Derby Brickworks - part 2

In part 2 of Derby Brickworks, I cover the brickmakers who operated in the rest of Derby. 

Normanton.

I start with a brickworks which was known as Melbourne Junction, Normanton Brickworks & Sinfin Lane. This works was next to the railway at Melbourne Junction & is recorded on maps as the Normanton Brickworks on Sinfin Lane, Normanton.

 © Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NLS/Ordnance Survey 1900.

Photo taken at the Silk Mill Museum, Derby.

As wrote in Derby Brickmakers - part 1 John Holmes had been in the partnership of Bennett, Holmes & Kay at Stockbrook Lane up to early 1878. John then went on to open up a new brickworks at Melbourne Junction, naming it the Junction Brickworks as recorded in the Derbyshire Advertiser newspaper dated 26th of July 1878 - shown below. This brickworks site which contained a very deep & extensive bed of superior brick clay situated next to the Birmingham to Derby Railway had been originally advertised "To Let" by Mr. John Shaw of College Place, Derby in a newspaper advert dated 21st of August 1872. So it appears that this site was not let until John Holmes came along in 1878. I do not have any trade directory entries for John Holmes at this works only the census listing in 1881 recording him as a brickmaker & as wrote in Derby Brickmakers - part 1, he may have taken up brickmaking with Thomas Bennett as early as 1872, because in the 1871 census he is recorded as grocer & flour dealer.

  Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

My next newspaper find in the Derbyshire Advertiser dated 5th of January 1883 advertises John Holmes of the Melbourne Junction Brickworks was selling 30,000 assorted drain pipes, a Schofield's brick making machine, a Schofield brick press & other brick making plant. Apply at the Works or J. Holmes, Victoria Villas, Uttoxeter New Road, Derby. Then another notice in the Derby Daily Telegraph dated 27th January 1883 reports Mr. Miles was auctioning the previously listed drain pipes & machinery at the Melbourne Junction Brickworks. So in conclusion John had decided to close the brickworks.  

It then appears Thomas Bennett, the Bennett in Bennett, Holmes & Kay, after working at the Parcel Terrace Brickworks, then takes over this Melbourne Junction works on Sinfin Lane. Kelly's 1887 edition lists Thomas Bennett as brickmaking at Sinfin Lane, Derby. According to his descendant Thomas died in 1891 while still working as a brickmaker. As yet no bricks have turned up made by Thomas at this works.

 Photo taken at the Silk Mill Museum, Derby.

The next owner of this Melbourne Junction brickworks, Sinfin Lane was John Walley junior & he is recorded at the Normanton Brickworks in Kelly's 1891 edition. This is the only entry for Walley as we next find William Eaton is listed in Kelly's 1895, 1899 & 1904 editions at Normanton. William Eaton is also recorded as living in Normanton. In 1906 William Eaton joined forces with four other Derby brickmakers in forming the Derby Brick Company & I write more about Eaton & his Normanton works in Derby Brickworks - part 1.

Further research has revealed William Eaton from 1895 was a co-partner with Samuel Hall at the Bull Bridge Brick Co. in Sawmills, Ambergate, Derbys. & from the 13th of October 1899 this partnership was dissolved by mutual consent & the Sawmill's works was then to be solely operated by William Eaton under his own name which he continued to run up to 1916. 

There were two more brickworks to the north-west of Normanton village as shown on the 1880 OS map below & one of them I believe was occupied by my next brickmaker, James Reading.

 © Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NLS/Ordnance Survey 1880.

Reading/Normanton brick photographed at the Silk Mill Museum, Derby.

The London Gazette dated 2nd October 1877 records James Reading, builder & brickmaker of Burton Road, Derby; brickworks, Normanton, had declared himself bankrupt & any debts not yet proven were to be declared before the 12th of October 1877 to William Holbrook, Auctioneer & Accountant of Full Street, Derby. Dated 29th of September 1877. The 1880 OS map above shows two brick yards to the north-west of the village, one of which is marked as disused (coloured green) & it is this works which I am favouring was owned by James Reading. It is unknown who owned the purple coloured works. The 1899 OS map shows no trace of either of these two brickworks.

Spondon.

 © Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NLS/Ordnance Survey 1881.

On the Spondon O.S. map above dated 1881 I have coloured the three brickworks which are on this map, of which one is marked disused. 

Although I do not have proof of the ownership of these yards, I think that the yellow works was owned in 1881 by Richard Bennett then by Richard Bennett & Co. after his death in 1885, closing around 1897. The blue disused works may have been owned by Richard's father Thomas Bennett. This leaves the red works & I have two entries in Kelly's 1876 & 1881 editions for the Antill Brothers brickmaking at Spondon & this may have been their yard. As yet no bricks have been found with Antill Brothers stamped in them.

Photo taken at the Silk Mill Museum, Derby.

