Joseph Henry Collins
Encyclopedia
Joseph Henry Collins FGS
, (1841–1916), mining engineer, mineralogist and geologist. Of Cornish
descent, he was born in London.
- Royal Geological Society of Cornwall
(President from 1903–1904, and 1911–1912) , the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society
and the Royal Institution of Cornwall
. He also lectured for, and was secretary of, The Miners Association
.
Collins pioneered systematic exploration for china clay in the St Austell
area, and had a long association with the area, as well as introducing both the filter press
and the monitor
to the china clay industry.
Contributed significantly to the Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, and was awarded the Bolitho Medal by the RGSC in 1898.
Collins was the founding Secretary of the Mineralogical Society in 1876 and was involved in founding the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy
, becoming its Vice-President in 1892.
Chief chemist and metallurgist Rio Tinto
mines in Spain.
and Birkbeck College in London.
His sons included Arthur L. Collins
, a mine manager murdered in America, and William Edward Collins
, Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe
.
He died at his home in Crinnis, near St Austell, on 12 April 1916. A memorial to him was erected by the Mineralogical Society in Charlestown
church.
In 2008, the Mineralogical Society established a new annual award, The Collins Medal, to recognise the lifetime contributions of scientists to pure or applied aspects of Mineral Sciences and associated studies. The Collins medal was first awarded in 2010, to Dr Henry Emeleus.
Geological Society of London
The Geological Society of London is a learned society based in the United Kingdom with the aim of "investigating the mineral structure of the Earth"...
, (1841–1916), mining engineer, mineralogist and geologist. Of Cornish
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
descent, he was born in London.
Career
He was at various times the secretary or president of the three learned societies of CornwallCornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
- Royal Geological Society of Cornwall
Royal Geological Society of Cornwall
The Royal Geological Society of Cornwall is a geological society based in Cornwall in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1814 to promote the study of the geology of Cornwall, and is the second oldest geological society in the world....
(President from 1903–1904, and 1911–1912) , the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society
Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society
The Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society is an educational, cultural and scientific charity, based in Falmouth, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The Society exists to promote innovation in the arts and sciences...
and the Royal Institution of Cornwall
Royal Institution of Cornwall
The Royal Institution of Cornwall was founded in Truro, Cornwall, United Kingdom, in 1818 as the Cornwall Literary and Philosophical Institution. The Institution was one of the earliest of seven similar societies established in England and Wales. The RIC moved to its present site in River Street...
. He also lectured for, and was secretary of, The Miners Association
The Miners Association
The Miners Association was founded in 1858 by Robert Hunt FRS, and the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society.The Association was formed to create a body that would discuss, develop, address the needs and represent the hard rock mining industry within the south west region of the United...
.
Collins pioneered systematic exploration for china clay in the St Austell
St Austell
St Austell is a civil parish and a major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the south coast approximately ten miles south of Bodmin and 30 miles west of the border with Devon at Saltash...
area, and had a long association with the area, as well as introducing both the filter press
Filter press
Filter press which describes the style of filters developed from the 19th century onwards originally for clay. The majority of today's filters are more correctly called "chamber filter press", "Membrane filter press", or "Membrane Plate Filter"...
and the monitor
Hydraulic mining
Hydraulic mining, or hydraulicking, is a form of mining that uses high-pressure jets of water to dislodge rock material or move sediment. In the placer mining of gold or tin, the resulting water-sediment slurry is directed through sluice boxes to remove the gold.-Precursor - ground...
to the china clay industry.
Contributed significantly to the Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, and was awarded the Bolitho Medal by the RGSC in 1898.
Collins was the founding Secretary of the Mineralogical Society in 1876 and was involved in founding the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy
Institution of Mining and Metallurgy
Institution of Mining and Metallurgy was a British research institution, founded in 1892.In 2002, it merged with The Institute of Materials to form the The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining...
, becoming its Vice-President in 1892.
Chief chemist and metallurgist Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto Group
The Rio Tinto Group is a diversified, British-Australian, multinational mining and resources group with headquarters in London and Melbourne. The company was founded in 1873, when a multinational consortium of investors purchased a mine complex on the Rio Tinto river, in Huelva, Spain from the...
mines in Spain.
Life
Collins was educated at The Working Men's CollegeWorking Men's College
The Working Men's College- WMC, being among the earliest adult education institutions established in the United Kingdom, is Europe's oldest extant centre for adult education and perhaps one of its smallest...
and Birkbeck College in London.
His sons included Arthur L. Collins
Arthur L. Collins
Arthur Lancelot Collins was an English-born mine manager in the American state of Colorado. He was born July 8, 1868, in Truro, England. He was the son of a prominent mining expert, Joseph Henry Collins. The Collins family ran a business, J.H. Collins & Sons, Mining and Metallurgical Engineers....
, a mine manager murdered in America, and William Edward Collins
William Edward Collins
The Rt Rev William Edward Collins, DD was an Anglican bishop, Bishop of Gibraltar from 1904 until his death....
, Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe
Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe
The Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers not only the area of Gibraltar in British jurisdiction but also all of mainland Europe, Morocco and the territory of the former Soviet Union...
.
He died at his home in Crinnis, near St Austell, on 12 April 1916. A memorial to him was erected by the Mineralogical Society in Charlestown
Charlestown, Cornwall
Charlestown is a village and port on the south coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom, in the parish of St Austell Bay. It is situated approximately south east of St Austell town centre....
church.
In 2008, the Mineralogical Society established a new annual award, The Collins Medal, to recognise the lifetime contributions of scientists to pure or applied aspects of Mineral Sciences and associated studies. The Collins medal was first awarded in 2010, to Dr Henry Emeleus.
Selected publications
- A Handbook to the Mineralogy of Cornwall and Devon, 1871
- Principals of Metal Mining, 1874
- Mineralogy, 1877
- The Hensbarrow Granite District, 1878, republished 1992, ISBN 0951941917