Henry Smart Martin died at his home in South Wales on 27th October, 1954, at the age of 81.
He was educated at Shrewsbury School, and after a year in a commercial office at St. Brieux, Brittany, he served from 1891 to 1896 with the Dowlais Iron Company at Dowlais colliery. During that time he spent two years in the surveyor’s and engineer’s office and also studied geology at the Royal School of Mines. In May, 1896, he obtained a first class Colliery Manager’s Certificate. He was subsequently appointed assistant colliery manager at Dowlais Cardiff colliery; in 1898 he was promoted colliery manager and in 1901 was made general manager of the company, collieries, quarries and estate.
In 1908 he went to South Africa, remaining as consulting engineer to the Central Mining and Investment Corporation, Ltd., until 1924. During this period he was responsible for the modernization of mining methods in the mines of the Corporation, and introduced circular shafts to the Rand. He also introduced new methods of handling ore on the flat mines of the East Rand.
Mr. Martin returned to England in 1924 and practised as a consulting engineer to many collieries. He became a director of Glamorgan Hematite Iron Ore Co., Ltd., in 1925, and later became chairman, which position he held until his retirement in 1953. He was also consulting engineer to the City of Cardiff.
Mr. Martin was elected a Member of the Institution in 1909.
Vol. 64, Trans IMM 1954-55, pp.476
