial mining at the beginning of the gold rush in that country, and designed gold dredgers for a firm of mining engineers. In 1895 he started in practice there as a consulting engineer and was later joined by his brother, the late Mr. Raymond Payne. The firm designed and erected the largest and most powerful dredges in New Zealand during the next few years and reported on a number of alluvial mining properties.
In 1910 Mr. Payne visited the Philippine Islands in the interests of the Paracale Gold Dredging Co., Ltd., who were the pioneers of dredging in those islands, and shortly afterwards-designed and supervised the construction of the Dorset Company’s dredge in Tasmania. In 1914 his firm established a connexion with the Malayan tin dredging industry which lasted during his life and still continues. In 1922 he visited Burma to act in an advisory capacity to the Indo-Burma Tin Corporation, Ltd. (afterwards the Tavoy Tin Corporation).
On the death of his brother, Mr. Payne established himself permanently in London from 1920 onwards under the, style of F.W. Payne & Son, with Mr. F.G. Payne as junior partner, and since that date the firm has turned out upwards of 50 dredges for various countries. Mr. Payne was elected a Member of the
Institution in 1930, and at the date of his death was a Member of Council.
Vol. 43, Trans I.M.M., 1933-34, pp.765-6
