Genealogy Chat

Hi there, I've got one! My Thomas Evans Goodchild.....oh no not him again please LOL !! died 1st April 1935 in Bow, East London aged 48 years. 'A Chemical Labourer' COD - Bronchiectasis (no PM) He was my grandfather, and my nan 'swore blind' that this was caused by being gassed in the Great War. Who's to say ? It's a bit like, cancerous growth on the inside is of the lung is lung cancer - cancerous growth on the outside of the lung can be termed as asbestosis..... Rgds, Jeanne

My gt grandfather died of cancer which was most likely caused by the chemicals he was dealing with. He was 50. He was lured away from a clean but poorly-paid job as a Parish Clerk in NW Kent, to the newly set-up petrochemical works in Middlesbrough. Doesn't bear thinking about, the sorts of nasty chemicals they had to deal with. Long before Health & Safety. Although to be fair, with the petrochemical industry in its infancy in those days, the hazardous nature of much of the stuff wouldn't be known.

Thanks Heather - already got some bitsn' bobs it was just a query to see if anyone else had any chem labs in their family! Apparently their working conditions were dreadful - they had to put their bare arms into all sorts of nasty burning stuff. Ouch. I'm almost beginning to wish I had Ag Labs! Cheers Jen

Best to try a google search Jennie.

Moving on from the Ag Labs -- anyone got any good sources of info or any tidbits about workers in the chemical industry? I come from 5 generations of them and would be interested to find out more about their working conditions. Cheers Jen x