19/01/1843 – The Sydney Morning Herald, NSW – Gilchrist and Alexander, 1 George Street, Sydney have for sale 20, 000 Garnkirk firebricks, very superior quality, lying at Campbells Wharf.
23/11/1850 – The South Australian Register, Adelaide – Aboard The Sacramento – 447 tones. Master Captain Dove. Left Leith (Edinburgh) 19/07/1850 – 7,600 firebricks, 33 casks of fireclay.
03/10/1854 – The Sydney Morning Herald – Purkis and Lambert will sell by auction 11,000 Garnkirk firebricks in fine condition and well adapted for making pavements!
30/08/1859 – The South Australian Register, Adelaide – Aboard The John Edward from Leith – 5,000 firebricks and 1,011 water pipes.
05/02/1861 – The Age – Robsons Bay – Aboard The Julia from Leith – 10,000 firebricks.
19/10/1861 – The Adelaide Observer – Port Augusta shipping. Aboard The Raphael from Leith – 1,900 firebricks, 100 casks of cement. The Raphael was under the command of Captain Phillips and was the first ship from Britain direct to Port Augusta.
06/01/1862 – The Star – Port Phillip – Aboard The Neva from Leith – 100 firebricks.
04/10/1862 – The Adelaide Observer – Port Augusta shipping. Aboard The Ormelie from Leith – 9,620 firebricks, 32 retorts and 12,000 slates.
25/05/1863 – The South Australian Register, Adelaide – Leith to Port Adelaide 26,000 firebricks – value £490.00.
10/06/1863 – The Star – Port Phillip. Aboard The Ensign from Leith – 10,000 firebricks.
19/03/1864 – The Adelaide Observer – Aboard The Stanley, brigantine 115 tons. John Gibson master. Left Leith 07/10/1863 arrived 13/03/1864 – 9,000 firebricks.
The ‘Stanley’ is a fine brigantine, on her first voyage from the stocks of Messrs. Menzies, of Granton, in whose yard she was purchased by her commander, Captain Gibson, an old trader between Adelaide and Tasmania. In making this addition to the mercantile fleet of the colonies good judgement, both with respect to capacity and speed seems to have been exercised by her owner. She is a vessel capable of loading 250 tons on about 11 feet draught of water. She is classed 12 years A1 at Lloyd’s and on the passage she has had no opportunity of distinguishing herself in a fair wind, yet on a bowline, she has quite surpassed the master’s expectations. She left Leith on October 7. Afterwards calling at Plymouth, where she remained till November 9. On the 21st day out passed Madeira, and crossed the line 17 days after: on January 19 passed the Cape and the island of St. Paul’s on February 10.
18/10/1864 – The Star – Port Phillip. Aboard The Silistria from Leith – 16,584 firebricks.
19/09/1870 – The Sydney Morning Herald, NSW – Learmonth, Dickinson and Co have the best quality Garnkirk firebricks for sale.
27/10/1871 – The Brisbane Courier – Arthur Martin has received instruction from Messrs Scott, Dawson and Stewart to sell 7,000 Heatheryknowe firebricks and 3,700 Garnkirk firebricks.
07/05/1872 – The Brisbane Courier – To sugar planters and others, Scott Dawson and Stewart, Creek and Elizabeth Streets, Brisbane – 3,000 Garnkirk firebricks for sale.
05/06/1872 – The Brisbane Courier – To sugar planters and others, Scott Dawson and Stewart, Creek and Elizabeth Streets, Brisbane – 3,000 Garnkirk firebricks for sale.
22/06/1875 – The Sydney Morning Herald, NSW – Cardowan, Garnkirk firebricks – Mason Brothers.
15/11/1876 – The Sydney Morning Herald – Being sold by Mason Brothers, Spring Street, Sydney – Garnkirk firebricks.
26/05/1877 – The Sydney Morning Herald – Being sold by Mason Brothers, Spring Street, Sydney – Garnkirk firebricks.
20/04/1878 – Parbury Lamb & Co, Importers, Brisbane – Cardowan Firebrick squares for sale.
14/09/1878 – The Sydney Morning Herald, NSW – Now landing aboard The Craigard 20,000 Cardowan firebricks for Mason Brothers.
17/10/1879 – The Argus, Melbourne – Alex Sutherland and Co are selling Glenboig Star firebricks.
14/02/1880 -Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser – Parbury, Lamb and Co, Brisbane, Importers – Firebricks Cardowan squares.
26/02/1880 – The Sydney Morning Herald, NSW – Scott Henderson & Co agents for Glenboig Star firebricks.
08/03/1883 – The Brisbane Courier – Gibbs, Bright & Co, Sole Agents in Queensland for Gartcraig firebricks.
