Josiah Paull died in Camborne, Cornwall, on February 11th, 1947, at the age of 76.
He was born at Roskear and received his education at Homefield House School, Camborne, and when just under 16 years of age was sent for health reasons to Colorado, U.S.A. After three and a half years on ranches he worked for a few years in lead, silver and gold mines and mills in Colorado, returning to Cornwall in 1892. He studied at the Camborne School of Mines and in 1893 was sent on a prospecting expedition to Damaraland, German South West Africa. The party discovered what are now the Otavi copper and lead mines. On his return in 1895 Mr. Paull resumed his studies at the Camborne School of Mines, and in 1896 he joined the staff of the Ferreria gold mine, Transvaal. He worked for a year in the secretary’s department, and was then made chief surveyor of the Ferreira and Worcester Gold Mining Companies. He held this post for three years and during the Boer War served for about a year in the Railway Pioneer Corps and Rand Rifles.
In 1901 he left South Africa and was manager of Clitters United mines, Cornwall, until 1903, when he was appointed general manager of South Crofty, Ltd. It was not until 1930 that Mr. Paull was succeeded to that office by his son, Mr. C.V. Paull, Assoc. Inst. M.M., and he continued his association with South Crofty as a director until 1944. From time to time he had acted in a consultative capacity to other mining enterprises in the country mill his successful management of South Crofty through difficult periods of depression earned him a reputation as one of the most reliable and experienced authorities on the Cornish mining industry.
Mr. Paull was elected to Membership of the Institution in 1906 and rendered valuable service as a Member of Council from 1928 to 1936. He was a past-president and member of council of The Cornish Institute of
Engineers, a member of council of the Cornwall Chamber of Mines, and a governor of the Camborne School of Mines. For some time he was a county magistrate, and he had also represented South Illogan electoral division on the County Council.
Vol. 57, Trans I.M.M., 1947-8, p.477
Buckley, J.A. (1997) A history of South Crofty Mine (Truro: Dyllsnsow Truran), p.132.
