Cyril Stephen Griffiths A.I.M.M., A.R.S.M.

  Notes:

Cyril Griffiths was born on the Isle of Wight in 1882 and died in Leeds in 1975. In between;
He was educated at Framlingham College and then at the Royal School of Mines, shortly after leaving he was back for a year as teacher.
Thereafter, until the outbreak of war, he worked in mining in Sintoeroe, Batavia (both Indonesia), Upper Sarawak and Northern Nigeria.
During the First World War he was Lt (possibly a Capt) in the Royal Engineers (Tunnelling Corp) and married Gladys Syer in 1915, from which union there were no children.
After the war (1919-1921) he rejoined the Borneo Company, working in at a Gold mine where he "had charge of the Laboratory, including all smelting and refining operations. ".
He then switched careers to the Sarawak Civil Service where he held various positions in the Land & Survey Dept, eventually becoming Superintendent of Lands; a senior position.
During most of this time his 'British residence' was The Old Cottage, Swindon Village, near Cheltenham, possibly shared with his wife's sister.
Upon reaching pensionable age (circa 1933) he moved to Uganda as farmer, and then Kenya (1955 or shortly before). Later (Dec 1963) he left Kenya and went to live with niece Anne George-Powell in Leeds, dying there in 1975.
Have extensive photo albums of his time in Africa.

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Have his birth certificate.
On several documents his YoB is stated as 1883, but his both birth cert and passport both say 1882 (albeit his passport ALSO says 1883 but it is crossed out and 1882 put instead!).

1891 Census (Age 9) living at 340 London Road, Croydon with parents and siblings.

1898 and 1899 his fees for Framlingham College were paid by the trustees of the Griffiths/Powis wedding settlement.

1901 Census; living (age 19) in Hamble(?) Villa, Bridge Road, Worthing, East Sussex with mother and brother and sister.

Have 1906 letter from Royal College of Science, London regarding him working in the Mining Division 1904-5.
Parliamentary Papers, House of Commons, 1906 mentions CYRIL STEPHEN GRIFFITHS, HARRY D. GRIFFITHS. Not sure of context though.

Lived for some time at 'The Old Cottage, Swindon Village (just N of Cheltenham) Gloucestershire, which is the address his niece Ann St John Wright gave at the time of her wedding (1940). Not sure if this was permanent English base, or if only periodic. Michael George-Powell remembers visiting Cyril here and that he had a slot machine for 'buying' his cigarettes in the hallway !!
Apr 1940; George-Powell/St John Wright wedding; "The wedding took place from the residence of the bride's aunts, Mrs. Griffiths and Mrs.Locke, of The Old Cottage, Swindon". So it sounds like Gladys and Doris shared it ?

He has a type of Earwig named after him ! ;
"A Revision of the Genus Diplatys, Serv. (Dermaptera) By Malcolm Burr, D.Sc, F.L.S., F.Z.S., F.E.S. " ;
Borneo : Sarawak, Saribas, August 1908 (Museum Sarawak) ; British North Borneo, Sambas, March 1st, 1909
Dr. Malcolm Burr's lievision of the Genus Diplatys. ventral segment of the male ; from D. greeni it differs in the depressed forceps ; from the Ethiopian, D. Ucolur, Dubr., and D. vossekri, Burr, in the parallel-sided penultimate ventral segment of the $ and broad sinuation. It is different in colour from D. hicolor, and much smaller than B. vossekri. It is dedicated to my friend Mr. Cyril Griffiths, A.R.S.M., who discovered the female at Sambas. "

Report on the Sarawak Museum 1910 "The 'Burdett-Coutts' Mineral Collection was similarly rearranged with the kind help of Mr. CS Griffiths of the Borneo Company. "

Sarawak Museum, February 1st, 1911 . Appendix A. "List of specialists to whom the thanks of the Sarawak Museum are due for kind help in ……… Mr. CS Griffiths"

Have 1911 letter from J.Egerton Wood, MD of Sintoeroe Gold Mining Co. Stating that from Feb 1907 to end Aug 1907 he was assistant to the manager. From Aug 1907 to end of the year he was in charge of the lab at Batavia. Then for the first 4 months of 1908 he was assistant manager of Moewang Mining Co. Then returned to Sintoeroe until March 1909. "you have always carried out your duties to my complete satisfaction, and I have to thank you for great tact and help in some rather trying circumstances".