Chaddesden Hill.

© Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NLS/Ordnance Survey 1900.

Charles Dyche is listed in Kelly's 1855 & White's 1857 editions at Chaddesden Hill, Derby. Although I do not know the exact location of Charles Dyche's brickworks at Chaddesden Hill in 1855, I have used the 1900 map above to show a later brickworks owned by the Derby Kilburn Colliery Company which was also situated on Chaddesden Hill. So Charles' brickworks may have occupied the same or a close by site. Where it says Cowsley on the map above the 1880 map reveals a pond/area of water which may have been Charles' clay pit ? 

This Chaddesden brick, photographed at the Silk Mill Museum, Derby has Dyche stamped on the other side, but unfortunately I did turn the brick over to photograph it. Then a fellow collector photographed the same brick & this has revealed that it has got the same stamp mark as the Dyche brick above which I have got in my collection, but mine has not got Chaddesden on the reverse.

There is the possibility that because of the texture of the clay this Derby brick was also made by Charles Dyche. I have also found a J. Dyche is listed in Kelly's 1855 edition at 51 Sitwell Street, Derby & Sitwell Street is in nearby Spondon. So this J. Dyche may have lived at this address & then worked with Charles ?


I now move on to the Derby Kilburn Colliery Company who's brickworks was also on Chaddesden Hill.

The Derby Kilburn Colliery Company was formed on the 2nd of April 1891 with a capital of £30,000 in £100 shares & in doing so took over a colliery at Stanley called the Stanley Kilburn Colliery previously owned by the Small Brothers who went bankrupt in 1885. The first directors of this new company were T.P. Hickman & C. Moore. It may have been from this colliery's name that Derby Kilburn Colliery Company took part of it's name from. The company then expanded by opening the Footrill drift mine which was to the south-west of Manor Farm in Stanley. They used Stanley Kilburn pit to vent air into & pump water out of the drift mine. D.K.C.C. then built their own tramway from the drift mine to Chaddesden Hill from where their coal was conveyed to Derby. It may have been after this tramway was up & running that DKCC then opened their brickworks at Chaddesden Hill & the works is shown on the 1900 OS map above at the terminus of the tramway. Bricks were made using clay shale from the mine in beehive kilns & some of these bricks where used to build four semi-detached houses at Klondyke on the edge of Stanley village. By 1918 D.K.C.C. had closed their brickworks & Stanley pit due to financial difficulties & their works was sold over three days on the 30th April, 1st & 2nd of May 1919. I have found that the Footrill drift mine had already been taken over by the Mapperley Colliery Company in December 1908. 

© Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NLS/Ordnance Survey 1900.

The 1900 map above shows the distance the tramway travelled from the Footrill's drift mine near Stanley village to Chaddesden Hill. It must have been a feat of engineering to build this tramway. Also coloured yellow is Stanley Kilburn Colliery. If you wish to study this map in more detail I have pasted the link below.
https://maps.nls.uk/view/101601561

Also if you wish to read more details about this amazing tramway, please follow the link below. 
https://www.chaddesdenhistorygroup.co.uk/colliery-tramway-opening

Chellaston.

© Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NLS/Ordnance Survey, surveyed 1879/81.

My first reference to a brick-yard at Chellaston comes in the form of a "For Sale" advert which appeared in the Derbyshire Advertiser dated 27th of March 1863. "To be Sold or Let with immediate possession, excellent brick-yard standing on 6 acres of land, with first-rate bed of clay, dwelling house, kiln, sheds, stables, outbuildings & plant etc. Apply Mr. Pool, Auctioneer, Derby. Birch & Ryde are listed in Kelly's 1876 edition as brickmakers at Chellaston, so had this duo purchased this works from Mr. Pool in 1863 ?

In Wright's 1874 edition Birch & Ryde are listed as plaster pit owners & may have owned the California gypsum mine marked just to the right of the brickworks on the 1879 map above. It is in Kelly's 1876 edition that we find that Birch & Ryde are listed as brick & tile manufacturers at Chellaston. As you can see on the map above there is no clay pit next to the works, so as well as bringing coal to the works via their tramway, B & R must have also brought clay to the works via road & then their tramway. As to where the clay came from whether it was from their gypsum mine or a 2nd option is the unmarked (at this date) clay pit with tramway which I have coloured blue, is unknown. If they did own the blue coloured area, it appears that they did not own the land between the clay pit & the brickworks, so therefore they had transport the clay by road & then by their tramway to the works. A later map does show that the next owners of the works did have direct access to this clay pit.

  B & R's brick & tile where both photographed at the Silk Mill Museum, Derby.

Photo by Simon Booth.

© Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NLS/Ordnance Survey 1899.

As you can now see on the 1899 map above the tramway has gone & the works has direct access to the clay pits, some of which are marked as old clay pits by 1899. 
So the next brickmaker to be recorded at Chellaston is T.P. Stableford in 1881 & he must have been responsible for extending the clay pits at the works.

