Edward Hall Watson died at the Hospital, Rangoon, Burma, on November 27th, 1920, aged 43 years.
From 1890 to 1896 he received an engineering training as apprentice at the Otago Central Foundry and Engineering Co., and as improver in engineering works in Wellington N.Z., in the course of which he also acquired mining experience on the Otago goldfields. For two years following, he was erecting engineer with Messrs. Knewstubb Brothers, of Dunedin, and in 1898 he began to specialize in dredging, in Dunedin, Wellington and Waikaia.
In 1904 he left New Zealand to become dredge manager to a West African company, and two years later he was engaged in sluicing and dredging operations in Tierra del Fuego, South America. In 1909-10 he was in the Caucasus district of Russia reporting on gold, copper and oil options, after which he went to the East Indies to examine and report on coal, oil and gold concessions in Borneo, Java, and Sumatra.
Returning to Russia in 1911, after examining properties in N.W. Siberia for Messrs. Bainbridge, Seymour and Co., he was in 1912 appointed general manager of the Olekma and Vintini (Lena) Gold Syndicate, Ltd., N.E. Siberia. In 1915, while his services were still retained by the last named company, he was again called to the Malay States, and the later years of his life were occupied with professional work in that locality.
Mr. Watson was elected an Associate of the Institution in 1909 and transferred to Membership in 1916.
Vol. 32, Trans IMM 1922-23, p.295
