Richard's own historical research into the famous man who used the name Jack Drummond has unearthed some significant anomalies in his published biographies. Questions start with the extraordinary fact that a man who was a knight of the realm; a Fellow of the Royal Society; and widely credited with saving Britain from starvation in the Second World War was savagely murdered with his wife and daughter in Provence in 1952. Richard has traced 'Drummond's' life from his illegitimate birth in 1890, through his entirely unofficial adoption and subsequent use of the name Drummond, through his meteoric early research career and its subsequent stagnation and professional ostracism. His subsequent drift into social history research and scandalous divorce would have marked an end to his career but for the fortunate circumstances that led him to the Ministry of Food in1940, after a spell seconded to Porton Down chemical warfare research. He subsequently took credit for the work of others in nutrition (not for the first time) and left academia for commercial research. His behaviour immediately before his violent death does not marry with the glib explanation settled on by the French prosecution of the illiterate peasant convicted to be guillotined for the murders. A more plausible explanation emerges from the evidence ignored by the prosecution and a review of the circumstances prevailing at the time, especially in France.
Views: 15 | Enquiries: 0Dr Richard Cottrell is a retired biochemist with wide scientific research experience in nutrition and food science. His early research was into the origins of cancer but he later broadened his range as he became responsible for a growing portfolio of research in nutrition, food science and toxicology. He now applies the same scientific rigour to historical research, the output of these enquiries form some of the subjects of his talks. He has an international experience in talking to audiences from school age to U3A, including demanding ones, such as Parliamentary groups, the Council of Europe and the national annual meetings of the Women's Farming Union and the Townswomen's Guild. He makes sure that his audience is always entertained, informed and engaged in every topic, however daunting it might, at first, appear. As a result he is usually invited back to give another talk. He is now retired and lives in Purbeck with his wife of over 50 years.
If you are interested in this talk and wish to contact the speaker, please complete the following form: