On this day Stowmarket was hit by the most catastrophic event the town had ever experienced. Two explosions occurred at Prentice`s Gun Cotton factory which killed twenty eight people mostly workers at the factory but also some people who had run to the factory after the first explosion and who were caught in the second explosion, including two members of the Prentice Family. The illustration above was published in The Illustrated London News on 26th August 1871. To read the account of the explosion which accompanied it click here.
Another contempory illustration
of the scene from "The Graphic"
Nearly 4000 people were present at Stowmarket cemetery for the funerals.
Most of the dead have no memorial.
Below
are listed the names of the dead and injured and a few facts that I
have been able to find out about them,
mainly from newspaper reports and the 1871 census. Names of the dead
vary in different reports and some were apparently never identified.
As was often the case with such disasters a poem was composed commemorating the event, copies may have been sold to raise funds for the injured and bereaved. Click here for the poem.
DEATHS
EDWARD
HENRY PRENTICE
AGE
33. SON OF THOMAS PRENTICE
Dead
(Ipswich Journal 13/8/71)
Blown
to pieces (Register of Deaths)
WILLIAM
RIDLEY PRENTICE
AGE
23. SON OF MANNING PRENTICE
Dead
(Ipswich Journal. 13/8/71)
Death
from injuries caused by explosion (Register of Deaths)
Buried
Stowmarket Cemetery 13th Aug.
Mentioned
on Memorial to father in Stowmarket Cemetery
SUSAN
WILDING
AGE
12. DAUGHTER OF WILLIAM WILDING, AGRICULTURAL LABOURER
In
the 1871 census she was living at Creeting St. Peter with her
parents & 5 brothers & sisters
"Susan
Wilding left her home in Creeting before 5 o'clock to walk 3 miles
to the gun cotton works, there to remain for 12 hours and walk back
again". (Ipswich Journal 15/8/1871)
Buried
Stowmarket Cemetery, 14th Aug.
SAMUEL
FIRMAN
AGE
26. BORN IN WEST CREETING. LABOURER
Dead
(Ipswich Journal. 13/8/71)
In
the 1851 census he is living in Creeting St. Peter.
In the 1871 census he is in Creeting St. Peter with his wife Sarah
Alice & 5 month old son Samuel.
A
Foreman in the dipping house earned 18s a week (Inquest report
Suffolk Chronicle 19/8/71)
Buried
at Creeting St. Peter
14th August 1871.
WALTER
HOWE
AGE
38. BORN FELSHAM.
A
Magazine foreman.
Lived
at Lime Tree Place with his wife Eliza.
Foreman,
missing (Ipswich Journal. 13/8/71)
Foreman
of the dry dept. (Suffolk Chronicle 19/8/71)
“During
today several more bodies have been recovered including that of
Howe. Formerly in employ of Ransome, Sims and Head, Ipswich as a
moulder & subsequently Messrs Woods, Coxsedge & Warner,
Stowmarket. (Suffolk Chronicle 19/8/71)
ANN
MARIA MARKWELL
AGE
22.
Daughter of Eliza (nee Tricker) and Charles Markwell (b.1818 d.Mar1885) living at 10 Pleasant Row,
Stowmarket in 1871 census, along with Mary Ann (26), Charles (23), Emm (20), Sarah (16) & Robert (14).
He brother Robert was a Gun Cotton labourer; maybe Ann Maria was killed in the second explosion looking for her brother.
Buried
Stowmarket Cemetery 14th Aug 1871
MALE,
NAME UNKNOWN
LABOURER
Buried
Stowmarket 13th or 14th Aug
FEMALE,
NAME UNKNOWN
AGE
BETWEEN 12 & 16
Buried
Stowmarket 13 or 14th Aug
BOY,
NAME UNKNOWN
BETWEEN
12 & 16. LABOURER
Buried
Stowmarket. 14th Aug
JOHN
CANHAM
AGE
47. LABOURER
Went to look for his son who was among the injured and was
killed in the 2nd explosion.. He had been hurt in an explosion 5 years
previously.
