Brooke, Simpson, and Spiller
Manufacturers of dyestuffs. Established in 1868 by Edward Brooke, Richard Simpson, and William Spiller, who took over the coal-tar dye business of Nicholson, Maule, & Co., who had succeeded Simpson, Maule and Nicholson, founded by Simpson’s brother George. Based at the Atlas Works at Hackney Wick. Employed a number of leading chemists, including Spiller’s brother John as chief chemist. Raphael Meldola worked there, 1877–85. Meldola developed the first acid wool green, which gave rise to Viridine or Alkali Green; and the first oxazine dye, Meldola Blue, in 1879. However, these and other discoveries were not patented. The company declined rapidly after 1885 and went into liquidation in 1904.
Sources
M. R. Fox 1987, pp. 104–10
ODNB s.v. Meldola, Raphael, and Spiller, John.
Bibliography
Fox, Maurice Rayner. 1987. Dye-makers of Great Britain, 1856–1976: a history of chemists, companies, products and changes. Manchester: Imperial Chemical Industries.
ODNB: Oxford dictionary of national biography: from the earliest times to the year 2000. (Revised edition.) Edited by H. C. G. Matthew and Brian Harrison. 60 vols. and index. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2004.