Thomas Porter Stableford b.1821 is listed in Kelly's 1881 edition to it's 1904 edition as brick making in Chellaston. Then son John Thomas Stableford b.1862 is listed at this works in Kelly's 1908 to 1916 editions. A web article has revealed that John Thomas Stableford after the war modernised the works building a Hoffman kiln & replacing the steam engine with a gas fired one. In doing all these changes John got into financial trouble & to ease his situation he accepted a loan from F.W. Gilbert, however John soon got deeper into trouble & the the loan was foreclosed. F.W. Gilbert then took over the brickworks & John was made works manager, hence there being no more trade directory listings for John after 1916. In 1922 John Stableford was made redundant & the brickworks was closed by Gilbert. If you look at the 1899 map above you will see a house marked Woodlands next to the brickworks & this is where Thomas Stableford & John Stableford lived. These clay pits where also known as Woodlands Brickpits. As of yet, no bricks stamped John Stableford, Chellaston have turned up, unless he carried on stamping his bricks with his father's name on. 

 Both Stableford bricks where photographed at the Silk Mill Museum, Derby.

Photographed at the Silk Mill Museum, Derby by Frank Lawson.

© Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NLS/Ordnance Survey, surveyed 1937/8.

From the same article as some of the Stableford info has come from, I found that in 1923 F.W. Gilbert joined forces with J.E. Williamson forming Chellaston Minerals & the Woodlands Brickworks was re-opened. Chellaston Minerals is first listed in Kelly's 1928 edition with J.E. Williamson as Managing Director. 

Bricks were in great demand during both World Wars from this works especially the 2nd, because the Company (Chellaston Minerals) had to keep a sufficient stock of bricks to rebuild Rolls Royce in case of major damage by enemy bombs.  

While digging for clay, gypsum was also dug & was sold to produced plaster by the company. The company continues to be listed in the brick & tile makers section of Kelly's Directory up to it's 1941 edition, the last available directory. 

In 1948 the Woodland Brickworks was purchased by Mr. Sissons of Langley Mill who then change the company name to the Chellaston Brick Co. A gypsum mine article states that the gypsum on this site had run out by 1965. In 1976 a company called Granwood Flooring of Somercotes took over the brickworks, but after only two years the brickworks closed for good in 1978. Bricks made by these last two companies have still to turn up.

If you wish to view a 1937 photo of the Woodland Works on Picture the Past, I have pasted the link below.
http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;DMAG000714&pos=2&action=zoom

Shelton Lock Brickworks near Chellaston.

© Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NLS/Ordnance Survey, surveyed 1879.

Situated next to the Derby Canal I have coloured this Shelton Lock brickyard yellow on the 1879 map above. Thomas Cooper is recorded as brickmaker in White's 1857 edition at Shelton Lock, Chellaston with George Shelton listed as manager. However the Derbyshire Advertiser date 5th of September 1856 records Thomas Cooper as a Bankrupt & the Assignee had been charged to sell the Brick Yard & it's contents which included 150,000 common & pressed bricks on the 17th of September 1856. So I can only assume the trade directory had not been informed of Cooper's bankruptcy before it went to print. Cooper may have only operated this yard for a short time with him not being listed in Kelly's 1855 edition.   

 T. Cooper/Shelton brick photographed at the Silk Mill Museum, Derby.

A search in old newspapers has revealed Tomlinson & Harper next owned this Shelton Lock brickworks in the early 1860's & after their partnership was dissolved in 1863 it the took until May 1867 for the stock & equipment at this works to be sold at Auction as per a Notice in the Derbyshire Advertiser. 

Thomas Clews, a farmer is next recorded as leasing this brick yard for a term of 10 years from the 25th of March 1876 at the minimum aggregate rents of £76 5s. 6d. According to this notice Thomas Clews also occupied the house which came with the brickyard. However as you will see the brick below is stamped A. Clews & Co. Thomas had a son called Arthur L. Clews & he is recorded as a brewers clerk, aged 17 in the 1871 census & it appears Thomas had leased the brickyard for Arthur to run. However A. Clews & Co. did not last long because in June 1880 the lease on the brickyard was once again being offered as a going concern & I found Arthur had moved to Wales as a Travelling Salesman in the brewery trade. There is another twist to tell you that in November 1880 Thomas Clews & Sons were advertising in the Derby Telegraph first class bricks for sale at reduced prices, so it appears Thomas had another son & they were running the brickyard together. 

 A. Clewes/Chellaston brick was photographed at the Silk Mill Museum, Derby by Frank Lawson.

As just wrote in June 1880 the Shelton Lock brickworks was advertised in the Derbyshire Advertiser to be Let as a going concern & it appears the lease was not taken up because in May 1885 the works was advertised again in the same newspaper, but this time to be Sold as a going concern, so I am thinking it was in May 1885 when the Shelton Brick Co. purchased the works. There are no Trade Directory listings for the Shelton Brick Co. so I do not know how long this company ran the works for. The Shelton Lock brickworks is no longer shown on the 1899 OS map.

