Found Bo’ness.
Cullinan Refractories, South Africa.
Lexicon Conrand Company, South Africa
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The high quality clay field found at Olifantsfontein while prospecting the Johannesburg-Pretoria leg of the NZASM line in the 1890s gave rise to the formation by Sir Thomas Cullinan of The Consolidated Rand Brick, Pottery and Lime Company which later became the Conrand Company, its Prospectus being published in 1902. At its inception it had two operating plants, a brick and pipe manufacturing plant in Boksburg and a limeworks in Olifantsfontein. In 1903 Philip Edward TREEBY was appointed director at Olifantsfontein.
Because of the high quality of the clay it was decided to produce fine china, and to this end skilled potters from England (mainly Staffordshire), led by a Mr Harold Emery, were brought to produce many fine articles, which were much admired throughout the country. A complete dinner service for example, made at the works, was presented to General Louis Botha in 1908. Creamy white in colour, with gilt edging and his ‘LB’ monogram, it was too thick to be classified as a first-class piece of chinaware, but was nevertheless a very creditable effort. The business was known as the “Transvaal Potteries“.
Competing against overseas firms from Germany, Japan, and England without adequate tariff protection, however, was unprofitable.
Added to this the high railway rates all made the pottery works uneconomic. After persistent efforts in Parliament to increase import duties and reduce railway rates Sir Thomas Cullinan closed the works in May, 1914. Some satisfaction must have been derived from the fact that he was the first industrialist in the Transvaal to produce on a large scale some fine pottery articles.
From 1909 to the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, the Conrand Company continued to struggle slowly and painfully towards profitability.
Rowland Cullinan, second son of Sir Thomas, joined the enterprise in 1910 and 1916, at its lowest ebb, became works director, and in the following year a profit was made. In 1926 the Ceramic Studio was founded.
[Précised from Helme, Nigel.1974. Thomas Major Cullinan a biography. Johannesburg: McGraw-Hill. Chapter 9 ‘Magnificent Clay’.]
Found at Manuel Works, Whitecross by Ian Suddaby. This example is not in my possession The manufacturer of this checker is unknown although the find site would suggest it was made at the Manuel Works, Whitecross’ Scotland. Stein, Castlecary Fireclay Works, Castlecary, Stirlingshire. Stein, Manuel Firebrick and Refractory Works, Whitecross, Stirlingshire. Stein & Co, Anchor…
Dundee Brick and Tile Company, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. 04/11/1899 – St. Andrews Citizen – … Coincidently, with the battle of Dundee, and the sad death of General Symons there, it is interesting to note that the founder of Dundee is a Scotsman. This gentleman – Mr Peter Smith – is a native of Forfarshire, being…
Kindly donated by Wendi Bates. Wendi believes she obtained the brick on a school trip (pre-1962) to some trade fair or other in South Africa. This is only 3″ long and appears to be a salesman’s sample. (8cm x 4cm x 3cm 170g). Note the letters ‘UN’ are obviously upside down but I suspect the…
Found by Ian Suddaby at the old Bonnyside Brickworks, Bonnybridge. This was found in a pile of debris that contained large quantities of test samples that were marked for use in the brickworks laboratory. AL – 80 = 80% Alumina content. Höganäs Borgestad, brick manufacturers, Sweden. At Höganäs Borgestad, we started producing refractory bricks in 1825,…
Found at the old Bonnyside Brickworks, Bonnybridge. This was in a pile of ash and waste that contained many test samples from the Bonnyside Brickworks laboratory. The letters of the stamp are all raised. UCB = Union Chimique Belge S.A. Belref is a distributor in Mons (Saint-Ghislain). https://www.belref.com/ They are now specialized in preshaped products…
13/11/1840 – John O’ Groat Journal – A very interesting letter from Sydney, under date 6th June last, reached a few days ago. Its writer is a gentleman belonging to Caithness-shire, for some time settled in Sydney. As the information it contains can be relied on, we present our readers with the following extract –…
Canmore – Whaling Station, 1904 Gaunt remains of a long-defunct industry, with a lone, tapering red brick chimney rising from the foundations of the boiling house/desiccator. Little else but the carcass ramp survives. Founded by a Norwegian, Karl Herlofsen, the factory was acquired by Lever Bros in 1922 when the market was declining but was…
These two bricks were found in the tidal muds at Grangemouth, Scotland and in the same location as a number of confirmed Russian stamped bricks. Their ‘yellow’ colour, size (narrow) and visual composition suggest they may be early Dutch bricks. One would appear to have the imprint of an anchor or perhaps it is a…
Found by Ian Suddaby. Ian states – Down and dirty at low tide in the bed of the River Carron at Grangemouth on the Firth of Forth. Even though I’m very close to the wharf where many Grangemouth bricks were shipped out in the years before WWI, I never expected to find three foreign bricks….
Found in Avonbridge by Joe Pason. Unidentified manufacturer. ‘RESCO’ or ‘RESGO’? The find location would suggest Scottish origins but … The stamp has the look of a Craigend Refractory, Falkirk stamp and it is of note it was found alongside a ‘Craigend Falcon’ fire brick.( Craigend Refractories also manufactured fire bricks stamped ‘Falcon A’. It…
