Mervyn Stanley Stutchbury died suddenly on August 27th, 1938, at Friston, near Eastbourne, at the age of 58.
He entered the Royal School of Mines in October, 1897, but left almost at once on having the opportunity of watching practical mining operations in France. He then went to the Cwmystwyth lead and zinc mines in Cardiganshire for two years before returning to the School of Mines. He obtained his A.R.S.M. in mining in 1903, and in the same year went to Russia as an engineer on the Caucasus mercury mines.
In 1904 he became assistant engineer to a prospecting expedition in Madagascar and later was appointed manager of the company, Les Mines d’Or de Sihanaka. After another short period in Russia he returned to England in March, 1907, and from then until 1918 he was with the Merton Metallurgical Co., Ltd., as consulting engineer and advisor on mining matters, also engaging in private practice. He visited and reported on mining properties in Sinai, Germany, Algeria, Morocco, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and Egypt.
In 1914 he became a director of the Merton Metallurgical Co. and on the liquidation of that company was associated with Metal Traders, Limited. The technical interests of the latter company were consolidated in Metal Traders Technical, Ltd, which was finally acquired by Mr. Stutchbury. He was for many years managing director of the Thames Metal Co. and was instrumental in erecting their tin smelter for Murex, Ltd., and in erecting a plant for the treatment of low-grade tin, copper, and silver ores at the Laurel Hill, N.Y., plant of Phelps, Dodge & Co.
As a Student he presented a paper to the Institution (Transactions, vol. x, p.457) which gained the award of the first ‘Arthur Claudet’ Students’ prize of the Institution.
Mr. Stutchbury was elected a Student of the Institution in 1900, and was transferred, to Associateship in 1905 and to Membership in 1912.
Vol. 48, Trans I.M.M., 1938-39, pp.842-3
