Alfred Henry Webb died in London on 24th November, 1956, at the age of 83.
He was educated in Helston, Cornwall, and gained the City and Guilds of London Institute Certificate in Mine Surveying in 1894, as well as first prize and silver medal, and in the following year began work with the Anglo Vasca and Argentifera Companies of Bilbao, Spain, as surveyor draughtsman and mining assistant, having complete charge of the survey department. He was subsequently employed in a similar capacity from 1900 to 1905 by Linares Lead Mining, Spanish Mining Properties, Fortuna and Alamillos companies, managed by Messrs. John Taylor and Sons. During 1906 he was also engaged on the layout and erection of a new dressing plant at Los Quinientos mine, Linares, and from 1908 became more actively engaged in mining operations at four of the mines of the Linares Lead Mining Co., Ltd., finally, in 1910, being placed in charge of their operations in Spain as well as those of the Fortuna Co., Ltd.
From 1911 to 1917, Mr. Webb was mine superintendent in Spain for Messrs. John Taylor and Sons. He returned to England, and in 1918 worked on a special survey for the Ministry of Munitions.
In 1918, he began a long association with the Royal School of Mines. He joined the Mine Surveying teaching staff, lecturing in London and Cornwall, and finally succeeded Professor L.H. Cooke in 1929 as head of the Surveying Section of the Department of Mining of the Royal School of Mines. Mr. Webb officially retired from this position in 1938, but was recalled to take charge of the Mine Survey department during the years of the second world war, finally retiring from the School in 1947.
Mr. Webb contributed a paper to the Transactions of the Institution entitled ‘Stadia in careful work’ (vol. 15, 1905-06).
He was elected to Associate Membership of the Institution in 1905 and was transferred to Membership in 1915.
Vol. 67, Trans IMM 1957-58, pp.283-4
