Friarton Brick, Tile and Pottery Works, Perth aka Moncreiffe Brick Works. (Moncrieff)
Source Perth & Kinross Council Archive – They state … Our online catalogue also gave me the name of Charles Wood, brick manufacturer, putting in an application about Craigie Public Hall, Perth in 1897. A look in Leslie’s Directory for that year showed him as part of James Wood & Son, brick, tile and pottery manufacturers, Friarton, Perth. The directory also contains an advert for their Moncreiffe Pottery, Brick and Tile Works which I attach. Perhaps this was another name for the Friarton works. Moncreiffe Island was also known as Friarton Island, so it seems feasible.
Below – 29/01/1864 – Dundee, Perth and Cupar Advertiser – Friarton Brick and Tile Work – The subscriber invites the attention of builders, agriculturists etc to his present stock of common clay goods, consisting of pressed, hollow, perforated and common bricks, drainage tiles, roofing and flooring tiles etc. The Work is adjoining the S.C.R (Scottish Central Railway) Harbour Branch and contiguous to the river, affording facilities for goods being forwarded by railway or water. James Wood. Perth 19/01/1864.
Below – 16/02/1864 – Dundee Advertiser – Friarton advert. Reference to Mr Eadie.
Below – 17/03/1864 – Perthshire Advertiser – Advert regarding products.
Below – 10/12/1867 – Dundee Courier – Dundee and Forfar Railway – Bankruptcy examination. Messrs Wood and Lynch contractors were examined. Mr Wood states he began a business in about 1857 and had 2 brickworks. One from Sir Thomas Moncrieffe near Friarton and the other at Welshill which was the property of the Caledonian Railway Company.
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20/02/1868 – Perthshire advertiser – To agriculturalists – A quantity of drain tiles of various sizes are on hand at the Friarton Brick and Tile Works, Perth.
17/10/1877 – Dundee Evening Telegraph – Perth – Building Operations – What may be termed the first fruits of the new Water Bill is the erection of 4 double villas at Craigie. The builders are Messrs Wood, of Moncreiffe Potteries and Brickworks who have feued about an acre and a half of ground from Sir Thomas Moncreiffe on which 4 villas are to be erected on designs supplied by Mr John Young, Architect. There is little doubt that both purchasers and tenants will be readily got. The blocks of commodious buildings being constructed at Caledonian Road by Dundee builders are tenanted as fast as they are ready, plainly showing that additional house accommodation is urgently required in the town.
1878 – James Wood – Friarton Brick and Tile Works, Perth
30/07/1879 – The Dundee Courier – The Agricultural Show, Perth – At stand 154. Messrs J. Wood & Sons, Moncrieffe Pottery, Perth, a choice selection of pottery work made, as already said from Friarton clay. Their rustic and ornamental work constitutes an industry entirely new in Perth. Chief among the former is a vase and pedestal designed to represent the root and trunk of a tree, the limbs which support an ornamental flower vase. The design is at once agreeable in conception and skilfully carved out. There are also a number of rustic window boxes, fern vases, hanging baskets, arbourettes, all of which are exceedingly neat and natural in pattern and leave nothing to be desired in the way of workmanship. This, we may mention, is the only exhibition of rustic pottery in the yard and invites inspection on the score of real excellence. There is also at the same stand a large variety of specimen flower pots, diverse and yet uniformly pleasing in colour, design and finish. A large assortment of superior roofing, flooring and drainage tiles and of pressed common and perforated bricks complete the excellent and well arranged list of articles at this spot.
Below – 01/08/1879 – Dundee Courier – Highland and Agricultural Show, Perth – James Wood & Son, Moncreiffe Pottery, Brick and Tile Work, Perth. Manufacturers of flower pots, ornamental vases etc also brick drain tiles etc.
05/03/1881 – Dundee Peoples Journal – a ‘dugout’ canoe was discovered underneath the brick clay at Friarton. Possibly from the Neolithic period.
1882 – James Wood & Son, Brick and Tile Maker, & Pottery Manufacturer, Friarton, Perth.
Charles Wood Brickmaker ( James Wood & Son) Brunswick Terrace, Craigie.
1884 – 1885 – James Wood & Son, brick makers and contractors, Friarton. p 202.
1885 – Charles Wood Brickmaker (James Wood & Son) Brunswick, Perth.
1887 – James Wood (of J. Wood & Son), brickmaker, Friarton.
James Wood & Son, contractors and brickmakers, Friarton.
Below – 29/07/1887 – Dundee Advertiser – Highland Society Show Perth – Messrs James Wood & Son, Moncrieffe Pottery Brick and Tile Works, Perth.
