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Thomas Brown Gillies killed by 1918 Explosion at factory in Birmingham

BHR Edinburgh

New Member
I am searching for information about my husband's grand-father, Thomas Brown Gillies, who died on 18th March 1918 from burns sustained in an explosion in a Birmingham laboratory. He was 43 years old and left a family of six children aged between 15 and 16 months, the youngest being my mother-in-law. In the 1911 Census Tom Brown was living in Polmont, Stirling and stated he was a Commercial Traveller at a Steel Foundry. His death in 1918 was registered in St Mary's, Birmingham, his address was quoted as Bushey Hall Road, Watford, Herts and he was said to be Director of a Limited Company (name unknown). His obituary in The Times on 19th March 1918 said he was a metallurgical chemist and a member of a Watford firm. It was said within the family they were told that "but for his work with explosives, the First World War would have taken a different course". We'd really like to know how he progressed from being an art student/missionary, commission agent, commercial traveller, analytical chemist, metallurgical chemist and works manager to becoming a director of a limited company and what he was doing to be killed in an explosion. Sounds really fascinating and I hope someone can enlighten me. Thanks for your help.
 
Hello BHR and welcome to the Forum.

There are five newpapers clippings on the British Library Newspaper Archives site and this is one of them from the Birmingham Mail dated 20th March 1918. If you want me to post the rest you will have to give me a while!

Maurice :cool:

Gillies1.jpg
 
Hi BHR,

Here's a better copy of the above clipping. I've checked the other four, but they are all only three line summaries and don't add anything to this, so no point in posting them. There is no record of what happened after the adjournment referred to on the last line. You should be able to access the full Inquest at the Library of Birmingham as you are a relative and the 100 year rule has now expired. See if you can access any of the documents naming him and listed here:-
https://www.google.co.uk/search?sou...hUKEwix7-azv-rmAhUJCuwKHSjtAaMQ4dUDCAU&uact=5

Maurice :cool:

Gillies1.jpg
 
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One of the problems here could be the restriction in reporting. There is no mention of what was entailed in the experiment, and the works of Hobson, James and Gilbey, Lodge Rd, Hockley shed not light. And as said the adjourned inquest doesn’t seem to be reported. Top secret work?
 
Which would account for why no news was released to National Archives. BHR may find it very difficult to find any further information.

Maurice :cool:
 
This news report from the Birmingham Mail on 18 March 1918 gives the additional information that he was working for a firm called Thermalloy Ltd. of Watford.

Thomas Brown Gillies.JPG
 
Hello BHR and welcome to the Forum.

There are five newpapers clippings on the British Library Newspaper Archives site and this is one of them from the Birmingham Mail dated 20th March 1918. If you want me to post the rest you will have to give me a while!

Maurice :cool:

View attachment 140420

Hello BHR and welcome to the Forum.

There are five newpapers clippings on the British Library Newspaper Archives site and this is one of them from the Birmingham Mail dated 20th March 1918. If you want me to post the rest you will have to give me a while!

Maurice :cool:

View attachment 140420
I only found your website this afternoon, so thanks so Sospiri and
Hello BHR and welcome to the Forum.

There are five newpapers clippings on the British Library Newspaper Archives site and this is one of them from the Birmingham Mail dated 20th March 1918. If you want me to post the rest you will have to give me a while!

Maurice :cool:

View attachment 140420
Thank you so much Maurice and Pedrocut. I only found this website this afternoon and appreciate your quick response to my request. The newspaper article is very helpful and I note that Hobson, James & Gilbey were Silversmiths, at least from 1918 after the explosion in the lab, but I wonder what they were doing before then? Thanks too Brasscaster for the information that Thomas Brown was working for a firm called Thermaloy Ltd of Watford ... I wonder if this was the company of which he was a Director? It could well be that Thomas Gillies and G T Kilbey were working on 'some (clandestine?) experiments' in the laboratory to do with the war effort (on a Saturday when no-one was working in the lab), bearing in mind what was said in the family about his works on explosives. I'll try to find out more information about both of these companies. Thanks again for your responses.
Beverley
 
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