Henry Robinson Holmes died at Lister Hospital, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, on 16th December, 1961, at the age of 77.
Mr. Holmes served articles of apprenticeship from 1900 to 1904 as civil and mining engineer under Mr. H. Mellon at the Manzell, Dalton and Lindal Moor iron mines and at Goldmire limestone quarries and Coniston slate quarries in North Lancashire and West Cumberland. In June, 1904, he was appointed assistant to Mr. Mellon, but early in 1905 left England for India to join Central Provinces Prospecting Syndicate, Ltd., as mining engineer in charge of the Balaghat manganese mine. Three years later he was appointed engineer in charge of the company’s Kandri and Munsur mines, Nagpur District, and later that year served as acting manager of the Syndicate prior to his appointment in January, 1909, as engineer in charge of the Ramtek group of seven mines. He retained this post until 1920 when he was appointed the company’s agent and general manager in India and, three years later, became managing director of the company, now known as Central Provinces Manganese Ore Co., Ltd., a position he held until 1956. He was chairman of the company from 1944 to 1957 and a director until shortly before his death. In 1927 he was appointed joint managing director of the newly formed United Kingdom Ferro-Manganese Co., Ltd., and remained on the board of directors until 1957.
Mr. Holmes had been a member of the Institution for 54 years, having joined as a Student in 1907; he was transferred to Associate Membership in 1910 and to Membership in 1921. He served continuously as a Member of Council from 1941-54, and was Vice-President for the sessions 1944-46. Mr. Holmes was also a member of the Mining and Geological Institute of India.
Mr. W.A. Hardy writes: Mr. H.R. Holmes was associated with the Central Provinces Manganese Ore Company from its very early days and was to a large extent responsible for the opening up and development of their principal mines in his early career. His work as a mining engineer was of the highest quality and much of the company’s success was due to his efforts.
He was a man of sound practical common-sense and high business principles, and this was recognized by all with whom he came in contact. He was most highly regarded by the principal customers of the company in the U.S.A. and U.K. and under his guidance in his position as managing director and later as chairman, the reputation of the company was greatly enhanced.
He was greatly admired not only by the managerial staff but also the labour in India, as he always treated justifiable claims with sympathy and generosity. He will be sadly missed by his colleagues in London and his friends in India.
Vol. 71, Trans IMM 1961-62, p.556
