John Warren (mining) explained

John Warren
Birth Place:	Newton Abbot, England
Death Place:	North Adelaide, Australia
Occupation:	Mining engineer, mine manager

John Warren (c. 1837 – 31 October 1910), frequently styled "Captain Warren" or "Captain Jack" after the traditional (esp. Cornish) mining practice, was a mining engineer and mine manager in Australia.

History

Warren was born in Newton Abbot, England,^[1] and from age thirteen was working in the mining business. He had experience in the east county mines including Dolcoath and Tavistock^[2] and later in America.^[3]

He was in South Australia by October 1864, when in response to a newspaper advertisement,^[4] he succeeded George Vercoe as manager of the Karkarilla mine, Tipara, one of the complex of copper mines at Moonta.^[5] The Karkarilla mine became uneconomic and was taken over by another company in 1867 and renamed Hamley, and Warren, while being retained, was also made responsible for the nearby Paramatta mine,^[6] and 1869 the Wheal James mine.^[7]

He resigned from the Paramatta company on 25 November 1876, and for two and a half years was in charge of the Balade mine, New Caledonia.^[8]

He returned to South Australia, where he served as manager of the short-lived Bird-in-Hand gold mine near Woodside.^[1]

That was followed by the Block 10 mine at Broken Hill, which he managed for over ten years.

He assisted T. J. Greenway in tackling the "sulphide problem".^{[9] [10]}

A strike called by the Amalgamated Miners' Association and other unions in Broken Hill was held ?? – November 1892 after the Mineowners' Association cancelled stope workers' contracts and imposed a contract payment system.^[11] Warren held fast against the unions by taking on new workers, mostly from Moonta, and still meeting their production targets. In June 1901 Warren resigned from Block 10 after a dispute with assistant manager L. W. Grayson, who also resigned and set up in business as a consulting engineer. A petition signed by most employees of the mine urged Warren to reconsider.^[12] He must have relented, as he was reappointed to his old position in July.

In 1902 he was both elected president of the Australasian Institute of Mining Engineers and appointed Justice of the Peace. In April he again resigned, after he had been obliged to effect a number of economies, including the termination of many jobs.^[13] His replacement was V. F. Stanley-Low.

He was for a short time in 1903 manager of the Cobar-Chesney mine, and the Broken Hill Junction Mining Company for about a year 1904–05.

Inventions

• Around 1874 Warren and Fred May, chief engineer at Moonta Mines, invented an improved jigging machine (separates heavy crushed ore from the light stuff, using water and a shaking action), which was proven at the Hamley mine and the Lady Alice near Gawler. A copy of the machine, made by James Martin & Co. of Gawler, was sent to the Balade mine, New Caledonia, in 1875.^[14]

Others to develop jigging machines were Cowlng, Hancock, Petherick.^[15]

• He invented a vanner or vanning table, of which the Wilfley table is an example
• He patented improvements to the magnetic ore separator.^[16]

Other interests

• While in Broken Hill, Warren was founder and president of the local Boys' Brigade.^[17]
• Also while in Broken Hill, he was active in the Horticultural Society.^[18]

Recognition

• The Warren vanner, which he developed, was named for him.
• In 1893 he was presented by the mine's grateful management with a model of the Block 10 surface workings, crafted in silver by J. M. Wendt.^[19]

Family

Warren had a daughter born 4 December 1866^[20] It is likely both mother and daughter were named Mary Ann or Mary Anne, and one died 1866 and the other 1867.

He married again, to Marian Mortimore (c. 1838 – 12 November 1903), date and place not yet found. They had a daughter:

• Marian Warren (c. 1873 – 14 July 1923) married Frederick Thomas Collins (c. 1878 – 10 September 1937) in 1906. They had a daughter on 14 May 1906, another on 26 November 1910. John Warren was living at their place, 6 Mackinnon Parade, North Adelaide, when he died; earlier he had a home on Prospect Road, Prospect.

Collins married again on 23 November 1925 to Dora Baker.

John Warren died in North Adelaide on 31 October 1910.^[21]

Notes and References

1. News: Death of Captain Warren . . LXXV . 19,960 . South Australia . 1 November 1910 . 20 January 2019 . 4 . National Library of Australia. note: Newton Abbot misspelled and mislocated into Cornwall.
2. News: To the Editor of the Yorke's Peninsula Advertiser. . . VI . 525 . South Australia . 16 October 1877 . 20 January 2019 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
3. News: Death of Captain Warren . . LXXV . 19,960 . South Australia . 1 November 1910 . 20 January 2019 . 4 . National Library of Australia. note: Newton Abbot misspelled and mislocated into Cornwall.
4. News: Advertising . . XXVIII . 5604 . South Australia . 14 October 1864 . 20 January 2019 . 1 . National Library of Australia.
5. News: Untitled . . VII . 324 . South Australia . 22 October 1864 . 20 January 2019 . 1 . National Library of Australia.
6. News: Moonta . . III . 225 . South Australia . 27 March 1867 . 20 January 2019 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
7. News: The Week's News . . XXVII . 1469 . South Australia . 27 November 1869 . 20 January 2019 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
8. News: Presentation to Captain Warren . . South Australia . 1 May 1879 . 20 January 2019 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
9. News: The Broken Hill Mines . . 42 . 2,157 . South Australia . 23 December 1899 . 21 January 2019 . 21 . National Library of Australia.
10. News: Mining Gossip . . CXVIII . 3,084 . Victoria, Australia . 9 May 1925 . 21 January 2019 . 45 . National Library of Australia.
11. News: The Broken Hill Mines . . 11,653 . Victoria, Australia . 1 July 1892 . 4 February 2019 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
12. News: Captain Warren's Resignation . . XIV . 4078 . New South Wales, Australia . 26 June 1901 . 3 February 2019 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
13. News: Work at Broken Hill . . 14,616 . Victoria, Australia . 10 January 1902 . 4 February 2019 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
14. News: The Week's News . . XXXII . 1737 . South Australia . 16 January 1875 . 20 January 2019 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
15. News: Honour to Whom Honour is Due . . LXXXVII . 25,442 . South Australia . 13 July 1922 . 20 January 2019 . 9 . National Library of Australia.
16. News: Patents. . . LIII . 1,367 . Queensland, Australia . 7 March 1902 . 3 February 2019 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
17. News: Broken Hill Notes . . South Australia . 10 November 1900 . 4 February 2019 . 13 . National Library of Australia.
18. News: Spring Flower Show . . XV . 4444 . New South Wales, Australia . 15 September 1902 . 4 February 2019 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
19. News: General News . . L . 2,703 . South Australia . 22 July 1893 . 19 January 2019 . 30 . National Library of Australia.
20. News: Family Notices . . II . 193 . South Australia . 5 December 1866 . 20 January 2019 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
21. News: Death of Captain Warren . . Broken Hill . 2 . 1910-11-01 . 2023-11-07 . Newspapers.com.