William Shakespeare Welton died on April 21st, 1921.
After being trained as an engineer under Mr. Fred. Hoffman, mechanical engineer and tool-maker, he was engaged, in 1857, as reduction 0fficer and assayer to the Mariquita and New Granada Mining Co., and was subsequently employed for two years at the Marmato gold mines, Republic of Colombia, as assistant manager, where he assisted in the preparation of plans and sections of the underground work as well as detailed plans of the surface. For eight years, from 1859 to 1867, he had charge of the reduction of silver ores by barrel amalgamation, and of the assaying of minerals and refining of gold and silver bars at the Santa Ana mines. Being appointed manager during that period, he designed and erected Winding and pumping machinery, water Wheels and dressing machinery, and erected new works at Marinate for the dressing of silver ores.
He discovered and opened the Friar silver mines and formed the Folima Mining Co. to operate them. In 1872 he became general manager of the hydraulic gold mines of the Rica-Malposo-Oritá and Malabar companies, for each of which enterprises he laid out the canals and brought the water supply. He subsequently performed the same service for the Rio Sil mine, in Spain. After a visit to California to study the alluvial deposits of that region, he returned to Colombia in 1889, where he started business as a consulting engineer. He laid out canals for the Rica Tablazo and Pavas hydraulic mines, and later for the mines of Palenque and Panoquia, and designed and carried out the public water supply for the town of Honda.
Subsequent to 1898 he transferred his base to London, where he practised as a consulting mining engineer in London Wall until his death. He always took an active interest in the welfare of the Institution, and in addition to contributing two papers to the Proceedings on ‘Gold-bearing Gravels’ and ‘Gold and Silver Amalgamation’ (Trans., vol. viii, 1899-1900) he frequently took part in the discussions at the general meetings.
Mr. Welton was elected a Member of the Institution in 1898.
Vol. 31, Trans IMM 1921-23, pp.585-6
