Ian Suddaby states: – Exploring the edge of the River Tay in Perth. There are lots of tongue & groove circle bricks made by the Glenboig Company in Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Interestingly, none of these are shown in their undated catalogue that I have so they might not have been made until later on, perhaps in the 1920s or 1930s. There is quite a variety here as can be seen. Different thicknesses and different degrees of curve. All say GLENBOIG on the upper surface which would be invisible once built but all have a code on the outer curved edge which might well have been visible once built. All seem to have F followed by a number between 1 and 55 so far. There is also a P on its own. I’d guess that the P is for the customer (Perth Gasworks) and the F1 / F10 / F55 etc shows the folk building it where each piece went in the structure.
I need to go back when I can and do some much more detailed recording and see if the lower numbers are thicker and maybe went near the base. F10 is certainly thicker by 1¼” than F15 but it needs a lot more measuring to be sure. It would be nice to make sense of codes like these as the knowledge has been lost unless some drawings remain in an archive somewhere. These have all survived some very high temperatures and, apart from demolition damage are in good condition.
These examples are not in my possession.
Glenboig Union Fireclay Company, Glenboig, Lanarkshire.
Alternative brickworks include:
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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 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….
Found by Gary Hibberd near Penicuik. Glenboig Union Fireclay Company, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Alternative brickworks include: Glenboig Star Fireclay Works, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Glenboig Fireclay Works, (Old Works) Glenboig, Lanarkshire
Found by Flipp Metlin in a basement floor in Saint Petersburg, on Vasilievskiy Island, Russia. Glenboig Union Fireclay Company, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Alternative brickworks include: Glenboig Star Fireclay Works, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Glenboig Fireclay Works, (Old Works) Glenboig, Lanarkshire It is likely there is a dash and a downward arrow stamped on the right of the brick…
Found by Ian Suddaby by the Firth of Forth in Central Scotland. 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….
Found by Amin Hz who states ‘This brick was found in an old oil well drilling company, probably 50 years ago, in the area of Koh Bink, located 23 km from Ganaveh Port, Iran’. Glenboig Union Fireclay Company, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Alternative brickworks include: Glenboig Star Fireclay Works, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Glenboig Fireclay Works, (Old Works) Glenboig,…
Found by Ian Suddaby at Clydebank, Glasgow. This example is not in my possession. Glenboig Union Fireclay Company, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Alternative brickworks include: Glenboig Star Fireclay Works, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Glenboig Fireclay Works, (Old Works) Glenboig, Lanarkshire Below – This is a hanger brick with the hanger slots on the stretcher side. .
Found by John Musty in the Derby area. This example is not in my possession. Glenboig Union Fireclay Company, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Alternative brickworks include: Glenboig Star Fireclay Works, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Glenboig Fireclay Works, (Old Works) Glenboig, Lanarkshire .
The following bricks were found in Suriname, South America by Marnix (John) Visser. Marnix states – I have found several bricks on an old Scottish plantation in Suriname South America with the name Waterloo and located in Nickerie at the border with Guyana. James Balfour was the plantation owner. . . Below – Hurlford –…