Dead
(Ipswich Journal.13/8/71)
Lived
at Lime Tree Place, six children aged 5 to 19.
Buried
Stowmarket Cemetery 13th Aug.
WILLIAM
PARKER
AGE
14. LABOURER
Lived
Cabbage Square, Church Lane. Son of Louisa Parker. Sister Rebecca
also worked at factory.
Buried
Stowmarket Cemetery 14th Aug
ALFRED
WILLIAMS
AGE
16. LABOURER
Two
boys named Williams, much injured
(Ipswich
Journal. 13/8/71)
Lived
Regents Street. Son of Alfred and Mahala Williams. Occupation given
in 1871 census as occasional errand boy.
Buried
Stowmarket Cemetery 15th Aug
RICHARD
KING
AGE
22, CARPENTER
Born
Rickinghall, son of Joseph and Mary Ann ?
Carpenter,
dead (Ipswich Journal. 13/8/71)
Lived
in Stowupland Street with wife Susannah and two sons 6 & 9.
Earned
15s a week (Inquest report. Suffolk Chronicle. 19/8/71)
Buried
Stowmarket Cemetery 15th Aug.
FRANCIS
(FRANK) MAYHEW
AGE
14. SON OF WILLIAM MAYHEW, BAKER, DECEASED
In
1871 census at Combs Ford with mother Sarah, widow, a Laundress &
7 brothers & sisters. An errand boy.
Had
worked there 3 weeks, wages 3s 6d. (Inquest Report Suffolk Chronicle 19/8/71)
Body
found under debris of the mixing shed on 14th
Buried
Combs 15th August.
MARY
MOUNT
AGED
12. DAUGHTER OF GEORGE MOUNT, AGRICULTURAL LABOURER.
"Mary
Mount would walked three miles to work." (like Susan Wilding)
(Ipswich Journal 15/8/1871).
ALFRED
BLOOM
AGE
12. SON OF EDWARD BLOOM, RAILWAY PLATELAYER.
Bloom,
a boy, thigh broken (Ipswich Journal. 13/8/71)
In
1871 census at Old Street, Haughley with parents Edward & Eliza,
eldest of 9. A Scholar.
Buried
14th Aug. 1871 at Haughley, 4 year old sister Phoebe was buried 17th July.
JOHN
GIRLING
AGE
13. SON OF SUSAN GIRLING, FORMERLY A COOK AT THE UNION HOUSE.
Lived
at Combs, wages 3s a week. employed in wetting. Three months out of
the Union workhouse. (Inquest report, Suffolk Chronicle. !9/8/71)
JAMES
READ
AGE
17. LABOURER. SON OF JOHN READ, BLACKSMITH AND MIRIAM.
Lived
at Lime Tree Street. Buried Stowmarket Cemetery, 14th Aug.
JOHN
HAGGAR
AGE
27. (WHITE)SMITH AT GUN COTTON WORKS.
Lived
at Lime Tree Place. Wife Mary R. one daughter.
Engineer,
much injured (Ipswich Journal. 13/8/71)
Found
just below lower bridge by widow, died between 6 and 6.30 on
Saturday morning, he did a good deal of fitting and engineering work
at factory but was not employed there. Earned 18s. a week. (Report of
Inquest Suffolk Chronicle 19/8/71)
Buried
Stowmarket Cemetery, 15th Aug.
JAMES
THOMAS
AGE
15. LABOURER
Lived
at Violet Hill ?
Buried
Stowmarket Cemetery, 14th Aug
Concussion
of the brain (Suffolk Chronicle 19/8/71)
JOHN
WRIGHT
AGE
33. LABOURER
Lived
at Lime Tree Place ?
Dead
(Ipswich Journal. 13/8/71)
Buried
Stowmarket Cemetery, 14th Aug.
JAMES
PARISH
AGE
33 LABOURER
Lived
at No. 26 Cardinalls Road, Malsters Labourer in 1871 census. Wife
Sarah, one son, one daughter.
