Francis Henry Ahier died suddenly at Whitehaven on 5th March, 1962. He was 78 years of age.
Born in Jersey, Channel Islands, and educated in Cumberland, Mr. Ahier served his apprenticeship with Messrs. W. and C. Davidson, managers for the Rt. Hon. Lord Leconfield’s mines at Bigrigg and Cleator Moor from 1899 to 1905. After a period as assistant surveyor there he left the United Kingdom and between 1906 and 1908 worked at Geldenhuis Deep, Ltd., Transvaal, in turn as assistant sampler, machine hammersman and shift boss.
Mr. Ahier returned to England in 1908 and for the next two years studied at the Camborne School of Metalliferous Mining, gaining a first-class Diploma in 1910. During the following year he was employed as assistant engineer to Hafan Mining Co., Ltd., London, and in 1911 was appointed manager of their lead-zinc mine in Cardiganshire where he remained until 1914. He then served from 1915 to 1920 with Dunmanus Bay Barytes Co., Ltd., as general manager of their mines in Co. Cork, and from 1920 to 1921 was manager of Robin Hood Iron and Oxide Co., Ltd., at Coleford, Gloucestershire. He then worked for two years as general manager of Shropshire Mines, Ltd., mining barytes near Minsterley.
From 1923 Mr. Ahier was mineral agent and two years later also mining engineer to the Leconfield Estate Co. in Cumberland and during the period 1925-34 also managed Lord Leconfield’s hematite mines. Mr. Ahier retired from the estate in 1960.
At one time he was a member of the Western Regional Valuation Board (Coal Mines Act, 1938).
Mr. Ahier had been a Corporate Member of the Institution for over 50 years; he joined as a Student in 1910, and was transferred to Associate Membership in 1911 and to full Membership in 1918. He was also a Fellow of the Geological Society.
Vol. 72, Trans IMM 1962-3, p.528
