Thomas Skewes Saunders died in the Cowdray Hospital in Mexico City on October 28th, 1942, at the age of 63.
He was born in Plymouth, and received his technical education at the Camborne School of Mines, while holding a Cornwall County Scholarship. On leaving the school, he was engaged for some time on tin mines in England, and in 1900 he went to America, where he was employed for about a year as surveyor by the Phelps Dodge Copper Co. at Globe, Arizona.
In 1901 he went to Mexico, in which country he spent the remainder of his career, first with the Santa Gertrudis Mining Co., then with the El Oro Mining and Railway Co. at El Oro, and the Cia. Minera de Peñoles in various capacities. In 1906, he was appointed mine superintendent of the San Luis Mining Co., and in the following year occupied a similar position with the Tezintlan Copper Mining and Smelting Co., first at Los Ocotes, Puebla and afterwards at Aurora, Puebla. In 1913 he left that company to accept an appointment with the Cia. Minera Las Dos Estrellas in Michoacán, where he successively occupied the position of general superintendent, assistant general manager, and finally general manager.
In 1921 he retired from that post to take up consulting work, and acted at various times as consulting engineer and director of various companies. He was a member of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers and other technical societies, also a member of the British Society of Mexico, the Chamber of Commerce and several clubs, besides taking part in local activities of various kinds.
Mr. Saunders was elected a Member of the Institution in 1917.
Vol. 53, Trans I.M.M., 1943-44, p.438
