School of Metalliferous Mining

The School of Metalliferous Mining was formed in 1910 by the amalgamation of all the mining schools in Cornwall, England.

In the 19th century mining schools under government patronage were being established all across the British Empire. There were at the time three mining schools in Cornwall; at Camborne, Penzance and Redruth and it was felt that they should be combined. The newly amalgamated school would occupy the Camborne Mining School site and the Camborne Mining School brand be continued. Mr. W. Ficher Wilkinson was appointed as the first principal of the newly formed School of Metalliferous Mining. He was educated at Harrow and at the Freiberg University of Mining and Technology in Germany.

The school later included Camborne in the title creating the Camborne School Of Metalliferous Mining, and in 1975 the school changed its name to Camborne School of Mines to better describe its academic activities.

The Redruth School of Mines and Art School opened in 1882 or 83 and was located somewhere in Clinton Road to the east of the town. With the removal of mining education to Camborne the site became the Science and Art School and continued to teach art and science.

A wing of the Redruth Mining School was a large mineral museum called the Robert Hunt Memorial Museum erected by The Miners Association of Devon and Cornwall to the memory of Robert Hunt FRS, keeper of the Mining Record Office in London. This museum remained open until 1950 when it closed and the specimens were taken to the Camborne School of Mines.

The Camborne campus of Camborne School of Mines, as it became known, was located just off Camborne High-street in Trevithick Road. In 1876 George Basset, the great mine entrepreneur, made a bequest to build a laboratory in Camborne, The Basset Building, for the use of the pupils of The Miners Association. In 1882 the adjacent Camborne Science and Art School building opened. Until the amalgamation of the schools in 1910 Mr. J.J. Beringer had been principal for 28 years.

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