working in ghana and sumatra

[paulwilliams]

My Grandfather worked in Ghana in the gold mines 1902-1905 and in Sumatra gold mines 1911-1928.
Does anyone know of anyone researching these particular locations in regards to gold mining?
I would like to find out more about my grandfather's time in these two locations and how on earth did he managed to find work there.
Any help would be most welcome
Kind regards
Paul Williams

[rsandes]

Hi Paul,

you probably already know this but thought I'd put it in anyway....
Gold had been known throughout Sumatra (an ancient name for Sumatra was Swarna Dwipa, Sanskrit for Isle of Gold) for centuries with locals panning in the  Sumatran mountain streams and the Rejang-Lebong Gold Mine in the province of Bengkulu, southwest Sumatra was famous since colonial times. The Hindus then the Chinese conducted gold mining in various places especially in Sumatra and Kalimantan. The ruins of their mines then became the references for European gold prospectors. Sumatra was also on the main maritime trading routes, and I would be checking under Dutch colonial related resources, as under Dutch colonial rule from the late 19th century several other smaller mines opened.  Interesting to note that many former German mines in Africa were passed to the Dutch after World War One.  I suspect you may have to do some historical detective to work to find out which Dutch companies were operating in Sumatra over the period.  There has been associated colonial research and a good starting point will be economic and trade histories of colonial and WW1 times especially through the Netherlands and tracking the general history of Indonesian gold mining.  The site below might prove helpful, but otherwise will check with some of my own research and see what else I find and pass on to you.
www.iied.org/mmsd/mmsd_pdfs/asm_indonesia.pdf

regards

rsandes

[paulwilliams]

Hi Rsandes,
Many thanks for the update and for pointing me at that article.

My researches have supplied a little more information, I now know my grandfather worked in 3 gold mines:

Aug 1911    Lebong Donok Gold mine, Sumatra
1912           Lebong Soelit Gold mine, Sumatra
        Lebong Tandai (Simau) Gold Mine, Sumatra

”preselected employment as miner till the end of June (1912) and as Mine Captain for the last 2 months” quote from my grandfather in a letter dated 2nd September 1912.

I have a newspaper article from the South Wales Echo, dated September 1912 where he is a "hero" as he saved numerous in 2 accidents in the Lebong Soelit mine.

I have my grandfather last passport and he has a visa for Dutch East Indies dated June 1928 and appears to have visited there again, why? also found that he was issued with British passport Number 1 in Batavia 7th April 1915.

As also a geologist I have been searching geological articles as they do mention the area, still looking for a good location map, i just have a grid reference for Lebong Donok.
Many thanks again and any help is most welcome.
Kind regards
Paul Williams

[rsandes]

Hi Paul,

glad it could be of some help, just a thought but have you tried the BHP Indonesia for any archival materials?  Given that Lebong is the key this must be somewhere in their old charts.  Perhaps your ancestor was one of the 'essential' services persons during the war years and then during the interwar years?  These people normally were considered of paramount importance to any war effort and would not be released for war duties.  Any record of your grandfather working for the Department of Defence? Trying to remember if this was part of the region hit by a sequence of earthquakes (similar to now) during that decade?  I'm a Southeast Asian specialist at Charles Darwin University in the Northern Territory;  let me know if you want me to do a quick check through university library for you.

rsandes

[paulwilliams]

Hiya,
Thanks for the update, my grandfather was a miner then a mining engineer, doubt that he was linked to the department of defence.
He was born in 1862, but according to his passport 1870!
I have been looking at websites mentioning the area, but it appears he worked for a company that was owned by BP Erdmann & Sielcken.
I have been looking in dutch sites but have not located much of interest, it seemed that the dutch really opened up gold mining in 1910, in the south western corner of Sumatra, and this area was not affected by recent earthquakes, the quake in 1862 was actually near.
Kind regards
Paul Williams

[Martin King]

