Depositions from asbestos lawsuits 1975-1996. These were chiefly taken in 1996 and in conjunction with lawsuits filed by South African plaintiffs.
Also includes earlier depositions from other lawsuits with no direct South African connection.
Depositions from asbestos lawsuits 1975-1996. These were chiefly taken in 1996 and in conjunction with lawsuits filed by South African plaintiffs.
Also includes earlier depositions from other lawsuits with no direct South African connection.
Flynn's twin interest in the South African mining industry and in international corporations' conduct in Southern Africa dates back to his period with Granada Television's current affairs programme World in Action, 1979-1990. Over the ensuing decade he expanded his network of contacts with South African researchers and with lawyers representing South African plaintiffs. This series reflects the broad range of Flynn's network including its legal dimension.
Research papers of Geoffrey Tweedale gathered during the course of his research for his book 'Magic mineral to killer dust: Turner & Newall and the asbestos hazard' (2nd edition, 2001: Oxford University Press), which investigated the British company, Turner & Newall, one of the world's leading asbestos manufacturers.
The collection comprises:
Background research on companies and their insurers, in alphabetical order chiefly by name of employer or their insurer. Occasionally also by first letter of subject of inquiry (e.g. 'Power stations', 'hair driers', 'printing works'). Includes:
Correspondence with James Walker including copies of:
Some components announced in the inscription (Selikoff 1977 interview, Steve McQueen notes, IHP notes to J Todd) not found. Components 'Brodeur' and 'LF 1982/US notes' transferred to FLYNN/2/1.
Named employers / insurers include: British Cellophane Ltd, British Insulated Calender Cables (BICC), British Telecommunications plc, Cape plc, Central Insulated Ltd, Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB), Ellistown Colliery, Ford Motor Company, R B Hilton Ltd, Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), North Thames Gas, C A Parsons, Powergen Ltd, Rank Xerox, Redpath Brown, RTZ Estates Ltd, E A & H Sandford (Insulations) Ltd, etc.
Front matter includes guidelines for witness statements (‘Information which solicitors will require from colleagues’).
Richard Gaze was the executive director of Cape Industries.
Francis Howard was an accountant. Among others he worked for Anglo American Corporation of South Africa (North America) Ltd, 1968-1970, and for Charter Consolidated Services from 1975.
Correspondence and papers, chiefly re a visit of H C Lewinsohn (Chief Medical Officer, TBA Industrial Products Ltd) to India, November 1975.
Includes
Correspondence and papers relating to Nancy Tait's campaign to question Dr Kevin Browne's suitability as Medical Officer of the Department of Health and Social Security, whilst serving at the same time as medical consultant for Cape Industries. In reverse chronological order. In Tait's own words (20 September 1994), she had "waged war on Kevin Browne's appointment since 1987". Includes:
Further,
Correspondence with Members of Parliament, in alphabetical order by surname. With a listing of MPs (dated 2002) at the front of the file.
Covers a wide range of topics including
Papers, press clippings, and photographs relating to asbestos in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.
Includes:
-brief notes relating to asbestos cases in Barking
-some handwritten research notes about topics such as asbestos found in Barking and waste disposal procedures
-correspondence about Barking cases of asbestos and the Cape factory
-a lot of notes and correspondence about a case of asbestos contaminated soil in Whiting Avenue, 1978
-papers relating to Barking Community Health Council
-correspondence (chiefly with Margaret Sharkey) and telephone memoranda
-press clippings
Correspondence with Anthony Coombs of John Pickering & Partners LLP, in reverse chronological order. Covers current cases, T&N bankruptcy, Anthony Mendelle as witness on Cape Asbestos in Barking, pleural plaques, OEDA finances. Also includes
For subsequent correspondence with Coombs, see link below.
Correspondence with John Pickering & Partners LLP, organised by topic:
Correspondence and papers re and arising from Granada Television's World in Action (WIA) documentary ‘A small town tragedy’ (1982), investigating the refusal of British company Cape Industries Ltd to pay compensation awarded against them in an American court of law to workers of their North American subsidiary company in Bloomington, Illinois. The transmission of ‘A small town tragedy’ brought Flynn in contact with a number of American tort lawyers.
Includes (in reverse chronological order):
Also includes Flynn's pitch for a programme (or an article on the history of company awareness of the dangers posed by asbestos), c.1981, and correspondence with Charles Patrick and Ron Motley, 1981, both tort lawyers in South Carolina who sued a subsidiary of international asbestos giant Turner & Newall.
Joan Holtze was the secretary and assistant treasurer at the North American Asbestos Corporation.
William S Haines was a former chairman of Safety & Claims Services Inc., which did work for Union Asbestos & Rubber Company.
Max E Meyer was a lawyer employed by Lord, Bissell & Brook, who represented Cape Asbestos.