Weston Underwood.

© Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NLS/Ordnance Survey, surveyed 1880.

James Miller is listed in Kelly's 1864 to 1887 editions at Weston Underwood, Derby. 
More can be read at the link below about James, his family & his brickworks in this blog written by one of his descendants Brett Payne who lives in New Zealand. A very interesting blog which requires more time to read his many posts about Derbyshire towns & it's inhabitants. The posts include many old photographs which is his passion. 
http://photo-sleuth.blogspot.co.uk/2008/11/james-miller-1815-1893-drainage-man.html

Duffield.

© Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NLS/Ordnance Survey, surveyed 1879/80.

I have been unable to find a brickmaker in trade directories with the initials of I.J. at Duffield, but I have found Samuel Jennens & Son recorded as brickmakers in Kelly's 1876 edition at Duffield, Belper. So I expect I.J. is more than likely the son.

Photos by MF, courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection.

I found this O. Smedley rev. Duffield at a reclamation yard in April 2023 & Kelly's 1881 edition records Owen Smedley at Duffield, so I assuming he took over Jennens' works. How long Smedley operated this Duffield works is unknown because in Kelly's 1891 edition Smedley is listed as operating a brickworks in Loscoe, Derbyshire. I've wrote more about Smedley at Loscoe in this post.

https://eastmidlandsnamedbricks.blogspot.com/2015/05/belper-loscoe-wirksworth-brickworks.html 

I wish to thank the following people for their help & use of their maps & photos.

Silk Mill Museum, Derby - for giving me access to their brick collection & permission to use my images in this post.
http://www.derbymuseums.org

National Library of Scotland & Ordnance Survey - use of their maps.

Frank Lawson - photos.

Derby Brickworks - part 1

In part 1 of Derby Brickworks I concentrate on the brickmakers who operated in the Uttoxeter Road area of Derby. On the 1882 surveyed O.S. map below, I have numbered each of the brickworks that I will write about in this post. Then I conclude the post with information on the Derby Brick Co. which took over five of these yards in 1906. 

 © Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NLS/Ordnance Survey, Published 1886, Surveyed 1882.

Yard 1 - Slack Lane.

The Slack Lane brickworks was owned by the Bennett family & I have wrote about this family who worked at various brickworks across the Midlands in my Bennett post, so a more detailed account of the Bennett family can be read at the link below.
http://eastmidlandsnamedbricks.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/bennett-brickmakers-in-derby-nottingham.html

So in this entry I concentrate on the Bennett's that worked at Slack Lane. This brickworks had it's access via Slack Lane which connected to Uttoxeter Old Road & in some trade directories this brickworks address is given as Uttoxeter Old Road & with the works also having access through Yard 2, Rowditch on to Uttoxeter New Road, there are some trade directory entries giving the address Uttoxeter New Road or Uttoxeter Road. I have to note that all of these address' refer to the Slack Lane Works coloured yellow on the map above. 

My first trade directory entry that I have found for Thomas Bennett is in Glover's 1849 edition at New Uttoxeter Road, then in Freebody's 1852 edition at Slack Lane. There is the possibility that Thomas may have established his brickmaking business before 1849. Thomas next appears in White's 1857 edition at Slack Lane & then in Kelly's 1864 edition at Uttoxeter New Road. As said all these address relate to the Slack Lane works. 

Thomas Bennett died in October 1871 & his brickworks was then run by his son Richard who is named in his Will as a brickmaker & Executor. Also named in Thomas's Will as an Executor is Thomas's son-in-law Henry Leese who had married his eldest daughter Mary in 1853. Richard Bennett & Henry Leese then went into partnership as Bennett & Leese around 1872 with brickworks at Slack Lane, Derby; Spondon; Melbourne & Stoke. This Melbourne works was actually in Kings Newton which was in the Parish of Melbourne. In 1881 Henry Leese as well as being in this partnership establish his own brickmaking business at the Rowditch Brickworks (Yard 2) next door to the Slack Lane Works, but this venture was short lived as Henry died in 1882. 

Richard Bennett is listed in Kelly's 1881 trade directory as owning the Slack Lane works in his own name. Richard continues to run the works until his death in 1885. Kelly's 1887 edition then records Mrs Bennett & the Executors of Richard's Will as running the company.

We then find in Kelly's 1891 edition that the entry for this works is now Richard Bennett & Co. & was run by his Executors; wife, Elizabeth Bennett; farmer, Henry Boam & Engineer, William Sayer. In the 1901 census Richard's son Richard Charles Bennett, aged 24 is recorded as Brick Manufacturer & will have been running Richard Bennett & Co. at this date. Kelly's 1904 edition is the last entry for Richard Bennett & Co. 

