Charles Dyke Taylor
Charles Dyke Taylor (1845-1876)
1877 Obituary [1]
CHARLES DYKE TAYLOR, son of Richard Taylor*, F.G.S., London, was born at Penmear, Cornwall, on 19th September 1845; and after completing his education as a civil engineer was employed as assistant to his elder brother in the management of the Val Sassam mines in the canton of Grisons, Switzerland, and subsequently in the same capacity at the Gonnesa mines in Sardinia.
Returning to England in 1868 he was appointed resident manager of the Redruth and Chacewater Railway in Cornwall, residing at Devoran, the shipping terminus of the line.
At the same time he was the representative in Cornwall and Devon of his father's firm, Messrs. John Taylor and Sons, being specially charged with the management of Wheal Friendship Copper Mine near Tavistock, of the Restormel Iron Mine near Lostwithiel, and of the Restronguet Tin Stream Works, Devoran, and the adjacent lead-smelting works; he also assisted in the management of West Wheal Tolgus Copper Mine near Redruth.
In the Restormel Iron Mine and also in the submarine tin stream workings at Restronguet he adopted the system practised in collieries, but never previously introduced into Cornwall, of hauling to the surface in cages and guides the tram wagons used in the levels of the mine. Of the Restronguet Tin Stream Works he gave a description to the Institution in 1873 (see Proceedings 1873 page 155) on occasion of the Cornwall meeting; and in the visit then made by the members to Restronguet the very successful working was witnessed of two machines first introduced by him into Cornwall for dressing tin and copper ores, namely Collom's jigger and the propeller-knife buddle.
In 1875 in consequence of symptoms of pulmonary disease he went for the benefit of his health to the Cape of Good Hope, and resided at Ookiep, the principal mine of the Cape Copper Company; but he returned in 1876 without improvement in health, and died at Falmouth on 24th September 1876 at the age of 31.
He became a Member of the Institution in 1873.
Note
- It is presumed this is related to Richard Taylor (1810-1883), based on the mines operated