Mexborough and Swinton Times August 18, 1939
Wombwell Main Appointment
Mr R. G. Hempson.
A man who three years ago was evacuated from Spain hurriedly by the British Navy, was yesterday appointed a director of the Wombwell Main Collieries Co., Ltd.
The new director is Mr. Randell George Hempson, commercial manager for the past three years.
The meeting was held in the Colliery Board Room, the Chairman, Sir Samuel Roberts, Bart., presiding.
In the course of a remarkable career Mr. Hempson has been in the British Consular Service, and the shipping business. He has spent 23 years in Spain, for which country he has a great affection. Upon evacuation he was required to pack at thirty minutes’ notice, leaving belongings behind him. His wife had left for England in advance.
Mr. Hempson was born at Ardleigh. Essex, in 1892, and was educated at Colchester Royal Grammar School and Tonbridge School, Kent. He served an engineering apprenticeship with E. R. and F. Turner, Ltd., at Ipswich.
In 1913 he went to Spain specifically to study the language, and was destined to remain there for 23 years.
During the Great War he served in the R.N.V.R. attached to the General Naval Staff Officer at Gibraltar. After demobilisation in March, 1919, he entered the Consular service and served as Vice-Consul to the British Legation at Bogota, Republic of Columbia, South America.
Work In Spain.
In 1920 he resigned the Consular Service, returned to England to be married, and then embarked on a commercial career in Spain. He was manager for McAndrews and Co., Ltd. (Affiliates of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. Ltd.). of their branches at Malaga and Seville. In .1929 he accepted a position with the Armstrong Cork Co. in Seville, and two years later was transferred as the Company’s general sales manager to Palermos, Cataluna, Spain. In 1933, he visited the Company’s head offices in Pennsylvania, U.S.A., and also the undertakings in Montreal and Toronto, Canada.
On leaving Spain he continued to work for the same company in London until September, 1938, when he was appointed commercial manager to the Wombwell Main Company upon the death of Mr. George Snell who was a director of the firm. At the same time Professor D. Hay was made a director of the company.
Of Essex farming dock, his father was for the last twenty years of his life private estate agent to Sir Jeremiah Colman, Bart., at Redhill, Surrey.
Mr. Hempson played rugby football for Tonbridge School, Association football for Cadiz (Spain), and hockey for Ipswich. Hempson’s home is at Riverdale Road, Sheffield, and he has three children.