The London Gazette dated 28th of August 1906 (page1, page 2) reveals Richard Bennett & Co. was voluntarily wound up on the 2nd of July 1906 by it's members & on the 24th of July an agreement was signed for the Derby Brick Co. to purchase the brickworks previously owned by Richard Bennett & Co. Shares & debentures in the Derby Brick Co. were then distributed to the share holders of the former company. This notice was signed by Chairman William Sayer. The formation of the Derby Brick Co. Ltd. had all come about with an amalgamation of five local Derby brick companies in 1906 with the common interest in saving unnecessary expense & to stop the under-cutting of the price of their bricks between themselves. With William Sayer being Chairman of Richard Bennett & Co. he then took up a position within this new company of the Derby Brick Co. At the time of his death in 1918 William Sayer was the Chairman of the Derby Brick Co. It is unknown if Richard Bennett's son Richard Charles Bennett, brick manufacturer in 1901 took up a position within the Derby Brick Co. after 1906, but by the 1911 census Richard is recorded as a "Engineer Disengaged" & still living with his mother Elizabeth in Derby, who is listed as "Living on her own means".

For some unknown reason the Slack Lane brickworks is not listed in trade directories as being owned by the Derby Brick Co. until Kelly's 1925 edition, but after that date it continues to be listed until the last available Kelly's directory in 1941. When the Slack Lane works closed is unknown & today this former brickworks site forms part of the Kingsway Retail Park. I write more about the Derby Brick Co. later.

Yard 2 - Rowditch.

The Rowditch brickworks had been started by Joseph Harpur who is recorded in the 1841 census as brickmaker at Rowditch Farm on Uttoxeter Road. The works had been built on land next to the Harpur family's 18th century farmhouse. Joseph is then recorded in Bagshaw's 1846 edition at the works. After Joseph had passed away in 1853, his son John took over the works & John is listed in Kelly's 1855 edition & White's 1857 edition as being in the partnership of Tomlinson & Harpur at the Rowditch works.

Please note that Harpur is spelt with an e on this brick & is the incorrect spelling of his name.

We next find in the London Gazette that the partnership of John Tomlinson & John Harpur was dissolved by mutual consent on the 23rd of February 1863. John Harpur is then recorded as running the works on his own in this Gazette Notice & he is listed in Kelly's 1864 & Wright's 1874 editions at the Rowditch works. 

Photographed at the Silk Mill Museum, Derby.

Henry Leese is next recorded as brickmaker at the Rowditch brickworks in Kelly's 1881 edition. Henry had been in the partnership of Bennett & Leese at the Slack Lane Brickworks (Yard 1) since 1872. Sadly Henry died in 1882. Up to yet no bricks have been found with just Leese, Derby stamped in them.

Joseph Tomlinson b.1836 is next listed as brickmaker at the Uttoxeter Road works (Rowditch) in Kelly's 1891 edition. Joseph Tomlinson may had been a descendant of the Tomlinson who had been in the partnership of Tomlinson & Harpur at the Rowditch works as recorded in 1855 & 1857. Joseph's works entry in Kelly's 1895 edition is now given as Rowditch, Uttoxeter Road. There is also the addition of Duke Street. I have found that Duke Street is next to the river & on an 1882 map it shows coal wharfs are located on this street, so it looks like Joseph owned one of these wharfs in 1895. Joseph continues to be listed in Kelly's up to it's 1904 edition at Rowditch & Duke Street. Kelly's 1908 edition only records Joseph at Duke Street & we next find in the same directory that the Rowditch works along with the California brickworks on Stockbrook Street are now owned by the newly formed Derby Brick Company which was established in 1906 by five local Derby brickmakers & that included Joseph Tomlinson. As yet no bricks have been found with Tomlinson of Derby stamped in them. As previously wrote in the Slack Lane Works entry the Derby Brick Co. was formed in March 1906 to take over the running of this works & four others in Derby. 

From information received I can now add that Joseph Tomlinson's principle job was as a General Contractor in Derby which included working for the railways, so I expect having the capacity to supply bricks from his own brickworks was a bonus in obtaining new contracts. Joseph Tomlinson around 1891 also took over the running of the Mansfield Stone & Brick Works situated at the end of Moor Lane, Mansfield. After new streets had been laid in 1898/9 this works was accessed off Princess Street & from 1916 this works was run by his grandson, Francis Joseph Tomlinson. Joseph's son John Drabble Tomlinson is recorded as a brickworks foreman in the 1911 census, so three generations worked at the Mansfield works, father, son & grandson.  

