April - June 1959 - Marie Louise Killick

11th April 1959: Letter from Mr Dicks to Pye’s solicitors re: Heads of Damage. Why is Mr Dicks still involved 5 months after resigning from the case?

17th April: Summons to have the judgement of Mrs Thomas set aside. Marie contends the debt was to Mr Thomas supported by agreement she holds in letter form.

21st May: Registrar dismissed Marie’s application to have judgement in Mrs Thomas’s favour dismissed. “In view of her considerable liabilities that it is in Mrs Killick’s and her creditors’ best interest that she be made bankrupt – but that is a matter for the plaintiff (Mrs Thomas) to decide”. What prompted this remark – what evidence did he have for this statement, was it simply a rumour, that the damages would not amount to much? WAS HE INTERFERING WITH A HIGHER COURTS JUDGEMENT THAT A INQUIRY INTO DAMAGES SHOULD TAKE PLACE?

25th May: Creditors Petition filed for Bankruptcy to be heard in Brighton County Court

26th May: Receiving Order made against Mrs M.L.Killick on the Petition of Mrs L.M.Thomas filed on 26th May 1959. That an act of Bankruptcy has been committed.

29th May: Opinion of Marie’s council. “if you are made bankrupt I think you will find it extremely difficult in carrying on these proceedings”. (Inquiry into Damages due her from Pye) “as your affairs will then be controlled by a trustee in bankruptcy”. Pye later bought a debt to give them a say in her bankruptcy and settlement of her damage claim!

A Sound Revolution

A Sound Revolution is the true story of Marie Louise Killick’s valiant fight against powerful men in the musical world. They had pirated her invention of a stylus that was to revolutionise the quality of sound reproduction of gramophone records.

Despite winning her ten-year legal battle in The Royal Courts of Justice in London, her opponents, Pye Radio, found other means to ensure she never received her damages – worth millions. Manoeuvred into bankruptcy, she spent three years trying to prevent the Official Receiver from settling her damage claim against Pye Radio for a derisory sum. She died at the age of 49, penniless and homeless.

During her fight she was ‘kidnapped’, her supporters were assaulted and even her solicitor was frightened off the case. During the fight, she was hounded from pillar to post and forced to spend six weeks with her children living in a builder’s yard. Truly a story of enormous courage and tenacity on her part to bring the men who had robbed her to justice!

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In the People Talk audio feature below, you can hear a short introduction to A Sound Revolution and an extract.

Marie Killick – first caller to the Samaritans

In November 1953 an English clergyman set up the first telephone helpline for people considering suicide. The Reverend Chad Varah began the pioneering service from a room in his own church house. This 9-minute BBC World Service programme tells the story of the helpline and the first call Chad Varah received, on 2nd November. It was from “a woman with a family, who was absolutely desperate.” Though anonymous in the programme, that woman was Marie Killick, as told here in The Good Samaritan.