Buried
Stowmarket Cemetery, 14th Aug.
JAMES
RANSOM
AGE
49. LABOURER.
Possibly
lived Lime Tree Place. A Groom in 1871 census, a lodger with Robert
Procter, shopkeeper.
Buried
Stowmarket Cemetery 13th Aug.
Dead
(Ipswich Journal. 13/8/71)
A
GIRL NAMED HALES
(AMY
HARE
?
Suffolk Chronicle. Supp 19/8/71)
possibly
one of the unidentified dead,
Burned
to a cinder (Ipswich Journal. 13/8/71)
ALICE
MUTIMER
A
GIRL
Dead,
(Suffolk Chronicle. Supplement 19/8/71)
ANNA
MILLER
(Suffolk
Chronicle. Supp. 19/8/71)
JOHN
REED
A
YOUNG MAN
Taken
out of the river this morning at 8 o`clock, he was bathing at the
time of the 1st explosion, his head having been cut. (Suff. Chron. 19/8/71)
J.
RUNNACLES
(Suffolk
Chronicle Supp. 19/8/71)
INJURED
OLIVER
CANHAM
ELDEST
SON OF JOHN CANHAM WHO DIED IN THE EXPLOSION.
Much
injured (Ipswich Journal. 13/8/71)
wound
in the leg and concussion (S.C. 19/8/71)
WILLIAM
BRETT
much
Hurt (Ipswich Journal. 13/8/71)
Foreman,
earned 16s. (Inquest report Suff. Chron. 19/8/71)
ROBERT
WILLIAMSON
Much
hurt (Ipswich Journal. 13/8/71)
1881
census, Dwelling in Lime Tree Place Bridge Street. a basket maker
ANDREWS
Hurt
but able to go home (Ipswich Journal. 13/8/71)
BENJAMIN
BROOM
Fractured
pelvis (Suffolk Chronicle 19/8/71)
WILLIAM
WRIGHT
Fractured
spine (S.C. 19/8/71)
CHARLES
MARKWELL,
either father or brother (both chemical labourers in 1871 & 1881)
of Ann Maria Markwell who died in the explosion. [information-
Nigel Johnson]
Names
of the injured visited by The Ladies committee taken from The
Ipswich Journal.
Two
boys named Barnard,
Union
St.
Brett,
boy, Bury St.
E.Barnard, Lime
Tree Place
Colchester, Church
Lane
Henry
Codd, Lime
Tree Place
Oliver
Canham, Lime
Tree Place
S.
Green, Churchyard
Priscilla Hawkins,
Regent
St. (Bad injury in the eye)
Charles
Keeble, Regent
St.
Mrs.
King
George
Martin, Combs
Ford
Charles Markwell
Robert Pegg, Violet Hill
John Rogers, Combs Ford
Henry Simpson, Churchyard
G. Sillett, Cardinells Road
Mary Ann Thing, 74 Bury Street [Information - Jill Wright]
Wright, Union Street
Susan Wells, Violet Hill
Williams and Parker, Church Lane
Charles Hales, Combs Ford
Susan Borley, Stowupland Street
Thomas Esthaugh, Combs Ford
John Tricker, Stowupland Street
W. Wright, whose spine is paralysed, sent to Ipswich hospital.
Emily Cross, Stowupland Street
Mrs. Ward, Regent Street
J. Last, Stowupland
Edgar Sparrow, Lime Tree Place
Martin Wright, Combs
Two Young girls named Sergeant, Stowupland Street
Elizabeth Brett, Bury Street
Emily Barnard, Cardinells Road
William Brett, Combs
- Chenery
In her book "The House On The Hill" Sheila Hardy states that three of the injured were cared for at the Samford workhouse in Tattingstone - John Brown of Woolpit, Harriet Stirling and Simon Green.
Thanks to Ashley Barnard for the Illustrated London News picture and text.
STOWMARKET
HISTORY AND HERITAGE
2009
email neil@stowman.plus.com