Back to the Derby Brick Co. & they continue to be listed in Kelly's at the Rowditch brickworks up to the last available trade directory in 1941. The year this works closed under DBC is unknown, however from information sent to me it was still operational in 1953. The Derby Brick Co. was placed into Liquidation on the 6th of March 1968. Today the Rowditch site along with the former Slack Lane brickworks site forms part of the Kingsway Retail Park. 

A photo of the Rowditch brickworks with Rowditch Farm in the foreground can be seen at the link below. There is also a little bit of history of the Harpur family on this family website.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=457723.0 

Yards 3 & 4 - Stockbrook Lane/Street.

Stockbrook Street as we know it as today was previously called Stockbrook Lane & Lane appears in trade directories up to 1887. Research has revealed that Yards 3 & 4 as shown on the 1882 OS map above started as one yard called the California Brickworks - Yard 3. It then changed hands between 1876 & 1878 & was converted into two yards with Yard 3 being run by the owner & with Yard 4 being leased or sold to another brickmaker. Both yards were then taken over by the Derby Brick Co. in 1906 & Yard 4 was demolished between 1908 & 1913 to make way for an extension to Yard 3's clay pit. Also to note is that the Stockbrook Street works in 1937 was also accessible from Spring Street as shown on an 1937 aerial photograph from Britain From Above which I show later in the post under the Derby Brick Co. 

Bennett/California brick, photos taken at the Silk Mill Museum, Derby.

First of all I have to say that this Thomas Bennett b.1823 is a different Thomas Bennett to the Thomas Bennett b.1806 - d. October 1871 that owned the Slack Lane Works - Yard 1.

As previously wrote this Stockbrook Lane site started as one brickworks & was known as the California Brickworks, so Yard 3 on the 1882 map above. The first entry for this works appears in Wright's 1874 edition when Thomas Bennett (b.1823) is listed as brickmaker on Stockbrook Lane, Derby. We then find Thomas Bennett went into partnership with John Holmes & William Nicholson Kay at this brickworks as Bennett, Holmes & Kay & they are listed at the California Brickworks, Stockbrook Lane in Kelly's 1876 edition. 

 Photo taken at the Silk Mill Museum, Derby.

There is the only directory entry for the trio as the London Gazette reveals that on the 30th of June 1878 the partnership of Bennett, Holmes & Kay was dissolved by mutual consent & all debts due by or to the said late company would be paid & received by the said Thomas Bennett. 

A Derbyshire Advertiser advert dated 26th of July 1878 regarding John Holmes reveals Bennett, Holmes & Kay had sold their "Business" to the Trustees of the Late Mr. Dusautoy (died September 1874) who were operating as Dusautoy & Co. after his death.

I have found from a family website that John Holmes is recorded in the 1871 census as Grocer & Flour Dealer. Then in the 1881 census John is recorded as brickmaker & living at 81, Uttoxeter New Road. So I take it that John had taken up brickmaking before 1876 & it may have been as early as 1874 when he joined Bennett & Kay in their partnership at Stockbrook Lane. After the break up of their partnership John Holmes then established a new yard at Melbourne Junction (Sinfin Lane, Normanton) in 1878 & I write about that works in my next post, Derby Brickworks - part 2.

I next received this information from John & Shirley Bennett who live in Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada which confirms that their Thomas Bennett is a different Thomas to the Thomas Bennett at Slack Lane. 

My 2nd Great Grandfather, Thomas Bennett, was a part owner of the California Brickworks located on Stockbrook Street in Derby from 1874 to 1878, then continuing as a brickmaker until his death in 1891. The three partners in this company are listed as Bennett, Holmes and Kay. Stockbrook Field House was the home of the Bennett family. Thomas Bennett was born in Burton on Trent and moved to Derby around 1840. When he was married in 1843, the father of the bride, Thomas Green, was described as a brick maker. Thomas Bennett was a boot maker and grocer prior to delving in to the brick industry. I do not believe that my Thomas Bennett was connected to Thomas/Richard Bennett on Uttoxeter Road.

With delved into Ancestry myself I have found some more info on this Thomas Bennett, so here are my findings.

Thomas Bennett was born in Burton on Trent in 1823. His father John was born in Tutbury & was shoe & boot maker all his life. Thomas Bennett, a shoe maker, aged 20 then marries Sarah Elizabeth Green aged 19 on the 17th April 1843 & they go on to produce 2 boys & 5 girls. Sarah's father, Thomas Green, born Littleover was a Brick Master at the time of the wedding, but later censuses record him as a brick labourer. Sarah dies & widow Thomas then marries Esther Jackson who was born in 1831 in Mickleover. The marriage of Thomas a shoemaker & Esther took place on the 21st October 1860. The couple went on to have 3 boys & 1 girl. The 1861 census records Thomas as a Boot Maker & Grocer living in Sadler Gate, Derby with his family. The 1871 census records Thomas as Grocer & living with his family at Morley Street, Derby. From John & Shirley's info Thomas became a brickmaker in 1874. I have him in the partnership of Bennett, Holmes & Kay in Kelly's 1876 edition at the California Works, Stockbrook Street. Thomas is then recorded at another yard on Parcels Terrace (Yard 5) in Kelly's 1881 edition & I write about Thomas & this yard later. The 1881 census records Thomas as a retired brickmaker living with his family at Stockbrook House, however I have one one trade directory recording Thomas as a brickmaker on Sinfin Lane in Kelly's 1887 edition & I write about Thomas at this works in Derby Brickmakers - part 2. Thomas dies in 1891 before the 1891 census, as there is no entry for him.

