Mysteries

"Old Bricks - history at your feet"

Mysteries:

Any information on any of the following would be appreciated:

007

Photo by Martyn Fretwell, possibly a refractory brick batch number?

1870

1 48 99

Found in Derbyshire by Martyn Fretwell

Arrow

Vicky spotted this strange brick in a wall in Oxford. The brick was vertical. James thinks this could be a product of the Ockley brickworks ((AKA Ewhurst and Smokejacks) in Surrey.

B. B. C.

Photographed by Martyn Fretwell in Sussex.

B. C. C.

Derek Barker is seeking information on this one. This brick is commonly found in Bradford, West Yorks. Buildings containing it suggest production in the first few decades of the 20th century. Essentially then we are looking for a brick-maker active in the period 1910-1940 able to supply bricks in large numbers for a prestigious city build (like a hospital or cinema) but local enough to be a source for small single house developments. Collieries commonly possessed their own brick-works. Birkenshaw Colliery Co was owned by various members of the Gill family from 1911 until in 1947, but at the moment I have no evidence whatever that they ever owned a brickworks. Another possible theory is that the initials stood for Bradford City Ceramics or Clay; the great difficulty with this theory is that neither name is attested in any of the trade directories that cover its likely period of operation. A Bradford Corporation Brickworks is noted at Rook Lane near Bowling. Hypothetically 'Bowling Clay Company' or 'Bradford Corporation Clay' are possibilities but, I must stress, the names are also entirely unattested in any trade directory.

B. C. P.

Thanks to Darren Haywood for the photo.

B. H.

Thanks to Darren Haywood for the photo.

C. E. B. ?

Coronet

Found near Measham, Leicestershire, photo by Michael Raybould.

D. B. Co. Ltd.

Photo by Simon Patterson

Diamond firebrick

Thanks to Darren Haywood for the photo.

Diamond Jubilee

David Kitching saw this one at the Claymills Pumping Station at Burton-on-Trent, a Staffordshire Blue paving brick marked to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. I think that Diamond might also be the trade name of the manufacturer as there was another brick nearby just marked with that word.

Spotted in Riddings, Derbyshire by Martyn Fretwell.

E. D.

Thanks to George for the photo

Elizabeth II Coronation

Photo by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection.

Showing the 40th anniversary of the accession, 1952 - 1992. Found in Cambridgeshire by Barry Wilson.

Found at Pocklington, East Yorkshire by Frank Lawson. Possibly Frankfield Brickworks, Glasgow, ca 1899 - 1960s.

F & B

Photo by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection. Found in Bessacar near Doncaster.

Fish impression

David Oliver writes: This was probably made at the E. R. Lister Brick Yard in the Scotswood area of Newcastle which was opened in 1838. By 1890 there was a High Yard and Low Yard. Brickworks of the North East by Peter J Davison states: 'Fire bricks for furnaces, malt kiln tiles, lutes, gauge pots, syphons, muffles, and white glazed bricks were made. A small amount of buff coloured facing bricks and ornamental garden ware were also produced. The firms trade mark was in the shape of a salmon'

H. B. W.

Photo by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection, taken in York.

H. G. A.

H. P.

Found in N E Derbyshire by Simon Patterson.

H. W.

Photo by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection, found near Thurgarton.

J W

Photo by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection, found near Asquith, North Yorkshire. Paul Kinsey writes: There is a John Walkden Brick and Tile Maker based in Radcliffe, Lancashire. It is known that he had dealing in Bradford, Yorkshire.

Jubilee

Found by Martyn Fretwell in an old school in Kirkby in Ashfield, Notts, it is a paving brick.

King George V 1910

Another commemorative brick, this one from 1910.

Steven spotted this one on a street in North London.

L. B. Co Ld

Found in a garden in Leeds, photo by Steve Kind. John Pease thinks this one could have been made by the Leeds Brickmaking Co of Armley.

M & Sons

Found in Worksop by Simon Patterson

M. H.

Photo by Simon Patterson.

M. S. & B. W.

Found by Simon Patterson in N. E. Derbyshire

Musgraves

This is a hard paving brick.

This one was found in Cobridge, Stoke on Trent by Ken Perkins.

N. B.

Found near Chesterfield by Simon Patterson.

P. C.

Found in Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire

Potteries Brick Co.

Tim Lawton is trying to identify the location of the Potteries Brick Companies works in Stoke on Trent. Any help appreciated

P. S. S.

Found near Weardale, County Durham

R. P. C.

Photo by Simon Patterson.

R. U. S.

A very strange one found on the beach in Crosby, Merseyside. The hand stamping is just on one side of the brick and consists of five random stamps of a birds head, several stamps of 1928 and a couple of RUS. I think the birds head is that of a cormorant (liver bird). Any ideas as to its origin and meaning are welcome.

This one was found nearby at a later date. The birds heads have been replaced by UPHO. UPHO also appears on bricks made at Upholland, possibly there is some connection?

S. D. H. s

Thanks to Colin Butler and Martyn Fretwell.

S. I. C.

Found at Brimington, Chesterfield by Simon Patterson.

Found in N. E. Derbyshire by Simon Patterson.

Tree Design

This intriguing brick was found in Somerset by Brian Murless.

T. S. L.

Found in Wolverhampton by Simon Patterson.

Photo by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection, found near Thurgarton.

John Tomlinson writes (July 2011): we have found a large number of these bricks at the National Trust Quarry Bank Mill site in Styal, Cheshire. The Trust acquired the kitchen garden, which dates from about 1810, in August 2010. The bricks were found there - and one has just turned up in an on-going archaeological dig looking for a melon house.

V. B. & T. C.