The list of deaths at Trinity Street caused by incompetent systems and management failures and the dangerous chemicals being made and stored there have been well documented on this blog- they are part of the Albright and Wilson story, but conveniently edited out of local history books instead of what Oldbury “made” . 🙄
There is however another story concerning the fake Quaker “caring” scumbag families of Albright and Wilson and their workforce, and that is one of poor mental health. Two suicides from newspaper archives reveal that pastoral care at this site appears to have been extremely limited.
The first from the Birmingham Daily Gazette of 17th January 1948 reveals that Thomas Ashton of Harborne slashed his wrist but also appears to have drunk “disinfectant” whilst in his car at the works. Ashton appears to have been in a prominent position as “chief accountant” at Oldbury. The explanation of “temporary insanity” following post war reorganisation is quite bizarre and frankly unbelievable. What the hell does that even mean anyway?
Ashton is mentioned in the Centenary book “100 years of Phosphorus Making”, (Written just three years later) ,where he is linked to the AW offshoot and ironically named “Holmes Marine Life Protection Association Limited.”
“Mead was replaced in 1929 by Thomas V. Ashton (1929-1948), later assistant Secretary at Oldbury to J.C Wilson.”
Quite incredibly here, they mention that the man was director up to 1948, but not that he had fucking died by his own hand and not resigned the position! Did they just want to edit out facts like this because it did not suit the narrative of the AW family, or his close links to John Wilson and his activities? Was there something to hide here, as it appears so to me.
I do wonder what he knew or had discovered and why he apparently killed himself, or even if he really did in a David Kelly kind of way!
Just 7 years later, the same paper on 8th June reported on another dead scientist, this time of Phillip Carter, also incredibly living in Harborne. The idea that he had killed himself because of not being able to complete calculations is another unbelievable story, this time coming from another AW individual “Dr Coates”.
The Birmingham Daily Post of the same date also reported the “suicide”.
This reveals that he had gassed himself in his own house, how ironic given the fact that the company he worked for had been gassing the local population for many years with chemical fallout.
Was there really more to this, as it seems incalculable if you’ll excuse the pun. Coates, first name Harold I believe, should have blamed himself as his manager, but oddly he is not even mentioned in the company centenary book either.
We will never know of course what was really going on inside the minds of these men, but working for a toxic employer like Albright and Wilson obviously did not help them at all. Perhaps the balance of their minds was impaired through the toxic chemicals that they came into direct contact with?