accident at tate and lyle

[focus]

My great grandfather William Morris was born in 1880 and died in 1939. He worked at the tate and lyle factory in silvertown and apparently had an accident there and was never the same again, according to the family. Does anyone know how i can find out about this accident please? 

[PrueM]

Hi focus

This accident happened in Silvertown, although not at the actual factory - I wonder if it might be related to your story?

On 19 January 1917 parts of Silvertown were devastated by a massive TNT explosion at the Brunner-Mond munitions factory, in what is known as the Silvertown explosion. Seventy-three people died and hundreds were injured in one of the largest explosions ever experienced in the British Isles.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvertown)

Cheers
Prue

[Peterjay]

Hi,
If the previous answer does not help with you request, there are a lot of knowledgable old timers on this forum.
You just have to join with email address and nickname.
Peter.


http://newhamstory.com/forums/index.php

[Pastmagic]

As an aside, on the first night of The Blitz, Tate and Lyle's sugar refinery, John Knight's Primrose Soapworks, and the Silvertown Rubber Works were all badly damaged by bombing.

Re your search.....


http://www.tateandlyle.com/AboutUs/history/Pages/History.aspx

Might be worth contacting their archivists for records of his employment, if they have them.

See also:

http://home.clara.net/mawer/silvertown.html



http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2009/coilon091009.htm

Looks like things have not improved in the meantime......

PM

[Chris_Beds]

Silvertown apparently was notorious for accidents, (it looks as if it still is) and explosions in particular, as it was the centre of the chemical industry.  I have an ancestor who was killed in an explosion at a chemical works called Bolton and Birts in 1880. 

[Nick29]

Good for Greenwich that Mr Silver moved his factories to Silvertown - the only remnant of Mr Silver in Greenwich is 'Silver Street'.

Lucky escape ! 

[Valda]

Hi

Tate and Lyle have deposited older records

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/searches/subjectView.asp?ID=B6080

Employee records even if they survive may be very limited. A work related accident may just mean that a work related accident that just involved him. e.g.

http://www.blowe.org.uk/2009/10/tate-and-lyle-fined-over-death-of.html
http://www.gov-news.org/gov/uk/news/tate_lyle_prosecuted_by_health_safety_executive/42468.html
and
http://www.irwinmitchell.com/news/Pages/Daughters-Seek-Former-Workmates-Of-Asbestos-Cancer-Mother.aspx


Regards

Valda

[Pastmagic]

Goodness, its hard to reconcile this stuff with the good old golden syrup that we got as a treat as kids!

[amber39]

This will not help your research into the accident  but there is a very interesting book about the lives of the people at the time which gives a picture of the hardships endured.
The book is by Melanie Mcgrath  and is called  Silvertown   An East End Family Memoir.

Well worth reading.


Regards   Amber39