Found by Ian Suddaby in Knockentiber, Kilmarnock.
Messrs John Gilmour & Co., manufacturers of bricks and tiles, Bonnyton, Kilmarnock.
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Below – The same stamp on a later style brick found by Michael Fallone in the Glasgow area.
Note the letters are raised on this example.
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Below – One side of this brick is enamelled in white. The other side details 2 sets of 4 fingerprints where the brick appears to have been lifted twice while ‘green’. The fingers just grip the brick and no more. The thumb on both grips would have been on the side of the brick which is now enamelled. There is no trace of any thumb marks. Note also the slightly unusual rear frog with the middle bar.
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Below – The same stamp on a white enamelled brick with chamfered corners to the frog. Found by Jason Sutcliffe in the Ayrshire area. The letters are pressed on this version.
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Below – The same stamp on a white enamelled brick with chamfered corners to the frog. Found by Jason Sutcliffe in the Ayrshire area. The letters are pressed on this version.
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Below – Virtually the same stamp but on this version, the corners are not chamfered and the word ‘Kilmarnock’ is slightly off centre. This is enamelled brown on all 4 sides. Found in Glasgow.
Below – The same stamp on a section of salt glazed wall coping. Found by Michael Fallone in the Glasgow area.
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Below – The same stamp on a brick recovered from an old garage in South Glasgow by Rashid Ahmed. The frog has chamfered corners. Note the channel leading from the from to the side margin. These normal run from the frog to the end margin. ( The exact reason for these channels are unknown but they may simply be to assist with mortar fixing). I am not in possession of this example.
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 Eddie McLean in the Glasgow area. Note the thumbprint to the bottom left. Heathfield Fireclay Works, Garnkirk. . . .
Found by Eddie McLean in the Glasgow area. Heathfield Fireclay Works, Garnkirk. Note the thumbprint to the top right. . . .
Found by Ian Suddaby on the shore at Prestongrange. This example is not in my possession. The manufacturer is unknown but it is very likely to be a product of the Prestongrange Works. It is also believed that ‘Lion’ may represent the customer and indeed this customer may be the Lion Foundry in Kirkintilloch near…
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 Harley Plowman an old 1800s hotel site in New Zealand. Cardowan Fire Clay Works, Stepps, Glasgow. Note the thumbprint. Note the upside-down ‘W’. . .
Found by Ian Suddaby at Bonnyside, Bonnybridge. This example is not in my possession. James Dougall & Sons Ltd, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire Alternative brickworks include: Bonnyside Brickworks, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. Below – A similar stamp with a thumbprint to the top right. Found by Ian Suddaby in the Ravenscraig, Motherwell area.
Found by Ian Suddaby in the Ravenscraig, Motherwell area. This example is not in my possession. The manufacturer of this fire brick is unknown. The find location would suggest Scottish origins but … Ian states – Another pile of sieved bricks at the Dalzell/Colville Steelworks dumping ground in Motherwell and another very interesting find. This firebrick is…
Found by Ian Suddaby in the Ravenscraig, Motherwell area. This example is not in my possession. Note the thumbprint to the top right. Lilliehill Fireclay Works, Townhill, Dunfermline, Fife – Robert Lindsay, brick manufacturer. . .
Found by Ray Thorn at Grandbay, New Brunswick, Canada. Note the thumbprint to the top right. Gartcraig Fire Clay Works, By Millerston, Glasgow. . . . .
