Charles Frederick Thomas died of pneumonia at the Witwatersrand Deep gold mine, Transvaal, on March 14th, 1933, at the age of 62.

After establishing a brilliant record at the Camborne School of Mines he went to Mexico, where he was employed in assaying, surveying and mining from 1889 to 1891. He returned to England and for about two years was assistant lecturer at Camborne. In 1895 he joined the staff of the Modderfontein Gold Mining Co., in the Transvaal, and thence went to New Zealand to inspect mines. From 1898 to 1900 he was resident engineer of the Mashonaland Consolidated mines, in Rhodesia.

Next he returned to England as general manager of the Prince of Wales mines in Cornwall from 1901 to 1903. After a prospecting trip in Burma, he was, in 1906, appointed general manager of the South Crofty mine. In 1908 he returned to South Africa and held positions on tin and gold mines in Northern Rhodesia, Swaziland, the South-west Protectorate, and the Transvaal. Some time before his death he was appointed assistant manager of the Witwatersrand Deep mine.

Mr. Thomas was elected a Member of the Institution in 1906.

Vol. 43, Trans IMM 1933-34, pp.767-8

Back to index page