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Silvertown residents killed in explosion

Categories: Tragedy

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58 local residents were killed and many more were injured in the Silvertown Explosion. We are not aware of any public memorial listing the names of the 58 residents who were killed.

From Newham Recorder, 17 February 2017: "Sheila Simpson, 59, whose great aunt Elizabeth Priscilla Preston was killed in the munitions factory explosion on January 19, 1917, is calling for all the victims to be remembered. ... Sheila’s great aunt was killed in the 50-tonne TNT blast at 6 Mill Road {presumably the Prestons' home} along with her mother-in-law Hannah Preston and her two children, George, three, and 11-month-old Dorothy. The family had stepped into the garden to watch a fire which had broken out at the munitions factory across the road in Crescent Wharf, when tons of trinitroluene went up in an earth-shattering explosion."

This Imperial War Museum page provides details of some of those who died.

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Silvertown residents killed in explosion

Commemorated ati

Silvertown explosion - monument

Probably erected no more than an year or so after the explosion, this monumen...

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Other Subjects

Mary Geraldine Murphy

Mary Geraldine Murphy

Senior Purser Mary Geraldine Murphy was born on 14 May 1937 in Dublin, Ireland, one of the six children of Robert and Margaret Murphy.  Our Picture Source and the Clipper Crew website gives more i...

Person, Aviation, Tragedy, Ireland, Scotland

1 memorial
Josephus Geater

Josephus Geater

Role on the lost expedition: Able seaman on SS Erebus. See John Franklin.

Person, Exploring, Tragedy

1 memorial
World War 1

World War 1

We'd always assumed that this war was known as the Great War until WW2 came along at which point it was renamed as World War One or the First World War. But the term was first used in print in 1920...

Event, Armed Forces, Tragedy

384 memorials
Thomas Briggs

Thomas Briggs

Banker and murder victim. He was beaten and robbed while he travelled on the 9.50pm train from Fenchurch Street to Chalk Farm. The assailant took his gold watch and gold spectacles, but left £5 in ...

Person, Commerce, Tragedy

1 memorial

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Samuel Pepys

Samuel Pepys

Diarist and Secretary of the Admiralty.  Born Salisbury Court, where his father ran a tailoring business. The house backed onto St Brides church. Highly regarded administrator of the navy. Served C...

Person, Literature, Politics & Administration, Race Issues, Seriously Famous

16 memorials
Cicely Mary Barker

Cicely Mary Barker

CR0, The Waldrons, 23

Cicely Mary Barker, 1895 - 1973, artist and creator of the Flower Fairy children's books, lived and worked here from 1924 to 1961. Croydo...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Cordwainers' Hall

Cordwainers' Hall

EC4, Cannon Street

The plaque is in our picture but it's such a dull day you can't see it. Three more steps and the man will be standing in front of it.

3 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Frederick Delius

Frederick Delius

Composer.  Born Bradford of parents born in Germany.  In America 1884-6, supposedly learning citrus farming but really developing his interest in music which he went on to study in Germany.  Works ...

Person, Music / songs, Seriously Famous, France, Germany

1 memorial
Wilkie Collins

Wilkie Collins

W1, Gloucester Place, 65

London County Council William Wilkie Collins, 1824 - 1889, novelist, lived here.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator