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Melling Powderworks

B

billm

Member
I was doing some family ancestry and I recall my old father-in-law saying that his sister had
"been blown up in the Powderworks". They lived in Bickerstaffe, Lancashire and there was indeed
a Powderworks in Melling, near to the prision where Ian Brady is kept. This sister is in fact recorded
as dying in 1918 so there is possibly some truth here.
Has anybody much knowledge of the Powderworks and was there an explosion in 1918 here.
Being wartime it was probably hushed up so the local papers say nowt. The internet seems to
concentrate on larger explosions elsewhere. BillM.
 
Cant find anything on the EIDAS database. There are only three that i can find for Melling and they are all pre 1918. Cant believe it was not reported if there was a death. But ....

Do you have the exact date of her death?

C.

15 Jul 1882
Explosive: Potentite
Event: Fire
Activity: Drying
Area: Melling
Location: Manufacturing Site
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 1
A quantity of guncotton, obtained from the reworking of Potentite, was being dried when it caught fire. The ignition was probably caused by an operative, against instructions, taking a lantern into the building.

More information[SUP][5][/SUP]
26 Jan 1883
Explosive: Potentite
Event: Explosion
Activity: Pressing
Area: Melling
Location: Manufacturing Site
Fatalities: 3
Injuries: 3
An explosion occurred during the process of pressing cartridges of potentite. It is surmized that the explosion shattered an oil lamp in the building and that the resultant fiery spray ignited wet powder.

More information[SUP][6][/SUP]
19 Jan 1898
Explosive: Black powder
Event: Explosion
Activity: Drying
Area: Blackbeck
Location: Manufacturing Site
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0
A wind blown missile is thought to have ignited black powder dust in the drying house of a black powder factory. The explosion destroyed the building. The distribution of the debris took the form of a cross.

More information
 
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Ellen Preece and and i searched a death registration which says West Derby Sept 1918.
Now I'm not 100% proof its the same person, but not many people die age 23.
West Derby is not the immediate registration area for Melling....but maybe it was all sent
to a coroner or such for a bigger enquiry. Also there is no day given, only the month,
which might give credence to the above view.
 
Just a bit of extra info. I am not sure what the role of Melling Powderworks
was in WW1. This was an existing plant with some history so I take the line that
it was just a filling station that was quickly turned over from the existing factory.
NOT to be confused with bigger ROF factories and filling stations which came to
Kirkby and Fazackerley later in WW2. There was also a powderworks at Sutton,
St Helens which I haven't ruled out.
 
billm said:
Ellen Preece and and i searched a death registration which says West Derby Sept 1918.
Now I'm not 100% proof its the same person, but not many people die age 23.
West Derby is not the immediate registration area for Melling....but maybe it was all sent
to a coroner or such for a bigger enquiry. Also there is no day given, only the month,
which might give credence to the above view.
Click to expand...

I wish you luck in finding out more information about this, however I note your reference to 'but not many people die age 23'
At the end of WW1 there was a flu epidemic which killed thousands, many soldiers died from this - I don't know if its significant in any way but bear in mind there are many circumstances that may have resulted in her death.

good luck with your research Kev
 
Thanks Kev, your'e absolutely right about the flu deaths and I do have this very much in mind
if this is the wrong person. I was thinking generally a civilian death at 23 is not too common.
 
butterfly said:
I wish you luck in finding out more information about this, however I note your reference to 'but not many people die age 23'
At the end of WW1 there was a flu epidemic which killed thousands, many soldiers died from this - I don't know if its significant in any way but bear in mind there are many circumstances that may have resulted in her death.

good luck with your research Kev
Click to expand...

Kev. I think the number of 'flu deaths at that time was nearer 20 million worldwide , more than the casualties in action during WW1 . A somewhat sobering thought . Mike.
 
Yes, while researching I came across a relative who had spent about three years
in the trenches and had not been home. WW1 ends and he finally heads home,
lands in England and is sent to a transit/discharge camp in Salford, is there a week
and dies of flu before seeing home. Unlucky or what....
 
Well have made some progress on this. Have got hold of the Death Certificate and it confirms my suspicions
that my father-in-laws sister Ellie had died in an explosion in a munitions factory.

The gist of the certificate says:-

Ellen Preece, age 23 years, spinster of Carlton Villa, Aughton, Shell
examiner, daughter of John Preece farm labourer.

Died 23rd July 1918 at Amatol Factory, Netherton, Sefton RD.

Killed by the explosion of a six inch shell -Misadventure.

Certificate received from S Brighouse Coroner for Lancashire. Inquest held
1st August 1918.

So as you can see, although she did get blown up, it wasn't in The Melling 'Powderworks' but a
much larger TNT Amatol factory which I gather was in Litherland or Aintree, are they numbered 2 and 2a next to a
big Army camp, I'm not too sure on which or its exact location but I'm sure one of you will know.

This marries up with a report in an article linked below that there was an explosion on
23rd July 1918 that killed 3 people. Don't know if there is any memorial or
mass burial arrangements.

I found this article that describes this plant.

http://www.colorantshistory.org/AintreeExplosives.html
 
Besides the 1918 worlwide flu pandemic, 23 year old women still frequently died during childbirth or as a result of complications in that era.

But talking of soldiers; whilst visiting friends in Dunning, Perthshire, Scotland a few years ago I noticed an AIF (Australian Imperial Force) grave in the parish church cemetary. Research indicated he was a local Dunning lad who had joined up while working in Australia. He fought at Gallipoli and then on the Western Front etc. Survived the whole war but whilst on home leave after recovering in hospital from being wounded, he contracted flu and died in July 1918.
 
Charlie,
I know know her death was 23 July 1918 and it was reported as being at Amatol factory, which would probably mean 2 or 2a at Aintree
but I gather her name is not included here. Mystery. Anything on your data base ? Name Ellen Preece. Explosion of 6" shell.
 
Hi buddy,

I have searched and searched but to no avail. I can find 29 reported accidents resulting in 136 deaths for the month of July in 1918. 134 of these on 1st July 1918 in Chilwell http://www.hse.gov.uk/archive/explosive/03772.pdf involving Amatol. The other two died on the 18th July 1918 at Faversham involving Black Powder and a slate being blown off the roof... There is only one reported on the 23rd involving the mixing of composition for percussion caps resulting in one injurie.

Will keep looking for you.

C.
 
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