F. W. S. Craig - Suicide

Suicide

Fred and Phyllis Craig separated in January 1988, placing the future of his business in jeopardy. The news was considered so important that the House of Commons Library issued a note to alert journalists to it. Craig sold his publishing business to Dartmouth Publishing, which later became part of Ashgate Publishing; he retained editorial control. He could not come to terms with living on his own, and attempted suicide in 1988 by taking an overdose of pills; the dedication of "Britain Votes 4" written in May 1988 records his thanks to family and friends as well as medical staff. However over the Easter holiday in 1989 he was found dead in his car having run a pipe from the exhaust. The cause of death was certified as Carbon monoxide poisoning and the Coroner returned a verdict of suicide as "from the circumstances and from the notes which have been left, I have no doubt he intended the result of what he did".

After his death, his papers were given to Professors Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher of the University of Plymouth.