William David Brown died suddenly at his work in Glasgow on December 23rd, 1935, at the age of 58.
He was educated at the North Eastern County School, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, and was apprenticed to Messrs. Dillwyn & Co., Llansamelet Silver and Spelter Works, Swansea. After serving his apprenticeship, he received private tuition under Mr. Wm. Terrill, of the Morfa Copper Works and Messrs. Lambert & Bath, Swansea, during which time he visited various smelters.
In November, 1898, he received his first appointment as head chemist at the Bella Vista Silver and Copper Smelter (of the Fundicion Templeman) at Antofagasta, Chile, and in 1900 was promoted to the post of smelter superintendent at the same works. In 1902 the company was declared bankrupt, and after a visit to Europe, Mr. Brown returned to Chile and rented the Bella Vista smelter, which he worked on his own account for a short time. Then for a year he was engaged in arranging contracts for shipping ore from Chile to Europe, and in 1904 was appointed smelter superintendent at the Cia Minera de Gatico-Gatico, Chile. He started the new plant of this company and ran it until he returned to England in June, 1907. In November of the same year he left England to take up an appointment as smelter superintendent of the Famatina Development Corporation, Chilecito, Argentine, where he remained until 1912. In 1913 he spent a few months in Venezuela, and early in 1915 he joined the Tharsis Sulphur and Copper Co. Ltd., first at their Hebburn works, and from 1917 until his death at their works in Glasgow.
For eight years he served on the Employment Exchange Committee and the Court of Referees in the works locality (Springburn).
Mr. Brown was elected a Member of the Institution in 1911.
Vol. 46, Trans I.M.M. 1936-37, pp. 819-20
