John Barr died in July, 1916, and was about 50 years of age.
His training commenced in 1882 in Edinburgh, where he studied chemistry for two years. The next five years he devoted to coal mining, during which he assisted in the management of the collieries of Mr. Thomas Barr of Glasgow. He spent the year 1893 as assistant chemist at the Hermand Oil Works, and then resumed his study of chemistry and assaying at Glasgow.
In 1896 he was manager of the Nigel Reef Gold Mining Go., Ltd., on the Rand; and in 1897, manager of the Heidelberg Roodepoort Extension Gold Mining Co., Ltd.
After two years of reporting work in the United States and Mexico, for the Scottish Mexican Explorers, Ltd., Mr. Barr returned to Scotland and from 1900 to 1902 held the position of managing director and manager of the Mannebrigg Coal Co., Ltd., Stirlingshire.
In 1903 he commenced practice as a Consulting Engineer in Glasgow, and during the remaining thirteen years of his life travelled extensively in pursuit of his professional work, which included inspections and reports on mines in the British Isles, Spain, Portugal, Russia, Germany, British Columbia, the United States and Mexico.
Mr. Barr was elected a Member of the Institution in 1908.
Vol. 26, Trans I.M.M. 1916-17, pp. 259-260