Obituary notice, 1956
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98 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COUNCIL to this project. It was a tragedy that he did not live to occupy his new department in 1956, particularly as its completion marked an important stage in the advancement of geology at Swansea, coinciding with the maturing of some of his own research activities. Leitch had undertaken a detailed re-investigation of the faunas and stratigraphy of certain portions of the South Wales Coalfield, partly in collaboration with colleagues and members of a research team he was beginning to gather around him, and much of this work was well advanced at the time of his death. Duncan Leitch will always be remembered for his deep-rooted integrity and wealth of sympathetic understanding, His views were at all times tempered with modesty and good humour, while the dual qualities of kindness and unselfishness permeated his entire character, endearing him to all. He will be sadly missed by his numerous friends, particularly at Glasgow and Swansea. He is survived by his widow and young son. O.T. HARRY LIONEL SARGENT died at his home at Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, on 14 March 1955, at the age of eighty-four. He had a long and distinguished professional career in metalliferous mining in the days when so many new fields were being opened up by British Engineers in all parts of the world. From 1885 to 1889 he gained his early experience in this country, particularly in Northumberland, while articled to the late C. Algeron Moreing, with whom he went to South Africa. First to the Rand for some years and later, in 1893, to what was then Mashonaland, where he was the Resident Engineer for his firm, Messrs. Bewick, Moreing & Co., at Umtali until 1896. This was in the very early days of developments in South Rhodesia when conditions were by no means settled. Mr. Sargent himself went on foot from Beira to Umtali. From 1896 until 1904 he represented his firm in reporting on enterprises in New Zealand (at Auckland and at Dunedin), and later in Western Australia (at Coolgardie and at Kalgoorli). In 1905 he became associated professionally with the late W. R. Feldtmann with whom he was in partnership from 1911until his retirement in 1924. Together, at various times, they visited properties in Canada, the United States and Siberia. Mr. Sargent had, from his earlier years, been on the roll of the Institution of Civil Engineers and on that of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy. Of the latter body he became a Student Member at its foundation in 1892, an Associate Member in 1895 and a Full Member in 1902. In recognition of his services to the profession and to the Institution, the Council confer- red on him the distinction of Honorary Membership in 1953. He joined the Geologists' Association in 1890 and was a Life Member. Those who had the good fortune to know Mr. Sargent will remember his sterling qualities and his devotion to good works. He was esteemed by a
Transcript of Obituary notice, 1956
98 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COUNCIL
to this project. It was a tragedy that he did not live to occupy his newdepartment in 1956, particularly as its completion marked an importantstage in the advancement of geology at Swansea, coinciding with thematuring of some of his own research activities. Leitch had undertaken adetailed re-investigation of the faunas and stratigraphy of certain portionsof the South Wales Coalfield, partly in collaboration with colleagues andmembers of a research team he was beginning to gather around him, andmuch of this work was well advanced at the time of his death.
Duncan Leitch will always be remembered for his deep-rooted integrityand wealth of sympathetic understanding, His views were at all timestempered with modesty and good humour, while the dual qualities ofkindness and unselfishness permeated his entire character, endearing himto all. He will be sadly missed by his numerous friends, particularly atGlasgow and Swansea. He is survived by his widow and young son.
O.T.
HARRY LIONEL SARGENT died at his home at Southborough, TunbridgeWells, on 14 March 1955, at the age of eighty-four. He had a long anddistinguished professional career in metalliferous mining in the days whenso many new fields were being opened up by British Engineers in all partsof the world. From 1885 to 1889 he gained his early experience in thiscountry, particularly in Northumberland, while articled to the late C.Algeron Moreing, with whom he went to South Africa. First to the Randfor some years and later, in 1893, to what was then Mashonaland, wherehe was the Resident Engineer for his firm, Messrs. Bewick, Moreing & Co.,at Umtali until 1896. This was in the very early days of developments inSouth Rhodesia when conditions were by no means settled. Mr. Sargenthimself went on foot from Beira to Umtali. From 1896 until 1904 herepresented his firm in reporting on enterprises in New Zealand (atAuckland and at Dunedin), and later in Western Australia (at Coolgardieand at Kalgoorli). In 1905 he became associated professionally with thelate W. R. Feldtmann with whom he was in partnership from 1911 untilhis retirement in 1924. Together, at various times, they visited propertiesin Canada, the United States and Siberia.
Mr. Sargent had, from his earlier years, been on the roll of the Institutionof Civil Engineers and on that of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy.Of the latter body he became a Student Member at its foundation in 1892,an Associate Member in 1895 and a Full Member in 1902. In recognitionof his services to the profession and to the Institution, the Council conferred on him the distinction of Honorary Membership in 1953. He joined theGeologists' Association in 1890 and was a Life Member.
Those who had the good fortune to know Mr. Sargent will remember hissterling qualities and his devotion to good works. He was esteemed by a
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wide circle of friends, both in his profession and in the quiet surroundingsof his home at Southborough where he spent his later years. s. W.S.
GEORGE SLATER, who died on 27 January 1956, first made contact with theAssociation when he acted as Director of a Field Meeting to Oaydon andIpswich in 1907. Joining the Association in 1919, for nearly half a century,first as an amateur and later as a professional, he spared no pains infurthering its aims by addressing meetings, leading excursions andproclaiming to students and others the advantages that membershipoffered.
Born at Sharrow, near Ripon, he was brought up in the Bronte country,where life was fully as hard as the novelists depicted and schooling entailedmuch sacrifice. After being trained as a teacher (St. John's College, York)he became a schoolmaster, first in Northumberland and subsequently inEast Anglia. In due course he entered the Royal College of Science (Imperial College), obtained the Diploma of Associateship in Geology, andlater that of Membership of Imperial College by research. He graduated inthe University of London, proceeded to M.Se. and eventually to D.Se. AtProfessor Watts's invitation he joined the staff of the Imperial College, andserved for many years as Demonstrator and Lecturer, being particularlysuccessful with junior students, generations of whom from the RoyalSchool of Mines and the City and Guilds Engineering College rememberhim with gratitude and affection.
During his youth Slater had the great privilege of seeing the Officers ofH.M. Geological Survey at work. These masters of field-mapping, inparticular J. R. Dakyns and R. H. Tiddeman, befriended him and encouraged him to make geology his hobby; and, impressed by their meticulous work, he made accurate measurement his own watchword. He was,indeed, intolerant of slipshod ways in either teaching or research (as witnesshis paper in the Geol. Mag., 1912, which left the supposedly Pleistocene<Ipswich Man' without a leg to stand on).
Residence in East Anglia brought exceptional opportunities for studyingglacial deposits, not only those to be seen in oft-discussed sections (asalong the coast near Cromer) but also extensive exposures resulting fromengineering and building operations. He was thus led to carry out originalwork in glaciology, in which subject he became an authority. The-mode oforigin of the various deposits and especially the nature of their intensedisturbance had been highly controversial subjects. After plotting many ofthe lengthy exposures, he found that certain definite structural patternswere characteristic: and he came to the conclusion that they must have agenetic significance. In order to gain further insight into these problems,he not only studied ice-action in the Alps, but also joined the OxfordUniversity Expedition to Spitsbergen in 1921 as glaciologist. He also
