James Dickson Kemp died in Scotland in the summer of 1955 at the age of 80 years.
Mr. Kemp was born in Scotland and when in his early twenties went to Malaya. He was assistant to the manager of a hydraulic tin mine at Seremban, Negri Sembilan, from 1901 to 1903, beginning a career spent entirely in Malaya and Siam except for his service with the Forces during the 1914-1918 war.
He prospected for tin in Siamese States on his own account during 1904 and by the formation of Rahman Tin Co., Ltd. (registered in Glasgow in 1905), was the pioneer of mining in Rahman. He was manager of the company, later known as Rahman Hydraulic Tin, Ltd., for six years until ill-health caused him to resign, but he remained a director until his retirement shortly before his death.
On recovering in 1911, Mr. Kemp returned from Europe to Siam, again working his own account, and in 1912 joined Duff Development Co., Ltd., as superintendent of gold operations at Kuala Lebir, Malaya, for over two years. He then opened up a lode proposition on the east coast of Siam, but left on the outbreak of war in 1914 to serve with the 8th Battalion the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders until 1919.
Mr. Kemp returned to the East after the war to join the Borneo Co., Ltd., Penang, as mining adviser and prospector, and was also managing director of Bukit Ibu (Bandar) Tin, Ltd. He continued working in Malaya until the mines were overrun by the Japanese in 1942 and he was interned. On his release in 1945 he came home for a few months but on the resumption of mining in Malaya in 1946 he returned as manager of Hitam Tin, Ltd., Kroh, and director of Rahman Hydraulic Tin, Ltd.
He retired in 1955 after over 50 years’ service in Malaya and died in Scotland a few months after his return.
Vol. 68, Trans IMM 1958-59, p.123
