Michael Stewart

[PaulaD]

Hi All,

Have just found death cert for my great uncle Michael Stewart which reads as follows:-

Michael Stewart brewery worker single, 12th May 1900 Deuchars Brewery Duddingston, cause of death suffocation by the fumes of carbonic?? acid gas in a tun in a brewery per verdict of jury. Registered on the information of Wm Blane, dep Procurator Fiscal on june 20th 1900.

I have tried unsuccessfully to find a report in the Scotsman. Was it so commonplace that the papers wouldn't bother reporting it? There was obviously some sort of trial or inquest, any idea where would I be able to read about it?

Paula

[nelmit]

There are 2 small (the same) reports at Gale Newspapers.

Hopefully Alan's link still works.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=15443&hilit=

Regards,
Annette

[PaulaD]

Hi Annette,

Thanks for that - was searching in the Scotsman, had forgotten about Gale

[eilthireach]

There was a fatal accident enquiry for this death. Go to the National Archives of Scotland site, to the search page (http://www.nas.gov.uk/onlineCatalogue/) and enter Michael Stewart, select search type ("Phrase"), and 1 record comes up, which is a volume containing FAIs

Reference SC39/66/67
Title Record of criminal jury trials
Dates 1900
Access status Open
Access conditions Record unfit for production: further information can be obtained from National Archives of Scotland staff.
Location Off site
Description Fatal accident inquiries are bound in at the back of this register:

Michael Stewart is one of the names highlighted as a result of this search, and the FAI appears to have been held on 25 May 1900

[Currie]

Hello Paula,

A search in the Scotsman for Duddingston finds the accident report on 14 May 1900: 6.

EXTRAORDINARY FATALITY AT A DUDDINGSTON BREWERY—THREE MEN SUFFOCATED—One of the most extraordinary accidents ever recorded in connection with brewery work in Edinburgh and district occurred early on Saturday morning in the brewery at Duddingston lately belonging to Pattisons (Limited), and recently bought from them by R. Deuchar (Limited). Shortly before 3 A.M. Mr George Reid, the brewer, was making his usual round of inspection, when in one of the tuns, which had not long been emptied of its contents, he found lying three of the workmen, George Renton, Michael Stewart, and R. Campbell. From the position of the men, he at once surmised that they had been overcome by the fumes of the carbonic acid gas, known in the trade as “store gas.” Mr Reid called for assistance, and John Hogg, another brewery employee, made a plucky attempt to get down the short ladder into the tun, and reach the men. The fumes were so strong that Hogg was only able to maintain his place in the tun through the brewer playing cold water on him from above. He discovered, however, that life had left the three unfortunate workmen, and recognising that he could not himself lift the bodies up the ladder, he went for assistance, which was speedily forthcoming. In the sad circumstances that not one of the three was left alive to throw any light upon the accident, what exactly led up to it may never be revealed. There can, however, be little doubt that one of the three men entered the tun to clean it, and was overpowered by the gas, while it is more than probable that a heroic attempt to rescue him cost the two others their lives. Renton lived at 118 Causewayside, Edinburgh, and leaves a wife and five children; Campbell, who resided in Prestonpans, is also survived by a widow and family; and Stewart was an unmarried man residing in Abbeyhill. Hogg himself suffered severely from his efforts to extricate the men before it was discovered that they were beyond help, and his conduct is spoken of in terms of the highest praise by Mr Reid, the brewer.


And a search for suffocated finds the FAI report on 26 May 1900: 8.

FATAL ACCIDENT INQUIRIES—In Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday, Sheriff Rutherfurd, and a jury held inquiries into the circumstances attending the deaths of Joseph Horsburgh, engine cleaner, 5 Willowbrae Road, Abbeyhill, and Michael Stewart, George Renton, and Robert Campbell, the three men who were suffocated in a tun at Deuchars' Brewery, Duddingston, about a fortnight ago. The evidence in Horsburgh’s case was of a formal nature. With regards to the Duddingston fatality, from the evidence led it would appear than the ladder by which the tun should have been entered, and the cleek by which the plug could be removed had not been used. Had they been, it was contended the men would have had time to retreat from the tun. The usual formal verdicts were returned.

Owzat,
Alan

LATER.
I've never heard of a cleek but it appears to be an instrument at the end of a long pole, like a gaff to land fish.
Alan

[PaulaD]

Hi eilthireach and Alan,

Thank you so much for all the information! The next time I'm in Edinburgh I'll try to have a look at the files.
Alan - =D> I'm amazed! You really need to give us all a master class on searching newspapers.

Thanks once again.

Paula

[LesleyB]

hi Paula

From the info eilthireach gave about the file, it looks like you would need to contact staff prior to your intended visit; apart from the statement that it is unfit for production, (unsure if that is an issue which may be resolved - does it maybe imply it requires some restoration?) it is also stored off site, so would not be available to view in any case if you just turned up.

Reference SC39/66/67
Access conditions Record unfit for production: further information can be obtained from National Archives of Scotland staff.
Location Off site

Best wishes
Lesley

[PaulaD]

Hi Lesley,

Thanks for pointing that out. Anyway I don't suppose it would have any more information than Alan has already found. As I am so rarely North of the Border, further research on this gentleman will come way down my to-do list!

Thanks for your help.

Paula