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Messages - viach65

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The Common Room / Re: Waterlow & Sons (Printers)
« on: Tuesday 03 May 11 19:39 BST (UK)  »
Following on from my previous posts, there is an excellent, comprehensive and well researched family history of the Waterlow family that includes a good history of their various companies and businesses at:

www.jaggers-heritage.com/waterlow-family-of-london.phps


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The Common Room / Re: Waterlow & Sons (Printers)
« on: Monday 02 May 11 18:47 BST (UK)  »
Hi Dave:

Yes, I'm sure they would have been there at the same time.  In my grandfather's letter he states that on 14 August 1939 he was responsible for 323 male compositors (and 5 female) at Finsbury, 19 men (and 47 female) in the warehouse and 48 men (and 1 female) packers as well as all the other staff such as printers, binders, folders, watchmen, etc etc making up the 1,404 personnel.  A monotype operator was a compositor who used a specific machine, I believe.
My grandfather was on a firewatch rota at the factory during WW2 and although not on duty when the factory was hit, he was phoned and had to dash there to help the firefighting and try and rescue what they could.
He also used to visit the Dunstable plant on a regular basis.
Regards

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The Common Room / Re: Waterlow & Sons (Printers)
« on: Monday 02 May 11 14:56 BST (UK)  »
I am new to Rootschat and have only just discovered this thread - better late than never:).  I may well be able to help with the discussion/questions re Waterlow & Sons and where any records now are.  My grandfather joined the company as a compositor in 1901 and stayed there until he retired in 1945.  His last position was as Works Manager of the London factory.

In 1960, aged 80, my grandfather wrote to the company asking for financial assistance as he had been asked by the management to give up his union card when he helped with negotiations (in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral!) during a printers' strike and so lost his printers' pension.  The company had promised to pay him a personal pension themselves but this did not materialise due to changes in management.  In my grandfather's letter he says:

"Unfortunately nearly all the records .........were destroyed in the fire when the Finsbury Factory was destroyed by enemy action in WW2".

In the letter my grandfather details the 1404  employees in his charge at Finsbury by job and sex although not by name   
 

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