Back to Stockbrook Street & now in the hands of Dusautoy & Co. from 1878 we find as per 1882 map a second brickworks - Yard 4 had been built alongside the California Works - Yard 3 & this new works was being run by James Kent, a Derby, Miller, Corn Merchant & Maltster & I write about him after I have wrote about Dusautoy & Co. I have not been able to establish if Dusautoy & Co. sold or leased the land Yard 4 was built on to James Kent. 

I next write about the California Works, Stockbrook Street (Yard 3) purchased by the Trustees of Edward Dusautoy's Estate in 1878 from Bennett, Holmes & Kay, but first I tell you Edward Dusautoy owned a brickworks in 1874 on land situated off Parcel Terrace, Uttoxeter Old Road, Derby & was known as the Parcel Fields Works - Yard 5 & I write about that yard later. As wrote Edward Dusautoy died in September 1874 & his business was then operated by the Trustees of his Estate as Dusautoy & Co. His only son George was only 15 when he died & the 1881 census reveals Edward's wife Jane is listed as a Brick Manufacturer employing 58 men & 17 boys. In Edward's will, Edward is recorded as a builder & his wife Jane was the sole Executor. Kelly's 1881 edition list Dusautoy & Co. as operating two works, the California Works on Stockbrook Lane & a works situated off Parcel Terrace, Uttoxeter Old Road. Kelly's 1887 edition now only lists the California Works which was now classed as being on Stockbrook Street. There's a strong case for the Dusautoy brick above being made by Dusautoy & Co. with it not having E for Edward stamped in it. From 1881 to 1887 Thomas Bennett either leased or purchased the Parcel Terrace Works from Dusautoy & Co., after which I think this brickworks closed. In the 1891 census George Dusautoy is recorded as a Brickyard Manager, so Jane was still running Dusautoy & Co's California Works in 1891. 

I have found a reference on the web stating in 1900 George Dusautoy, a Brick & Tile Manufacturer along with local solicitor, William Hollis Briggs purchased some land from the executors of George Wheeldon's Estate to build the houses which is now Wheeldon Avenue, Statham Street & White Street. So with this information I take it that George had taken over the running of Dusautoy & Co. by 1900. Jane Dusautoy died in December 1904. Trade directories continue to list Dusautoy & Co. at Stockbrook Street up to Kelly's 1904 edition.

We then find in 1906 the Derby Brick Co. was formed by five Derby brickmakers including George Dusautoy & George was elected Managing Director of this company, a position he held until his death in 1927. 

 Photo taken at the Silk Mill Museum, Derby.

Now on to Yard 4 which was known as being situated at Stockbrook Fields. James Kent is first listed in Kelly's 1876 edition at 5 & 6 Ashbourne Road, home address. At this 1876 date it is unknown were James Kent was brickmaking, however Kelly's 1881 edition lists James with the works address of Stockbrook Lane, this being Yard 4. As wrote I have been unable to establish if James Kent leased or purchased the land this brickworks was built on from Dusautoy & Co. James Kent in the census is listed as a Miller, Corn Merchant & Maltster, so I am assuming he was running the brickworks as an owner rather than as a brickmaker, he would not had had time to make bricks !

After 1881 there are no more Kelly's trade directories for James Kent, however I have found a 1895 newspaper advert referring to Kent's Brickworks in 1895. I then checked out the 1901 Clayworkers Directory which lists James Kent as brickmaking at Stockbrook Fields, Derby, so James had continued to operate this works. However I then found James died on the 6th of January 1894 & after more searching I found son Samuel Squire Kent was now running his father's brickworks & still operating it under the name of James Kent. In the 1901 census Samuel Squire Kent is listed as a Maltster, Corn Merchant & Brick Manufacturer. The 1901 Clayworkers Directory also lists S.S. Kent with the address of 10, Ashbourne Road, Derby. However before his father's death Samuel in the 1891 census is only listed as a Maltster & Corn Factor Manager (a person who sells grains produced by another company using their own name & usually for money). There's a strong case for the Kent brick below being made when Samuel was running the brickworks with it not having the letter J stamped in it.

