James Warne Chenhall died on 21st December, 1952, at the age of 77.
He was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School, Totnes, Devon, and from 1892 to 1896 served pupillage as mining and metallurgical engineer with his father, whom he assisted in his practice as consulting engineer until 1900. He continued employment with his father between his appointments abroad and was taken into partnership in the consulting practice in 1906. From 1900 to 1902 he worked as assistant engineer to the Caledonia Copper Co. and Caledonian Mining Corporation, New Caledonia.
He went to Brazil in 1903 as engineer and manager on the development of a cinnabar property for The Tres Cruzes Development Syndicate, Minas Geraes, and from 1905 to 1906 developed a monazite property in North Carolina.
Between 1906 and 1910 he reported on tin properties in Devon and Cornwall and designed a steel plant for Germany. In the next nine years, from August, 1910, he held the position of engineer and manager to the Cornwall Tailings Co., Ltd., at Redruth, and in 1920 took a similar post treating iron ore tailings heaps at Dalton-in-Furness for Haematite Concentrates, Ltd. He was engaged for a few months on examination and reporting of alluvial tin for Messrs. Heron Rogers & Pettit, and in June, 1921, was appointed metallurgical engineer to Shropshire Mines, Ltd., treating barytes.
In 1926 he left to take up the appointment of resident engineer to the Torquay Corporation, Devon, and was engaged on civil engineering projects including the widening of the Torquay sea front and the improvement of the sewerage system. He continued in the Corporation’s employ until his retirement in 1947.
Mr. Chenhall was elected to Associate Membership in 1900 and was transferred to Membership in 1923.
Vol. 63, Trans I.M.M. 1953-54, pp. 429-8
