Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: David E on February 18, 2008, 09:59:12 AM
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I was wondering whether anyone had records on an accident that occured (believed to be an explosion) at a Birmingham-based glassworks. It is known that the death of a worker (not sure if there were more) was after 1901 as he appeared in this census.
The worker was:
Arthur Flanner, born c.1854. Address in 1901 was 11 House 6 Court Dartmouth Street, Aston.
At that time I think there was only John Walsh Walsh and Osler, of the major firms, but there may have been several smaller ones. Not sure if Osler was still producing glass at this stage.
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David — What about bottle works? And if the records are not specific about actual manufacturing on site, it could have been a bottle / window glass depot or wholesaler.
... and Smart Brothers — see Hajdamach.
Bernard C. 8)
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Thanks Bernard. However, the information I have (and should probably have included) is that his trade was a glassblower. So perhaps this should rule out flat glass or bottle/auto-produced glass making.
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Bottles were still being handblown then in some places and for specials.
Other Birmingham based c1907
O C Hawkes Ltd, Globe Works, Bromsgrove St - window glass, plate glass and glass works
Alfred Arculs & Co, Aetna Glassworks, 295 Broad St - flint glass, crystal
E A Bates 211 Victoria Rd, Aston - Glass works
J Bourne & Co, 27 George St - cut glass
Edward Branscombe & Son, Upper Webster St, Aston - flint glass, crystal
C E Brittain & Co. 35 Aston Village - Glass works
J Brown, 65 Nechell Park Rd - Glass works
E G Canning. 62 New Town Road
Chance Bros ;)
George Finch, Smith Street - cruets
Robert Emanuel Finley, 10 Brook St, - Glass works
Henry J Manton, 108 Great Charles St - Glass works
F & C Osler 230 Broad St & Freeth St - crystall, table glass, lustres
T Pierpoint & Co, 81 Newhall St - Glass works
J L Shepherd 94a Newhall St - Glass works
James Stevens and Sons, Victoria Glass Works 153 Dartmouth St
Joseph Tomey & Sons Ltd, 29 Catherine St Aston - Gauge Glass (Moncrieff competitors, unrelated to Perth's Tomey & Sons)
C Vale 82 Villa St Hockley - Glass works
John Walsh Walsh 112 Lodge St - crystal, glass for silversmiths, electric & gas lighting, table decoration
Woodall & Son, St Georges Glass Works, 10 Great Hampton St & Barr St - Glas Works, Crystal
John Hanbury, Gibsons Mill, 44 Cambridge St - Bottle works
Chistopher Collins 30 St Paul Square - Lighting glass, Ships lamps
Edward J Shaw - Hatherton St, Walsall - Lighting globes
John Westwood, 102 Lichfield St - Lighting globes
H M Cook, 43 Albert Rd, Aston - Bottle works
Thomas Skidmore, 80 Bordesley St - Bottle works
Decorators - William Frederick Gibson. Joseph Stainton, William Edward Woodward
Jas Hately & Co, Dartmouth St - Crystal
Hukin & Heath, 139 Gt Charles St - Crystal
T Pierpoint & Co Ltd, 81 Newhall St - Crystal
Only checked a couple of sections very quickly so it is not an exhaustive list - this 1400 page 1907 directory is high priority for the Glass-Study.
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Wow, thanks Frank - (glass-study.com, rah, rah, rah...)
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David, have you checked the Times Digital Archive? Accidents such as this were often recorded.
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Thanks, that's a good point. On the case...
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Also try the Pottery Gazette.
Chris
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Thanks Chris - not terribly convenient for me to view them, so I'm waiting for Frank to digitise them >:D
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I decided the other day to digitise the all glass trade directory sections next and leave the adverts and monthlies etcetera till later. While most of the 'forgotten' knowledge is in the articles and adverts, I am continuously sorting through the annuals to get information for the GMB so doing those first will save me a lot of time as other members will be able to use the data to help answer questions here too. Giving me more time for digitising.
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David - This interests me because, as some of our members know, my second career was investigating (as well as trying to prevent) explosions in factories. Any sort of explosion in a glass works, much less a fatal one, is a rare event. In 19 years in that job I was only inside glass works' a couple of times and they were not the result of any incident. Some other industries were regular customers! Earlier, Sowerbys and Joblings each had a small, unreportable one while I was there, without any injury.
The local papers might be one possibility. Also H M Factory Inspectorate (HMFI) had been around for decades by your date and it is just possible that some record might still exist especially if the bang were technically interesting. The records of local offices will have vanished but HM Chief Inspector published an annual report which sometimes mentioned interesting happenings and they would certainly be preserved. HMFI became part of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) from 1974 and their central number for information is 0845 345 0055. Everything will depend on whether or not your glass works was a "Factory" - there were in those days rigid legal definitions of this which may have excluded a small, hand-blown works. Although I was an HMFI inspector I no longer have any central contacts and I could do nothing which you can't do yourself, but I think you will find they are very helpful.
Good luck anyway and you know where to find me if I can help at all. I'd love to know the answer if you ever find it.
Adam D.
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Good suggestion from Anne about TDA - I came across quite a lot of reports of fires and other accidents when I was searching for info on United Glass Bottle/ United Glass.
On automation of bottle manufacture, Michael Owens formed the first automated bottle manufacturing company in 1903, and according to this site http://www.todayinsci.com/O/Owens_MichaelJ/OwensMichaelJ.htm (http://www.todayinsci.com/O/Owens_MichaelJ/OwensMichaelJ.htm), opened a factory in Manchester in 1905. UGB was formed in 1913 when a group of St Helens glass manufacturers merged in order to raise the capital to invest in Owens Illinois machinery. Judging by the speed with which UGB expanded across the country, buying up local glassworks and becoming the dominant player in the container industry, I'd suggest they were ahead of most of their competitors in moving to automate.
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Before automated machines, there were manually operated machines too.
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Thanks Adam, I'll report back what I find. Sadly I am unsure as to what the glass concern was: whether factory or workshop, but the occupation was given as glassblower.
The Times archive did not reveal anything with my first few searches, but I'll return later to have another go.