Richard Hugh Skelton died at his home in Much Hadham, Herts., on 3rd. March, 1952, at the age of 63.
He was educated at Gresham’s School, Holt, and was a student at the Royal School of Mines from 1906 to 1909, when he obtained the A.R.S.M. in mining. He left England for a year’s postgraduate course at Consolidated Langlaagte Mines, Ltd., Transvaal, under the auspices of the Institution, becoming assistant surveyor to the company in 1910. He held a similar position at Brakpan mines from 1912 to 1913, was head surveyor and sampler at Springs mines for the following year, and from 1915 to 1920 held the post of chief surveyor at Springs Mines, Ltd., as well as at Daggafontein Mines, Ltd., and West Springs, Ltd., for two years, and acted as surveyor to several collieries in the Transvaal.
Mr. Skelton was engaged in South China and the Philippines between 1920 and 1926, first as assistant mining engineer to Jardine, Matheson & Co., Ltd.; from 1922 to 1923 in private practice; and as engineer in charge of Spring Main Valley Tunnelling Scheme for the Hong Kong Government until 1926. During 1927 he was examining mercury deposits in Dutch Guiana, and from 1928 to 1929 held the post of geologist in Trinidad with British Controlled Oil-fields, Ltd. He spent the following year in Yugoslavia as assistant to the general manager of Trepca Mines, Ltd., and for a few months at the end of 1930 was reporting on gold and quicksilver in Transylvania.
Mr. Skelton returned to South Africa in 1931 as a consultant to Anglo-French Exploration Co., Ltd., leaving at the end of the year to make examinations of gold prospects in India for Anglo-American Corporation of South Africa, Ltd.
From 1933 to 1937 he was in private practice in London but making many examinations abroad, and subsequently was appointed administrative engineer to British (Non-Ferrous) Mining Corporation, Ltd. He was seconded to manage Greenside lead mines in Westmorland from 1940 to 1941, then left to join Messrs. Pellew-Harvey & Co., Ltd., becoming a partner in 1942, and at the time of his death was the sole partner in the firm.
He was elected a Student of the Institution in 1908, was transferred to Associate Membership in 1917 and to Membership in 1931. Mr. Skelton served on the Council of the Institution from 1942 to 1951.
Vol. 62, Trans I.M.M., 1952-53, p.140
