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Does Anyone Know Where This Grave Is ?

  • Thread starter maxwell bullivant
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M

maxwell bullivant

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I recently came across this picture, and wonder if anyone knows where the grave is situated?
Both men drowned at work when they fell into a vat of vinegar at The Midland Vinegar Co , the text in the book says they where buried near to the factory in Aston. Max
 
I think they must have been quite poor and the company paid for the funerals, but to be buried together is weird . Max
 
I have just found this on a planning application list on the Astonbrook through Astonmanor site - so it looks as if the factory was in Tower Road, Aston
Midland Vinegar Tower road new vat shed July 24 1899
Polly
 
maxwell bullivant said:
I recently came across this picture, and wonder if anyone knows where the grave is situated?
Both men drowned at work when they fell into a vat of vinegar at The Midland Vinegar Co , the text in the book says they where buried near to the factory in Aston. Max
Click to expand...

Thay 'ad their chips then.
 
The text which accompanies the picture in Dinsdale Landen book The True Story of HP Sauce, says that " James Huddlestone and Thomas Wilkins had been life-long friends, and worked side by side at the brewery" and the inscription on the headstone shown reads "In their death they were not divided"

Colin
 
Max

Sorry can't say where the grave was located.

But the circumstance of their deaths was not quite as bad as described.

i.e. the two men entered an "empty" vat to clean it. But the dregs had not been drained off and they were overcome by the fumes and suffocated.

T
 
well done polly for tracking them down...good post max...thanks also colin....its rather sad....

lyn
 
Tacitus, I wonder if the reports say they drowned because they were overcome with fumes and fell face down in the dregs?
Polly
 
Colin B said:
The text which accompanies the picture in Dinsdale Landen book The True Story of HP Sauce, says that " James Huddlestone and Thomas Wilkins had been life-long friends, and worked side by side at the brewery" and the inscription on the headstone shown reads "In their death they were not divided"

Colin
Click to expand...

Glad to hear they got on - eternity is a long time!
Polly
 
I wonder who paid for the gravestone?

These men would have been the most basic of manual workers. No compensation, pension or benefits for their families.

I imagine a gravestone like this would normally have been way beyond their means.

T
 
Tacitus, I think the company must have paid - I know from visiting key Hill cemetery that most people who who had jobs such as they did would have been buried in public graves. I wonder how their families coped after their deaths.
Polly
 
pollypops said:
Tacitus, I wonder if the reports say they drowned because they were overcome with fumes and fell face down in the dregs?
Polly
Click to expand...

Polly

At the inquest the doctor gave the cause of death as "suffocation from foul air".

It seems that no-one should not have entered the vat until it had been drained and checked. But it had become custom and pratise to override the rules.

Huddlestone entered the vat first and was overcome and died. Wilkins went in to try and help him and suffered the same fate.

So even though the cause of death was not quite so awful it somehow seems even more tragic.

The official verdict was "accidental death" - with no blame attached to the company.

T
 
Thanks for all information, i wondered if anyone would come up with them having their chips or even being a bit pickled etc etc.
I wonder Polly if the grave is still in good nick ? i will one day go and have a look . Max
 
pollypops said:
Tacitus, I think the company must have paid - I know from visiting key Hill cemetery that most people who who had jobs such as they did would have been buried in public graves. I wonder how their families coped after their deaths.
Polly
Click to expand...

Hopefully the company did pay but many employers would not have been so generous.

I remember reading about some firefighters who died in WWII trying to save a factory. The company gave their families just £25 in compensation. When you think what people get nowadays for spraining their wrist or somesuch . . . . . . !!

T
 
Tacitus, that is so sad. If the company was not to blame then it does make you wonder who paid for the grave - as that might have made a difference.
Max, it would be lovely to see a photo of how the grave looks now - anyone passing soon?
Polly
 
Well i hope i aint "Passing Soon" i got no bugger to pay for my funeral LOL Max
 
Polly,
The company, probably, were to blame,rushing them in to clean the vats before it was safe.:(
A quick turnover of production means more profits.:rolleyes:.
 
Ray Barrett said:
Polly,
The company, probably, were to blame,rushing them in to clean the vats before it was safe.:(
A quick turnover of production means more profits.:rolleyes:.
Click to expand...

These sort of deaths still occur albeit not so often. Elf and Safety rules can be bypassed or dangers not appreciated. Any closed container is danger be it in a factory or on a farm the two places these deaths usually occur.
 
With reference to tragic deaths I remember reading of a story that happened at the foundry in Heneage Street next to the " Rising Sun " pub. Men were working at the foundry when for some reason one of them fell into the furnace and they said that his fellow workmate was so overcome with shock that he too fell into the furnace. So terrible it barely believes thinking about.
This I believed happened in the early 1900's.
 
My uncle Bert worked for 25 years at Ansells on Aston Cross in the Finished brew department and he fell into and drowned in a vat of best bitter, on lookers were horrified when he got out 4 times to go to the toilet :D:D:D:D:shocked:
 
GER22VAN said:
With reference to tragic deaths I remember reading of a story that happened at the foundry in Heneage Street next to the " Rising Sun " pub. Men were working at the foundry when for some reason one of them fell into the furnace and they said that his fellow workmate was so overcome with shock that he too fell into the furnace. So terrible it barely believes thinking about.
This I believed happened in the early 1900's.
Click to expand...
Now you've got me wanting to know about this one..........does anyone know more?
 
Reference the deaths referred to by GER22VAN, in Kellys Directory for 1903 it shows there to be no Rising Sun pub in Heneage st only one in Old Cross St , however what does come to light in Heneage St was there was a company Derrington and Sons who were Lime Merchants , with a Beer Retailer at the next property a Mr Charles Hill.
I think i am right in saying that Lime is something that burns a person dreadfully , and this company who had other interests in the area ( brick making ) may well have had a furnace for manufacturing/processing lime. Max
 
There was a pub called The Rising Sun on the corner of Henry St and Heanage St maybe a different address or different name at that time i believe i have seen a photo of it on this forum. Dek
 
Thanks Lyn i,ve been searching for it , i,ve saved it now. Must sort my filing system out. Dek
 
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