21/07/1883 – The Brisbane Courier – Commercial markets Cardowan bricks fell at £8.10s and Gartcraig £8.5s and Heathery Knowe £7.15s.
26/02/1887 – Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, NSW. Port of Newcastle. Aboard The Gareloch from Glasgow, 5,000 firebricks.
12/07/1887 – The Brisbane Courier – Parbury Lamb & Co now have to arrive aboard the Peebleshire from Glasgow – Garnkirk firebricks.
24/12/1887 – South Australian Register, Adelaide. J Stilling & Co, Cavendish Chambers, Grenfell Street, Adelaide are sole agents in South Australia for Glenboig Fireclay Company’s firebricks
16/10/1900 – The Sydney Morning Herald, NSW. Aboard the Arctic Stream from Glasgow – 20,800 firebricks.
26/07/1902 – The Western Australian. The federal tariff (tax), official decisions – Firebricks marked Gartcraig – 15%.
31/10/1908 – Kalgoorlie Miner – Lancefield Gold Mining Co … In figuring on the remodelling of the roasters we considered we were making sufficient provision for safety in improving on the ordinary bricks in the crowns by putting in Statham firebricks. This Mr Bigelow still further improves on by recommending that the crowns should be of the best Gartcraig firebricks. We entirely approve of this course but are prohibited from adopting it unless with a further expenditure of money.
07/05/1910 – The Sydney Morning Herald, NSW. Clipper Loch Katrine from Glasgow with cargo including firebricks drifting unknown location off Australia.
30/01/1914 – Forbes Advocate – Forbes Gasworks New South Wales … The only recommendation I would make at this time is that 1 bed of 4 retorts be rebuilt and that 4 Glenboig retorts and 2,000 firebricks be imported for the purpose. The retorts will cost £9/10/- each and the firebricks about £10 per 1,000 … Alderman Raymond was informed that the firebricks had to be imported as the Australian made ones would not stand the heat.
Julkia Rizzi states this Thistle brick was photographed as part of a coal-burning fireplace in a house in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. Stein, Castlecary Fireclay Works, Castlecary, Stirlingshire. Stein, Manuel Firebrick and Refractory Works, Whitecross, Stirlingshire. Stein & Co, Anchor Brickworks, Denny, Stirlingshire. Milnquarter Fireclay & Gannister Works, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire . .
Found by Sævar Gardarsson in an old house in Reykjavik, Iceland that was built in 1920. Prestongrange Brick and Tile Works, Prestonpans, East Lothian. . . .
Brian Tarbuck states this brick was found in Augusta, Maine, USA while replacing a water pipe. Allan & Mann, Port Eglinton, Glasgow Alternative brickworks include: Rutherglen Pottery, Glasgow. Mallsmire Works, Myrtle Park, Crosshill, Glasgow. ,
Found by John Barnard at Fitzroy, Falkland Islands. Stein, Castlecary Fireclay Works, Castlecary, Stirlingshire. Stein, Manuel Firebrick and Refractory Works, Whitecross, Stirlingshire. Stein & Co, Anchor Brickworks, Denny, Stirlingshire. Milnquarter Fireclay & Gannister Works, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire .
Many thanks to Vladimir Smirnov for highlighting this brick to me which was found in the vicinity of the St. Petersburg Region, Gatchina Region, Russia by a brick collector, Alexander Korolev. It was discovered the stove of a private house. Stein, Castlecary Fireclay Works, Castlecary, Stirlingshire. Stein, Manuel Firebrick and Refractory Works, Whitecross, Stirlingshire. Stein &…
Found by Glyn Harrison at an unknown location in New Zealand. This example is not in my possession. Douglas Fireclay Works, Dalry, Ayrshire. The reference to Bigelow on this special undoubtedly refers to the Bigelow Arch Company of Detroit, USA. Bigelow-Liptak Corporation was originally incorporated in 1927 with the merger of the Bigelow Arch Company of…
Found by Eddie McLean in the Glasgow area. Glenboig Union Fireclay Company, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Alternative brickworks include: Glenboig Star Fireclay Works, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Glenboig Fireclay Works, (Old Works) Glenboig, Lanarkshire .
Found in the Alloa area. Glenboig Union Fireclay Company, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Alternative brickworks include: Glenboig Star Fireclay Works, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Glenboig Fireclay Works, (Old Works) Glenboig, Lanarkshire .
Found by Ken Sousa in Massachusetts, USA. Gartcraig Fire Clay Works, By Millerston, Glasgow. . . . .
Found by Claudio Ernesto Rios. Claudio states – The bricks were found in the City of Zárate, Buenos Aires, Argentina. In a fridge (almost totally destroyed today) the fridge’s name was Smithfield Refrigerator of English capital, built in 1903, so I would believe those bricks were manufactured in the last decade of the 19th century….
