Robert Simpson Botsford died on 17th November, 1954, at Medellin, Colombia. He was 75.
He was educated at Rugby School, and from 1898 to 1901 was a student at the Royal School of Mines where he obtained the A.R.S.M. in mining. During that period he attended a summer course at the Royal Clausthal Bergakademie, and obtained the full technological certificate of the City and Guilds of London Institute.
In December, 1901, he joined the staff of the Borneo Co., Ltd., working at the Bau gold mine, Sarawak, and in 1905 made a short visit to British Columbia. For nine months in the following year he held the post of metallurgist at Sansu Mines, Ltd., Ashanti, and in January, 1907, went to South America. There he was general assistant manager and metallurgist in charge of the mill and cyanide plant of Compania General de Minas, Argentina, leaving in January, 1908, to become mine superintendent at the Poderosa copper mine at Collahuasi, Chile. From July, 1909, he was employed by Brazilian Development Syndicate, Ltd., and Brazilian Goldfields, Ltd., as manager of the Aurora mine, and was also general manager of the Matto Feio mine, Brazil.
Mr. Botsford worked in Russia from 1912 to 1924. For two years he was in charge of prospecting for platinum and installing dredges for Nicolo-Pavda Mining District Co., Ltd., Petrograd, and for ten years consulting engineer and dredge specialist to the Russian Land Reclamation Co., Ltd., agents for the Marion Steam Shovel Co. of the U.S.A.
During 1924-25 he was associated with Mr. Charles Butters in Colombia and New York, and later in 1925 was appointed general manager in Colombia of the Empreza de Zancudo mine. He left that position in 1928 to join Fraser Brace, Ltd., of Montreal, making examinations in the Medellin district, Colombia. He was in Mexico during 1931, reporting on Palmarejo and Mexican goldfields for Huronian Mining and Finance Corporation and Transvaal Agency, and in Spain from 1933 to 1937 in the position of general manager for Dome Mining Corporation, of which company he remained – consulting engineer for several years. He returned to Mexico in 1937 to carry out examinations and drilling at Guadalcazar, San Luis Potosi, for London Tin Corporation, Ltd., and during 1938-1939 he was consultant to Pacific Mining and Finance Corporation.
He returned to Britain on the outbreak of war and from 1941 to 1943 worked for Ocean Salts, Ltd., on the production of magnesium from sea water. He then joined the Ministry of Works as prospecting officer on opencast coal production in the Stoke area, and later left England to take up employment with Colonial Minerals, Ltd., at Port of Spain, Trinidad. He returned to Colombia in 1948.
Mr. Botsford was elected a Student of the Institution in 1901, and was transferred to Associate Membership in 1906 and to Membership in 1918. He was the author of several papers published in the technical press, and of that entitled ‘Method of leaching gold ore tailings’ (Transactions, vol. 16, 1906-07).
Vol. 64, Trans I.M.M. 1954-55, p. 527