I too have a grandfather who was involved in gold mining in West Africa and Sumatra (and in several other parts of the world).  His name was Samuel John Truscott.  However, his dates in Sumatra are earlier than your grandfather's.  He was born in 1870 and was exploring in West Africa in 1902 after experience in several other countries.  I believe his time in Sumatra was at the Rejang Lebong Donok mine from 1902 to 1908.  My mother was born there in 1906 and I have a double-foolscap manuscript certificate of the entry of her birth in the register at Kepahiang.  Among the voluminous details of the register entry is the information that Lebong Donok is more than ten paals (whatever they may be) from Kepahiang, and that my grandfather was at that time General Manager of the Rejang Lebong Mining Company.  It names two other employees of the company as witnesses, Hendrik Coenraad Buning and Hermann August Marquard.  I also have a piece of gold about the size of a small grain of rice with a note in my mother's writing that this was the first bit of gold produced in a test at the mine and given to my grandmother as a keepsake.  My grandfather returned to London at the end of his time in Sumatra, set up as a consulting engineer, and was Professor of Mining at the Royal School of Mines from 1919 until he retired in 1936.  I think this is good evidence that the Lebong Donok mine was a going concern well able to take on employees before your grandfather arrived in 1911.  I don't know much else about my grandfather's time in Sumatra and I would love to have a map of the area if you succeed in finding one.

[dennford]

Sorry I'm not going to be of any help but I just want to be on the thread so that I can follow it. I have spent time as an amateur prospector, I have also flown over Kalimantan and Sumatra _ the inaccessibility of those places never fails to intrigue and captivate me. This thread has set me dreaming again.
                                           Denn

[paulwilliams]

Hi Martin,
Thanks for the mail, I am still looking for data on my grandfather, do you have any idea how our grandfathers would have obtained jobs in these far distant countries?

I have a few copies of certificates for my grandfather as well as letters when he was tempory mine manager in Ghana, also a cv from 1912 as well as original newpaper report when he saved numerous in a mine accident in Lebong Donok, searching elsewhere i did find my grandfather listed in a who's who for the Dutch East Indies for 1913.

According to information i have the Dutch really opened up the mine in 1910, but it appears it had been worked for many centuries before that, which company did your grandfather work for?

My mother still has a still box which has Erdmann & Sielcken 1987-1925, presented to my grandfather, i am not sure if he left the company then, but in his passport there is a visa the only one for the Dutch East Indies for 1928, i find this strange as it is written in his passport he does not need a visa for The British Empire and Dutch East Indies!

I do not have too much of my grandfathers except for his passport, wish i had his original one as he was issued with British passport number 1 in Batavia. 

Do you have any pictures of the mine in Sumarta? An image would be a real bonus, i have seen references to an Italian making a film there in the 1930.

Any help would be most welcome.

Kind regards

Paul Williams

[paulwilliams]

Life History for Benjamin Williams

Benjamin Williams: born July 10th 1862 in 1 Woodland Row, Briton Ferry, Glamorgan.
1872-1878 Collier boy from age of 10 at Steep Coal Measures, Neath Briton Ferry District
1884-1902 Merthyr Stream Coal Collieries in Maerdy Collier; Timberman; Contractor and Official
31/01/1888 2nd Class Certificate No 309
01/01/1893 Night Fireman 6 Foot Seam, North West, Maerdy
1896-1897 2nd Class Certificate in Geology
10/05/1897 2nd Class Certificate as Under Manager No 3127
07/06/1900 1st Class Certificate as Colliery Manager No 1695
Mining and Geology Certificates under Science and Arts Dept, Ferndale
1902 worked for 3 years as a prospector, Mine Foreman and Master Sinker in Ghana
15 months Chida Wassaw Company
10/03/1903 appointed Temporary Manager
17/12/1903 reference worked at Chida Wassaw mine for one year
9 months Prestea Company Block A Gold Mines
12 months Chida Wassaw Gold Mines Company
1905-1907 1st Class Certificate Manager The Lower Gilfach Colliery
1907-1909 under manager at Cynon and Whitchurch Collieries, Cymmer, Port Talbot. Had mining and sinking contracts here.
June 1909-1911 Manager at Llanover Pits, Argoed leaving 31st July 1911
Aug 1911 Lebong Donok Gold mine, Sumatra
1912 Lebong Soelit Gold mine, Sumatra
Lebong Tandai (Simau) Gold Mine, Sumatra
”preselected employment as miner till the end of June (1912) and as Mine Captain for the last 2 months”
South Wales Echo article appears to be from September 1912
12/1928 Gladesville, New South Wales, Australia
2/1930 Merthyr Tydfil
19/04/1934 Died Tydfil Lodge, Merthyr Tydfil

This is a brief overview with dates listed when i have confirmed information or have letter or certificate, i have not included family information here but can be located elsewhere if you search on my grandfathers name in this particular forum, as ever i thank those people who have greatly helped me in my searches.

Kind regards
Paul Williams