Alexander Wilson & Son Terracotta Manufacturers, Lochhead Works, Dunfermline.
In 1851, the Great Exhibition (for which the Crystal Palace was built) was held in Hyde Park, London. The exhibition was a great success and led Prince Albert, the Prince Consort, to propose the creation of a permanent series of facilities for the enlightenment of the public in the area, which came to be known as Albertopolis. The Exhibition’s Royal Commission bought Gore House and its grounds (on which the Hall now stands) on the advice of the Prince. Progress on the scheme was slow and in 1861 Prince Albert died, without having seen his ideas come to fruition. However, a memorial was proposed for Hyde Park, with a Great Hall opposite.
The proposal was approved and the site was purchased with some of the profits from the Exhibition. Once the remaining funds had been raised, in April 1867 Queen Victoria signed the Royal Charter of the Corporation of the Hall of Arts and Sciences which was to operate the Hall and on 20 May, laid the foundation stone.
The official opening ceremony of the Hall was on 29 March 1871.
The Hall’s distinctive exterior is built from over 6 million red bricks and 80,000 blocks of terracotta and includes a continuous 800-foot long terracotta frieze.
The Industries of Scotland by David Bremner states ” Messrs Alexander Wilson & Son, fire clay manufacturers, Dunfermline have made a great part of the terracotta required at South Kensington (Royal Albert Hall) and are now engaged with the columns, capitals, cornices, friezes, and other ornamental parts. They have been providing all the ashlar work required. The clay used is of a very fine quality”.
HOWEVER – another source states “Gibbs and Canning, a sanitary-pipe factory in Tamworth, Staffordshire, supplied all the terracotta for the Hall, and defended the use of the material. Mr Canning described the terracotta used for the Hall as comprising ‘pure fire-clay’ and a ‘little grog’
Found on the North shore of the Firth of Forth. Lochhead Fireclay Works, Dunfermline, Fife. . . . Below – A broken slab of fire clay. It is stamped ‘A Wilson & Sons Patent Dunfermline N’ – It would have been stamped NB for North Britain but the ‘B’ has broken off. .
1897 – Annual report of the School Committee of the City of Boston – … New Primary Schoolhouse, Vernon street, Roxbury, additional, §14,000. — It will be noted that the next few weeks will witness the completion of several school-houses begun during the previous year, including this new Primary School-house containing ten rooms, and replacing…
Messrs Stewarts and Lloyds Ltd, Main Street, Coatbridge. Clyde Tube Works, Main Street, Coatbridge. Canmore – This building now appears to be a courthouse. Information. 22/09/1906 – Coatbridge Leader – Messrs Stewarts and Lloyds Ltd. Description of new offices. Messrs Stewart and Lloyds Limited have just completed the erection of new offices at the corner…
Many thanks to Mike Allan for the following information and photographs. Mike states – These two octagonal chimney ‘cans’ were salvaged by me from our family house at Osborne Place, Dundee (built 1869). Methven, Kirkcaldy, was in the business of both homewares and utilities. Garnkirk, Lanark, made utilitarian wares. Ours was one of 4 houses,…
Ian Suddaby states – Carrick Academy in Maybole, Ayrshire is soon to replaced with a modern community hub, school and leisure centre. The existing school was built from red brick and red sandstone in 1925 and extra accommodation was added in the 1970s. Digging work in the grounds suggests that the 1925 building was made…
Photographed in a garden in Edinburgh by Ian Suddaby. Street Brothers, Appin Coal and Fire Clay Works, Townhill, Dunfermline – Fire clay – J.S. Street, Manager This product was probably manufactured at their Cruicks Pottery and Terracotta Works, Inverkeithing, Fife. . . . .
Yoker Railway Station, Yoker, Glasgow aka Yoker Ferry Station. The bricks below were recovered by Michael Fallone and his grandson Max Borland at the site of the Yoker Ferry Station, Yoker, Glasgow. The outward appearance of the bricks with regards colour and texture is exactly the same but the bricks were manufactured by two completely…
Found by Drew Mitchell in the Fife area. This brick came from an internal, original wall of Drews house and is therefore dated 1892 as per the house build. Appin Brickworks, Townhill, Dunfermline. . . . .
Found by Gregor Helm just northeast of Townhill, Fife. This example is not in my possession. Manufactured either by the Appin Brickworks, Townhill, Dunfermline or the Lilliehill Fire-clay Works, Townhill, Dunfermline. (Note – SBH – The find location is nearer Lilliehill but …). Below – The same stamp on a red coloured brick. Found by…
Found by Mike Chapman in Woodborough, Nottinghamshire. The brick was found in a pile of hardcore and rubble used to fill holes in a golf course road so its provenance is unknown. This example is not in my possession. Appin Brickworks, Townhill, Dunfermline. . . . .
