Talk:Edmund Wright Brooks

This page was transferred from a sandbox page, up to entry 9 September 2008. Vernon White ^{. . . Talk} 17:58, 2 November 2008 (UTC)

Parliamentary candidate

A search of the The Times shows that he apparently ran for Parliament in 1892 The Times, Monday, Jun 27, 1892; pg. 3; Issue 33675; col A

Oh yes, for the Essex, South East constituency, Column B ?Page 4?. Does the code "(G)" mean he was a Gladstonian Liberal, in favour of Home Rule?

He was standing against the sitting Conservative candidate, Major F C Rasch (The Times, Thursday, Jul 07, 1892; pg. 6; Issue 33684; col D The General Election. The Polls - Nominations).

I see his father-in-law is described as of Kingston, not Strood, as in Milligan.

Linguist

How did he become "an accomplished linguist"? Vernon White ^{. . . Talk} 07:52, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Don't know; picking up French is one thing but it sounds like he knew Russian (though French was a second language for educated Russians). Some of it might have been business. One of his grandsons (in the cement business) divided his time between Egypt and France. I did see a mention that his brother, David, taught at Sidcot when searching Google books (A history of Sidcot School).

Looks like Fowlers was a global company, exporting agricultural machinery. Perhaps EWB had overseas postings, when he was with the firm. Vernon White ^{. . . Talk} 17:14, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Cement business

I suspect also that the Cement company became part of Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers established in 1900 (now Blue Circle Industries). See for instance [1] and search for Brooks (Herbert Brooks, Edmund's son who is a director of APCM). --Erp (talk) 23:05, 29 June 2008 (UTC).

Yes, and then it merged with another, as reported in The Times. Alfred and HE Brooks were directors. Vernon White ^{. . . Talk} 17:16, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

The WP article Blue Circle Industries gives some account of the merger. Vernon White ^{. . . Talk} 17:20, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Which school?

Also which school did he attend? I have Sidcot in a couple of places including the Times article above --Erp (talk) 01:22, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Ted Milligan says Ackworth and that he was later a governor of Ackworth. I expect the Testimony in LYM Proceedings 1929 will be informative. Vernon White ^{. . . Talk} 07:17, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Definitely SIDCOT not Ackworth. The Friend obit has a photo. Vernon White ^{. . . Talk} 14:16, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

John Fowler & Co., Leeds

Can we assume this was the firm established by John Fowler (agricultural engineer) (1826–1864), also born in Melksham? "On 30 July 1857 Fowler married Elizabeth Lucy (1833–1881), ninth child of Joseph Pease, MP for South Durham". One of the Fowlers married a Glendurgan Fox. Vernon White ^{. . . Talk} 08:06, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

And in Fowler's original company in Bristol his partner was Albert Fry. I think this is the same company. The Journal article states for Brooks, Sidcot, John Fowler & Co of Leeds. It also states he started his own company (engineering works) in Guildford before establishing the first Portland cement works on the north bank of the Thames. By 1890 he had > 500 employees "possibly the largest employer in this part of Essex". Most of the bio info seems to come from "The Grays and Tilbury Gazette and South East Pictorial Telegraph" June 23, 1928, p5.. Some also seems to come from "The Victoria History of the County of Essex" (1907) Vol. II, page 492-3. Dackombe also had access to a memoir by E.W. Brooks that is in an unnamed private collection. --Erp (talk) 00:58, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

I'll ask the former editor of the JFHS if he recalls where Dackombe is based, and Dackombe if he can reveal the owner of the private collection. Do we know the period during which EWB was in Guildford? Vernon White ^{. . . Talk} 14:23, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Oh! there's a Barry Dackombe on Filckr. Maye we can contact him that way. Vernon White ^{. . . Talk} 14:30, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Wikiproject tags to go on new article's talk page

<{WPBiography |living=no |class= |priority= |listas=Brooks, Edmund Wright }} <{quaker |class= |importance=}}

Pemba

Some info on the Pemba Mission can be found at The Role of Missionaries in the Emancipation of Slaves in Zanzibar, Moses D. E. Nwulia, The Journal of Negro History, Vol. 60, No. 2 (Apr., 1975), pp. 268-287 though I'm not sure you have access.

No, I don't have access to JSTOR. Vernon White ^{. . . Talk} 08:41, 8 July 2008 (UTC)

We probably need more on Pemba. Vernon White ^{. . . Talk} 07:49, 10 September 2008 (UTC)

I don't have much more. Note that Brooks was the person in London not the person on the ground in Pemba so how much is relevant for this article as opposed to the article on the Arab slave trade--Erp (talk) 18:58, 10 September 2008 (UTC)

Notability

E.W. Brooks received an obituary in The Times. He was a significant member of the Religious Society of Friends and played a large part in the migration of the Dukhobors, managed by Quakers. He built up his cement business into a major component of the British Cement cartel, in which his sons were also involved. Some of his grandchildren are also notable. He was significant in Essex local politics and, presumably as a Gladstonian, in the national crisis of the Liberal Party concerning Home Rule. Vernon White ^{. . . Talk} 08:55, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Obituary in the Times is an argument for notability, as is Chairman of Essex County Council (currently mentioned in a footnote - needs to be in main text). Largest employer in Essex argues for notability too. More info on the British Cement cartel and his coy's part in it would help. Hope this helps! DuncanHill (talk) 11:20, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Actually the cite I have is for possibly the largest employer in that part of Essex not the largest employer in Essex. Vernon, did you have another cite?--Erp (talk) 01:25, 10 September 2008 (UTC)

Described as a "weighty Friend" in a history of conscription here [2]. DuncanHill (talk) 11:24, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Mentioned in a history of Britain and Slavery in East Africa at [3]. DuncanHill (talk) 11:28, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Helped found "Friends of Armenia" at [4]. DuncanHill (talk) 11:29, 9 September 2008 (UTC)