Have 1911 mortgage where is of Bancroft, Mitten Road, Bexhill and is borrowing £250 from his mother (same address) and Eleanor Powis (193 Colehorne Court, Kensington) for 1 yr at 5.5%. Security is his interest in his parents marriage settlement. Witness is Clara Ann Selby, maid, Bancroft.

Have 1911 letter from the Borneo Company stating the Cyril worked at their mines "in Upper Sarawak, Borneo for the last two years. Worked chiefly in the laboratory and about the cyanide plant .... his work has been more especially in connection with the clean up and melting and refining of the gold bullion"

He was joint-executor for the man named as co-respondent in his mother's divorce proceedings?! ; Probate for Wix: WIX- Hooker Edward of Bancroft, Mitten Road, Bexhill died 17 August 1910 at The Hall, 7 Marina Mansions, Bexhill. Probate11 July 1911 to Rev William John Blight Wormacott and CYRIL STEPHEN GRIFFITHS (of Bancroft) Mining Engineer & Thomas Edwards Solicitor £10103 1s 6d. House goes to Katherine for life and then to Oswald and Violet (but not Cyril), and rest of estate similar but to be divded between all 3 children.
According to short announcement in Bexhill Observer Wix was a 'well known golfer'...
... later piece "....of Bancroft, Mitten Rd. The deceased, who had been resident of Bexhill for about 2 years passed away at 'Th Hall' , Marine Mansions, after several months of suffering. He was the son of the Rev Richard Hooker Wix of Ryde IoW .... the mourners were Mrs EB Lemon (sister), Mrs.Lewis Griffiths and Mr.Thomas Edwards. Floral tributes from, amongst others, his mother, 2 more sisters, Miss Violet Griffiths. Wix's father was in trouble for some improper preaching/services !

Have 1913 letter from The Benue (Northern Nigeria) Tin Mines stating the Cyril worked there for 1 year. "... gave every satisfaction. He has a good knowledge of prospecting alluvial deposits either by drilling or pitting, is a sound surveyor and draughtsman and in my opinion a useful all round Mining Engineer, conscientious and hard working".

The Times 02 Sep 1915; Marriages; On the 24th Aug at St Mary Abbotts, Kensington. CYRIL STEPHEN GRIFFITHS, son of the late Stephen Lewis Griffiths, of the War Office, to GLADYS, dau of the late ALFRED CHARLES SYER.

London Gazette; 28th Oct 1915; The undermentioned to be temporary Second Lieutenants, dated 29th October 1915; Cyril Stephen Griffiths. (Default search doesn't pick this up for some reason - found via Google).
Was in the Royal Engineers (Tunnelling Corp) from 1915 to 1919.

The National Archives;Reference:WO 339/45068
Description: Lieutenant Cyril Stephen GRIFFITHS, Royal Engineers.
Date: 1915-1919; 1933 (did he re-join in 1933?, or perhaps retrospectively claim a campaign medal or something ?)
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Former references: in its original department: 113961

Bulletin, Issues 136-147 By Institution of Mining and Metallurgy (Great Britain) 1916 mentions in list 'Cyril S Griffiths'

Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (GB) magazine 1919 "Mr C.S.Griffiths Assoc.Inst.M.M. has left England for Sarawak".

Transactions of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, Volume 28 1919; "Mr. CS Griffiths said he remembered a furnace which had been in use for some considerable time. How much gold had been melted in it he could not say, but when he had started the work the chimney was in a very bad state of repair. ..."

Have letter from Naraguta (Nigeria) Tin Mines Ltd, dated 24th Aug 1920 "Mr C.S. Griffiths was in the employ of this Company in Nigeria from Nov 1913 to Jul 1915 and, I am pleased to say, gave great satisfaction in every way. Through the Government cancelling our right to a waterfall we had to abandon a large area, otherwise I feel confident Mr Griffiths would have been with us still"

Have Feb 22 letter from The Manager of the Borneo Company stating that he REjoined the staff at the Gold mines here in April 1919. He had charge of the Laboratory, including all smelting and refining operations. Left in Nov 21 owing to the closing down of the mine.

Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Issues 85-86, 1922;
1921, Griffiths, C.S. Kuching, Sarawak (can't see what the list is ; he also gets another mention ; perhaps as a subscriber of something)

The Dominions Office and Colonial Office List 1923; Assistant, Land and Survey Department, CS Griffiths, $6000

Have August 1923 letter to him from Charles Vyner Brooke (last White Raj of Sarawak) instructing him to go to Stass to "meet the representatives of the Netherlands India Government there to demarcate a boundary ...... to draw up and sign an agreement which shall form the basis of the treaty between the two Governments in Europe"

The Colonial Office List For Sarawak 1925; Chief Land Officer, CS Griffiths, £5,040 by $x240 to $6720.

The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), 8 July 1930, Page 10 ; "News has been received that six shops in the Lawas bazaar < Sarawak were burnt out on June 21st. Fortunately no casualties were reported. Mrs. C. S. Griffiths left for home on June 21st: and Dr. Marjoribanks by Vyner Brooke. We wish them gentle treatment by the S. W....

Sarawak Civil Service List 1932. Griffiths, Cyril Stephen. Born 13th Feb 1883. Superintendent of Lands, $750 p.m. (this was same salary as, for example, J.C.Swayne, Judge of the Supreme Court?!, in fact the whole list of ~35 pages there are only 5 people paid the same or more ; and the top is $800).
29th Nov 1921 Joined on Agreement
1st May 1922 Assistant Land And Survey Dept
24th Feb 1923 Superintendent of Land And Survey Dept at Sibu
5th Mar 1924 Chief Land Officer, Sibu
1st May 1924 Admitted to the Permanent Staff
6th May 1924 On furlough
22nd Dec 1924 Returned from furlough
22nd Dec 1924 Acting Superintendent of Land & Survey Dept in addition to his other duties
23rd Sept 1925 Ceased to act as Superintendent of Land & Survey Dept
23rd Sept 1925 Divisional Land Officer, 3rd Division
10th Mar 1926 Acting Superintendent of Government Stores
25th Oct 1926 Ceased to act as Superintendent of Government Stores
1st Nov 1926 Chief Land Officer
19th Mar 1927 Acting District Officer, Oya & Dalat, in addition to his other duties
23rd May 1927 Ceased to act as District Officer, Oya & Dalat
1st Nov 1927 Superintendent of Lands
30th Dec 1927 On furlough
29th Jul 1928 Returned from furlough
30th Dec 1931 On furlough

Have assorted invitations for him for dinner with the Rajah, invitation to dinner with the Prince of Wales etc.

Nov 1933 (docs Re Hooker Edward Wix will) he was of The Old Cottage, Swindon, nr Cheltenham.

The handbook of Sarawak: comprising historical, statistical, and general information concerning the colony obtained from offical and other reliable records. ;
Joint Supt of Lands and Surveys C.S.Griffiths 1924-25 (with N.A.Middlemas)
Supt of Lands C.S.Griffiths (Retired) 1925-33 (N.A.Middlesmas was Supt of Surveys)


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Kenya Gazette 1956; Griffiths, Cyril Stephen, Farmer, Box 547, Kitale ; it's a list of voters and Gladys is also listed. In 1955 they are listed as 'additions' implying this is about the time they moved to the area.

Probate Index; GRIFFITHS, Cyril Stephen otherwise Cyril Steven of 28 Gledhow Av Roundhay Leeds died 5 February 1975. Probate London 17 June. £4,024.

His will, dated 1964;
Solicitors appointed executors.
Wanted his ashes spread 'without ceremony' at Swindon village near Cheltenham. But only if it's convenient.
Gives all his personal chattels at 48 Naunton Park Road, Chelthenham to his nephew Peter Brundenell Daniel Locke (later Estate summary saying this property sold before his death).
All his personal chattels at 28 Gledhow Ave, Leeds to his niece Ann Powell.
Residual estate to his great-niece Daphne Elizabeth Powell (should be Daphne EliSabeth George-Powell!).

See under his father for his interest under his parents marriage settlement.
And under Aunt Emma Powis for interests in her estate.

Cyril married Gladys Edith Mabel Syer, daughter of Alfred Charles Syer and Edith Becher Carter, on 24 Aug 1915 in St Mary Abbotts, Kensington, London. (Gladys Edith Mabel Syer was born in 1888 and died in 1963.)