ANNIES STORY Annie Naylor, my Great Aunt, was born c1905 in Wolverhampton. Around 1916. A businessman, John Knowles started a small business - The Dudley Port Phosphor Bronze Company - in a factory in Groveland Road, off Dudley Port, Tipton. In 1922, they purchased 160 tons of cartridges left over from WW1 in order to recover the lead bullet from the copper casing. The separation work was carried out by a number of young girls, employed for around 4 to 6 shillings a week. The girls emptied the gunpowder directly onto the floor and this was occasionally swept up, dampened and deposited in the nearby canal basin. The morning of March 6th 1922 started much the same as any morning, until a disaster happened. At about 11.45 a.m., a terrific blast shook the Dudley Port area, as an explosion at Knowles factory tore the roof clean off and left the factory a blazing inferno. Young girls were seen running wildly around the yard, some naked, their limbs scorched black, hair and eyebrows burnt. Passing vehicles were comandeered to take the injured and dying to the guest hospital at Dudley, where the staff worked their hearts out day and night. Sadly, due to the intensity of the burns, one by one the unfortunate girls succumbed to their injuries until only a handful were left. The final death toll would reach 19. One eye witness, Sam Morgan, of 18 Court, number 4 House, who was picking coal nearby described the scene. He tells of 'Pitiful creatures, who shouted 'Help master'' when they saw him. He called out to others arriving on the scene to cover the naked girls with sacks. Within hours of the catastrophe, 12 girls had died. The impact on the public was such that for 48 hours afterwards, hundreds of people milled around the scene in shock. A relief fund was set up to pay for funerals. Charity football matches and concerts were held. Messages of sympathy came from all over the country, including one from the King. Members of the deceased families had the harrowing task of identification and the task of identifying Annie went to my great-grandfather, William Henry Naylor. Knowles was arrested and charged with manslaughter under the Explosives Act. He received a sentence of five years penal servitude. A vault was aquired at Tipton Cemetary for a mass burial. Relatives and local dignitaries stood side by side, close to the vast array of floral tributes. Thousands of people gathered outside the cemetary gates, where they stood in silence. |
 |
 |
 |
| To the glory of God and as a tribute of widespread and heartfelt sympathy this monument is erected by public subscription in memory of nineteen girls who died as a result of an explosion which occured whilst they were engaged in breaking up miniature rifle cartridges at a factory in Dudley Port on Monday 8th March 1922 There is a green hill far away without a city wall Where our dear lord was crucified who died to save us all |
 |
| LIZZIE WILLIAMS AGED 13 YEARS VIOLET MAY FRANKLIN 15 EDITH RICHARDS 14 MAGGIE ADAMS 15 MABEL WEAVER 14 LILY GRIFFITHS 15 EDITH DREW 15 ANNIE NAYLOR 14 ELSIE FELLOWS 15 PRISCILLA LONGMORE 13 GLADYS MAY BRYANT 14 IT IS WELL WITH THE CHILD IT IS WELL |