Brunner Mond Workers’ Records

Catalyst Archives are pleased to publish a list of available historical employment records from Brunner Mond / ICI in Mid Cheshire.

What you need to know:

* Similar to the Census Returns, all available records are for people who would have been 100 years of age at the present time.

* We have 18,558 unique records of which 13,408 are currently available.

* 18,558 records represents well over a hundred thousand scans!  The majority of the records are double-sided cards and many people have more than one card and some supporting pieces of paper.

* This has been over a decade worth of work and we’ve still got plenty to file away.  The boxes to house these important documents have to be specially made.  The records were rescued in large heaps and we had no idea how many we would end up with!  All had to have rusty pins, staples and bits of plastic removed and have been dusted carefully.  Digitising these records will preserve them for future generations as once they are filed away there will be little need to handle them again in the future.

* A small charge of £3 per record will be payable for a digital copy (PDF).  Paper copies can be provided by arrangement.

* All inquiries made via email – heritage@catalyst.org.uk

BM Workers Records V2 – 01-2022

BM Workers Records supporting information

The list:

201 pages long.  The names in red are women.  Fully searchable document using ctrl and F.  Alphabetical order.

‘Dates employed’ are where there is evidence of the person being employed but are NOT a definitive start and finish date for each person.  Where it is in bold type it is more likely that the start and finish dates are as stated.

‘Area’ is info gleaned from the record cards and other sources.  This column is simply to give an idea of the person in the case of common names.

About the records …

The majority of records cover the Winnington and Wallerscote Works of Brunner Mond and later ICI.  Lostock, Middlewich, Sandbach, Fleetwood, Hayle (Cornwall), Stoke Prior (Worcestershire) also feature.  But that is just part of the story.  Many of the workers transferred in and out of these areas and were employed across many different sites.  Addresses of workers from Liverpool and Glasgow feature due to the movement of material between ports and the settlement of people looking for work in the area.