Percy Bentley Merry died in April, 1947, at the age of 65.
He was born in Wales and served an apprenticeship from 1898 to 1902 with the firm of Messrs. G.S. Merry & Co., chemists and assayers at Swansea, under the tuition of the late Mr. T.P. Sims, M.Inst.M.M. He took up an appointment in 1902 as chemist to the British & Foreign Construction Co., Ltd., South Wales, treating lead-silver-zinc ores, and in the following year transferred to the British Silver Zinc Co. Ltd., where he remained for two years. In 1905 he spent six months with Fremantle Smelter, Ltd., London, receiving and assaying base bullion containing lead, gold and silver, and in August of that year was engaged as chemist with the Glamorgan Spelter Co., Ltd., at Llansamlet, South Wales. During 1907 he was employed as assistant chemist with the British Metals Extraction Co., Ltd., in London, on an experimental process with complex ores, and subsequently transferred to their chemical works at Llansamlet, where he remained for two years.
In May, 1911, Mr. Merry went to Peru to take up the appointment of assistant chemist with the Buckus & Johnston Co. at their smelter and mines at Casapalea and he remained there until 1914 when he returned to England to join the Army. He was badly wounded on the Somme in 1916, and it was not until 1922 that he was discharged from hospital. Owing to his injuries he was unable to resume his profession and lived quietly until his death.
He was elected to Associateship of the Institution in 1913.
Vol. 57, Trans IMM 1947-8, p.476
