John Davey died suddenly on 3rd February, 1953, at his home near Redruth, Cornwall, at the age of 72 years.
He received practical training at Dolcoath mine and took special classes of study at the Camborne School of Mines until 1901, when he went to North America. After working in Michigan, Minnesota and British Columbia for two years he returned to work at Dolcoath mine until 1907, when he took up the appointment of underground mine captain at Copiapó Mining Co., Mina Dulcinea, Chile. He held this post for five years, in 1912 being engaged for a year by Messrs. Matheson & Co. as manager of mines worked by the Sindicato del Inca, Valparaiso.
He returned to England in 1915 to join H.M. Forces, was commissioned in the Royal Engineers and served principally with 182 Tunnelling Company, R.E., in France.
On demobilization in 1920 Mr. Davey was for two years retained by Messrs. Miller Bros. of Liverpool, during which time he led a prospecting party in Southern Nigeria. From 1922 to 1924 he held the position of mine superintendent of the Aroa mines, Venezuela, and from 1925 to 1930 was engineer in charge of underground operations and ore dressing for Corocoro United Copper Mines, Ltd., Bolivia, in 1928 being elected to the board of directors of the company. He spent nearly three years in Spain as mine superintendent to Alquife Mines & Railway Co., Ltd., from 1934 to 1936, and returned to Chile in 1937 as mining consultant to the firm of Messrs. Antony Gibbs & Co. of Valparaiso. Although in poor health for several years, he continued in practice until 1951, when he retired to Cornwall.
Mr. Davey was elected to Associate Membership of the Institution in 1911 and was transferred to Membership in 1928.
Vol. 62, Trans IMM 1952-53, pp.502-03