Below – 17/12/1889 – Dundee Evening Telegraph – Friarton Brickworks appeal against an assessment.
1889 – 1890 – James Wood (of J. Wood & Son), brickmaker, Friarton.
James Wood & Son, brick, tile, and pottery manufacturers, Friarton.
Below – 14/04/1890 – Dundee Evening Telegraph – Malicious damage caused at Friarton Brickwork.
05/02/1891 – Dundee Courier – Perth Conservative Working Men’s Association – President – Mr Chas Wood, Friarton Brickworks.
Below – 22/12/1891 – Dundee Courier – Appeals against assessments.
Below – 12/10/1892 – Dundee Evening Telegraph – Refers to Mr Charles Wood of Friarton Brickworks being approached and agreeing to stand for council election.
21/10/1892 – Dundee Advertiser – Refers to Mr Charles Wood of the Moncreiffe Potteries and Brickworks being approached to stand for council election.
Below – 08/08/1896 – Dundee Courier – Assault on James Wood.
Below – 14/12/1897 – Dundee Advertiser – Proposed brickwork at Friarton Farm by Messrs R & J Robertson and Dempster.
Below – 11/01/1898 – Dundee Evening Telegraph – An update on the proposal for Friarton Farm.
Below – 15/02/1898 – Dundee Advertiser – Police Commission agree to a brickfield at Friarton Farm.
Below – 04/11/1898 – Dundee Advertiser – Bailie Wood elected magistrate. (Shame about the quality of the print)
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14/03/1899 – Dundee Courier – Mr James Wood, brickmaker has leased the clay at Friarton Farm.
24/06/1899 – The Scotsman – Perthshire Laundry Company to acquire the property called Claypotts on the Estate of Balhousie, Perth and to convert the buildings thereon into a laundry. Subscribers … Charles Wood, brick manufacturer, Perth.
04/11/1899 – Dundee Advertiser – Wanted 2 good men for clay digging at Friarton Brickworks, Perth. Piece work if preferred. Constant work. Immediately.
1901 – Clayworkers Directory – James Wood and Son, Moncrieffe OPttery, Brick and Tile Works, Friarton, Perth, N.B. Horticultural pottery, bricks, drain tiles etc.
Below – 30/08/1902 – Dundee Evening Post – Man charged with a breach at Friarton Brickworks and attempting to assault James Wood.
1903 – James Wood & Son, Brickmaker, Friarton, Perth.
Below – 23/06/1903 – Dundee Evening Post – Vagrant lodging in a brick house (kiln) at Friarton Brick and Tile Works.
Below – 06/11/1903 – Dundee Evening Post –
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(Below – 04/02/1904 – Dundee Evening Telegraph – Concrete block and brick manufacturing plant to be erected at Friarton Farm. Any connection with James Wood?)
26/12/1904 – The Scotsman – On Saturday afternoon the body of a woman was found floating in the River Tay near the Friarton Brickworks, Perth. The body was identified as that of Mary MacDonald who went missing while on a visit from Stanley to Perth on 12th November last.
Below – 16/10/1906 – Dundee Evening Telegraph – Fire at Moncrieff Pottery, Friarton.
Below – 04/03/1909 – Dundee Courier – James Wood dies.
Below – 18/03/1909 – Dundee Courier – Charles Wood dies.
Below – 18/03/1909 – Aberdeen Press and Journal – Charles Wood dies.
Below – 06/07/1909 – Vagrants fines for camping at Friarton Brickworks owned by James Eadie.
Below – 16/09/1911 – The Scotsman – Moncreiffe Pottery and Brickworks, Friarton, Perth for sale –
1901 – Friarton Brick and Tile Works, Perth. (Not detailed on the 1860 or 1931 maps)
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Possible product – Tay
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Below – Many thanks to Thomas Eadie for allowing me to reference his family history research.
My paternal Gt Grandfather Oliver Gourlay Millar Eadie married the daughter of James Wood the proprietor of Friarton Brickworks on 19th Dec 1865 at St Johns EpiscopalChurch in Perth. Their first son James Wood Eadie was left with his Gnd Pts when the family moved, first to N.Wales then later to England, (details available) James Wood Eadie worked for Wood and son as foreman and married Eliza Pearson in 1894 at Parish Church of St Saviour Leeds. He died on 15th Apr 1963 aged 96.
Details; 1861 Census James Wood (Master bricklayer employing 15 men.)
1871 Census. Contractor and brickmaker employing 10 men
1881 Census brick and tile manufacturer employing 4 men, 1 woman and a boy.
His son Charles who inherited the company was also a bricklayer.
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