Francis William Payne
Francis William Payne (1864-1933)
1933 Obituary [1]
FRANCIS WILLIAM PAYNE was the senior partner of the London firm of that name. He was for the greater part of his engineering career interested in gold-dredging machinery, on which he became a recognized authority.
He was born at Brampton, near Northampton, in 1864 and served his apprenticeship from 1879 to 1884 with Messrs. Henry Hobbs of Northampton.
After a few months' drawing office experience with various firms he went to Melbourne in 1887 as a draughtsman.
Two years later he went to New Zealand in the same capacity and in 1894 commenced practice as a consulting dredge mining engineer.
In 1920 he returned to England and took charge of the London branch of his firm, and concentrated upon deep dredging plant. Three of his designs were capable of digging 130 feet below the water line.
Mr. Payne was elected a Member of the Institution in 1915.
His death occurred on 15th January 1933.