This unmarked red clay brick was found by Ian Suddaby and is interesting for several reasons. Ian states:-
Below – 1852 – 1853 – What appears to be a row of Gunpowder Mills are shown in 1853 alongside the Gore Water at Gorebridge in Midlothian, Scotland.
Down in the river, an impressive sandstone wall with some intriguing openings overlooks the water. I thought this would be a prime location to find some dated Arniston bricks from the 1850s to the 1870s as they were made just down the valley but I found none. In fact, the only brick worth taking was this extruded wire cut example.
I know this is another instance of a niche interest within a niche interest but early extruded bricks cut by an arc wire or blade and with five stab holes from a handling implement are interesting. In this example, the implement backing plate hasn’t left a mark on the brick. Some of the holes might be partly blocked with grit (despite my efforts) but the deepest is 2″ in depth. There are several marks on the brick which might be fingerprints and one header is misshapen, probably from excess kiln heat but possibly from heating during use. A nice addition to my collection of these bricks.
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 Ian Suddaby on the River Leven at Dumbarton. This example is not in my possession. Ian states – This extruded red brick has been handled using a three-pronged tool. The impression of the frame is also clear enough, usually only the prong marks can be seen. I’ve highlighted the shape in the photo. The…
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. . .
