Many thanks to Chris Hawksworth for the following information.
I am not in possession of this example.
This white enamelled fire clay sink was rescued from a lab at Glasgow University when it was thrown out during a refurbishment.
It is stamped Steele Bros with additional hand-scribed marks which may say 16.2.77 (Date of manufacture ?) and A LCL 9 T?
Steele Bros & Sons Ltd, Niddrie Fire Clay Works, Portobello.
.
.
.
Below – B8 1229?
.
.
19/11/1949 – The Scotsman – New fireclay mine at Niddrie. Messrs Steele Bros of the Niddrie Fireclay Works have started the driving of a fireclay mine close to the burn which forms the Edinburgh City boundary south of Niddrie. Hitherto the firm has drawn its fireclay supplies from Lanarkshire but boring revealed the possibility of…
Many thanks to Debbie Hanson for sending these photographs of an unusual item with a mystery use. This white enamelled fireclay ‘sink’ was manufactured by Shanks & Co Ltd, Barrhead, Scotland sometime after 1898. On the underside, you can see a circle of drain holes. The typical bend which would have surrounded these holes and…
(Note – SBH – I am not convinced this company actually manufactured fireclay goods. They may have been sanitary engineers and merchants. to be clarified). 1886 – William B Morrison, fire brick maker and manufacturer of fire clay goods, 400 Eglinton Street, Glasgow. 04/09/1888 – North British Daily – International Exhibition, William B Morrison, sanitary…
The following photograph was taken by Andy Arthur in the gents loos, Bow Bar, West Bow, Edinburgh. The mark is stamped on a cistern. Steele Bros & Sons Ltd, Niddrie Fire Clay Works, Portobello. . . . .
Canmore 1874 – Established? – Kenneth Sanderson states The Niddrie Coal Company Ltd was incorporated in 1874 to work the Edge Coalfields of Niddrie, Edmonstone and Woolmet. The capital was 31,000, £10 shares of which 25% were owned by George Simpson of Benhar. A brickworks making fire bricks for the Edinburgh market was established about…
Found By Tucker Kennedy on the Ayrshire coast. William B Morrison, fire brick maker and manufacturer of fire clay goods, 400 Eglinton Street, Glasgow. . . . . Below – The same stamp on a sink photographed by Robert Reid in the Ayrshire area. . . .
Found by David McGarrigle in Paisley Knock Patent no. 270605, Robert Brown & Son Ltd Paisley A broken section of sanitary ware Robert Brown & Son, Ferguslie Fireclay Works and Caledonian Brick and Tile Works, Paisley. . . 08/10/1987 – The Glasgow Herald – The missing link in Paisley’s toilet chain. Re toilets, it was interesting,…
John Shanks – “The sun never sets on the name Shanks.” Around 1850, a contract to install a bell and clock in the Bourock Church tower in Barrhead was given to the joiner Abraham Bodys. He sub-let the plumber and sheet metal contract to a young Paisley plumber named John Shanks. This appears to have…
The National Museum, Edinburgh are in possession of this broken sanitary ware bearing the following Scottish trademark – Buick Alloa Scotland Buicks, Hilton Fireclay Works, Alloa . .
The National Museum, Edinburgh are in possession of this broken sanitary ware bearing the following Scottish trademark – Shanks and Co. Ltd, Barrhead, Scotland . . . Below – and this same mark but in a different style – Kingston upon Thames. .
