"Old Bricks - history at your feet"
Mysteries:
Any information on any of the following would be appreciated:
1870
A.N.B. & Co.
Found in a garden in Leeds, photo by Steve Kind
Arrow
Vicky spotted this strange brick in a wall in Oxford. The brick was vertical.
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. H. B.
Found near Wrexham, Trade Mark B H B.
C. E. B. ?
Coronet
Found near Measham, Leicestershire, photo by Michael Raybould.
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.
Elizabeth II Coronation
Photo by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection.
F & B
Photo by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection. Found in Bessacar near Doncaster.
Fish impression
Wonderfully detailed
H. G. A.
J & W
Found in a garden in Leeds, photo by Steve Kind. On this one the J is back to front
King George V 1910
Another commemorative brick, this one from 1910.
L. B. Co Ld
Found in a garden in Leeds, photo by Steve Kind. Leeds Brick Co.?
M & Sons
Found in Worksop 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.
O. B.
Sue is interested in the history of this one. Found underneath an old path in a garden in Harrow, Middlesex.
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. R. C.
Thanks to Duncan for this one
P. S. S.
Found near Weardale, County Durham
R. W.
Thanks to Simon Patterson for the photo
S. I. C.
Found at Brimington, Chesterfield by Simon Patterson.
Found in N. E. Derbyshire by Simon Patterson.
W. H.
Simon Patterson found this one at Beal, Northumberland.