It appears that the Canadians, particularly in the Montreal area once used Scottish firebricks to clad their new builds, particularly mansion-style houses. Firebricks are heat resistant but in the same breath they can withstand severe cold without flaking or cracking like ordinary bricks hence many houses were built with them in Montreal. From the sample adverts below it seems to have been a big selling point.
Below – 1892 – Place D’Armes – this large square, used for military drills and parades during the French regime, is dominated by Château Frontenac, Quebec City, Quebec, a massive hotel of Scottish firebrick and grey limestone built in 1892 on the site of Fort St Louis to resemble a 16th-century chateau. – page 141.
Below – 19/12/1939– The Montreal Gazette.
Below – 25/07/1941 – The Montreal Gazette.
Below – 16/02/1942 – The Montreal Gazette.
Below – 02/07/1943 – The Montreal Gazette.
17/11/1944 – The Montreal Gazette.
Below – 02/09/1948 – The Montreal Gazette.
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 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….
Found by Patricio Peralta in an old bakery, Lincoln, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. “Calder British Made”. Bonnybridge Silica & Fireclay Co Ltd, Bonnybridge. alt Calder Firebrick Works, Airdrie, Lanarkshire. alt Chapelhall Works, Lanarkshire. Hepworth Ceramic Holdings plc (GR-Stein Refractories Ltd. parent co) bought the Bonnybridge Silica & Fireclay Co. Ltd in 1972, closed Bonnybridge…
Found by Senja Salmi in Sääksjärvi, Mäntsälä, Finland. Senja states – We are not sure how old this house is but at least about 100 years old and it was built by the last blacksmith of this village. Bonnybridge Silica & Fireclay Co Ltd, Bonnybridge. alt Calder Firebrick Works, Airdrie, Lanarkshire. alt Chapelhall Works, Lanarkshire….
Found by Hans Nilsson in the sea at Furuögrund, Sweden. Hans states – The brick was found in Furuögrund north of Skellefteå. Furuögrund was the port where wood products from the area where produced and shipped. At many places ballast was left. The ballast, usually stone not found in Sweden…like flint and sometimes even a…
Found by Sarina Martin in Bremerhaven, Germany. Prestongrange Brick, Tile and Fireclay Works, Prestonpans, East Lothian. . . . .
