St. John d'el Rey Mining Company
Directors meeting in London c. 1890
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| Industry | Gold mining |
|---|---|
| Founded | April 1830 |
| Defunct | 1985 |
| Headquarters | London, England |
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Area served
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Minas Gerais, Brazil |
| Products | Gold |
The Saint John d'El Rey Mining Company was a British mining company that operated in Brazil in the 19th and 20th centuries. The company employed skilled miners from Cornwall and elsewhere in Britain in its gold mines in the state of Minas Gerais, and also employed black slaves.
Coordinates: 19°59′09″S 43°50′49″W / 19.985833°S 43.846944°W
The Novo Lima and Rio Axima quadrangles to the east and southeast of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, were an important source of gold in the 19th and 20th centuries. The climate is subtropical, with average daytime temperatures ranging from 18 to 22 °C (64 to 72 °F) and average rainfall about 1,500 millimetres (59 in) per year. The Rio das Velhas is the main river, running northward though the two quadrangles. The terrain is fairly rugged, with peaks rising to 1,380 metres (4,530 ft), just over 680 metres (2,230 ft) above the river. Old gold washings from the colonial period are found along the Rio das Velhas. There are many small abandoned gold mines and explorations, some worked before the second half of the 19th century, often with no surviving records. The main settlements are Nova Lima, Sabará, Rio Acima and Raposos.
The Saint John d'El Rey Mining Company was established in Britain in April 1830 as a joint stock company.John Diston Powles served as the company's first chairman. It obtained a lease to work the São João del Rei mines in Minas Gerais from the owners, three British merchants and a German physician. In June and July 1830 a group of Cornish miners travelled to Brazil to work the mines. The venture ran into problems with low-grade ore and legal disputes, and was closed within two years.
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