John Joseph Rowe died in Northern Nigeria at the age of 51 on 18th October 1950.
He began his career at the Plenmeller colliery, Haltwhistle, Northumberland, where he worked for a few months in 1919 before entering Armstrong College, Durham University, from which he graduated as B.Sc. in mining in 1922. He was employed for a year at the Boltsburn mine of the Weardale Lead Co., leaving England in 1923 on his appointment as assistant mining engineer to the Niger Co. in Northern Nigeria. From 1926 to 1928 he worked as mining engineer for Associated Tin Mines of Nigeria, Ltd., managing first Miangwa Areas and then Juga Valley Tin Areas. He was employed by the London Tin Corporation, Ltd. from 1929 to 1936, first as assistant to the manager, Northern Nigeria (Bauchi) Tin Mines, Ltd., and, during the last few years, as relieving manager to Northern and Southern Areas.
In January, 1937, Mr. Rowe started tin mining on his own account. For several years, from 1939, he was Chairman of the Private Mineowners’ Association in Jos, a member of the Quota Committee during the war, and also a member of the Council of the Nigerian Chamber of Mines.
Mr. Rowe became a Student of the Institution in 1922 and was transferred to Associate Membership in 1925.
Vol. 60, Trans I.M.M., 1950-51, pp.151-2
