Harold William Clayden
Harold William Clayden (1874-1936)
1936 Obituary [1]
HAROLD WILLIAM CLAYDEN was consulting electrical and mechanical engineer to the General Mining and Finance Corporation, Johannesburg. He succeeded to this position in 1919, five years after joining the group as consulting electrical engineer. He was responsible for the conversion of the plant on the Van Ryn Gold Mining Estates from steam to electric drive, and under his direction the milling capacity of the West Rand Consolidated Mines, Ltd., was increased from 40,000 to 150,000 tons per month.
Mr. Clayden was born at Linton, Cambs, in 1874 and in 1890 he commenced his training at Faraday House, London. Subsequently he worked as an improver for two years, after which he held junior positions in borough power stations at Eastbourne and Coventry.
In 1897 he was appointed borough electrical engineer to Morley Corporation, Yorks, and a year later he joined the staff of Mr. Robert Hammond, consulting engineer, of London.
He became borough electrical engineer to the Corporation of Middlesbrough in 1899, but left for South Africa three years later, and was appointed chief mechanical and electrical engineer to the Consolidated Main Reef Mines and Estates, Ltd., at Maraisburg, Transvaal. Mr. Clayden held this position until his appointment with the General Mining and Finance Corporation. He served on a large number of important committees of the South African Chamber of Mines, and in 1925 was elected president of the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers.
He was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1908, and was an Associate Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers.
His death occurred on 2nd October 1935.