As previously wrote the Derby Brick Co. was formed by five local brickmakers in March 1906 with Samuel Squire Kent being one of them. I write more about this partnership in the Derby Brick Co. entry at end of this post. A newspaper article dated April 1906 regarding the thief of items from Mr. Kent's property clearly records Mr. S.S. Kent as a Brick Manufacturer in Derby. However by the 1911 Census records Samuel was living in Blackpool with his family & recorded as a Garage Proprietor. I only have references to Samuel joining the Derby Brick Co. consortium in 1906 & nothing after that, so he may have sold his shares in DBC before moving to Blackpool ?

With this Derby brick being found on the same pallet at a reclamation yard as J. Kent, Derby bricks & being made of the same coloured clay, I am thinking this brick was made at Kent's Stockbrook Lane works by the Derby Brick Co. sometime after 1906. There is no other name on it's reverse. 

Yard 5 - Parcel Terrace.

Photo by Frank Lawson, taken at the Silk Mill Museum, Derby.

The first reference I have to Edward Dusautoy owning this Parcel Terrace Brickworks appears in Wright's 1874 edition when the entry reads Edward Dusautoy, Slack Lane, Uttoxeter Road, Derby. The 1882 OS map shows this works was accessible from both Slack Lane & Uttoxeter Old Road via Parcel Terrace. In the 1861 census Edward Dasautoy is listed as a Farmer in Derby & from Harrods 1870 edition he is listed as the President of the Builders Association situated on Irongate, Derby, hence finding references to him being recorded as a Builder. As previously wrote Edward Dusautoy died in 1874 & his business was then run by his wife Jane as Dusautoy & Co. Kelly's 1881 lists this company as owning the Parcel Terrace Brickworks as well as the California Brickworks, Stockbrook Lane. However in this 1881 directory there is the entry for Thomas Bennett at the Parcel Fields Works, Slack Lane, Derby & I have come to the conclusion Thomas had been leasing this brickworks from Dusautoy & Co. since 1878. This was the year when Thomas Bennett dissolved the partnership of Bennett, Holmes & Kay & Jane Dusautoy as a Trustee of Edward Dausautoy's Estate purchased their California Brickworks on Stockbrook Lane.

Regarding the name of this Parcel Fields brickworks I have found from the web that Parcel Terrace is shown on a 1852 map as an unmarked road locally known as Peg's Row with twenty cottages built along it's north side. At the end of these cottages Parcel Fields is marked on the map. Thus confirming the name of this brickworks. The 1882 OS map above also shows that this works had access from Slack Lane. 

As yet no bricks have been found made by Thomas Bennett at this yard. Thomas is then recorded as operating another works at Sinfin Lane, Normanton from 1887 & I write about that works in my next post, Derby Brickworks - part 2. I have therefore come to the conclusion with this Parcel Fields brickworks being no longer shown on the 1900 map it must have closed around 1887 when Thomas Bennett moved to Sinfin Lane. Today the former Parcel Terrace brickworks is part of the Kingsway Retail Park.

Before I leave Yard 5 I have an entry in White's 1857 edition for Joseph Gascoyne & Son & they are listed as working on Uttoxeter Old Road, Derby. Then Drake's 1862 edition records Joseph Gascoyne at the Brookfield Brickworks, Uttoxeter Old Road, Derby. These entries could refer to this brickworks as I do not have anyone working at Yard 5 at these dates. With the earliest map available online being 1882, I am unable to check if Yard 5 was known as the Brookfield Brickworks, but with Yard 5 being accessible via Parcel Terrace onto Uttoxeter Old Road, I think I can safely say the Brookfield Brickworks was Yard 5.

 Gascoyne/Derby brick, photos taken at the Silk Mill Museum, Derby.

Yards 6 & 7 - Both Slack Lane.

I have grouped these two brickworks together because I do not have firm evidence to which of the two brickmakers I have information for as working at which yard, but from my findings I believe Bemrose & Son where at Yard 6 & the Slater Brothers where at Yard 7.

Bemrose & Son are listed on Slack Lane in Kelly's 1881 edition with Thomas Cooper as manager. There is only this one entry for company & with me finding that the 1900 O.S. map shows houses fully built on this site, this finding has drawn the conclusion that Bemrose owned Yard 6. There is the possibility that this Bemrose & Son are the same company as the well known printing firm Bemrose & Son of Derby.   

So I am putting Yard 7 as being owned by the Slater Brothers, William, Henry & Joseph. The brothers are listed in Kelly's & White's directories in the brick & tile manufacturers section from 1857 at Slack Lane & these entries continue up to the 1895 edition. With this works closing shortly after 1895 this date coincides with the 1900 O.S. map which shows that the works still has some buildings standing, but is marked disused. Therefore resulting in my conclusion that the Slater Brothers owned Yard 7. No bricks have been found with Slater of Derby stamped in them only bricks made at their other works in Denby which are stamped Slater Denby. The Slater Brothers were primarily sanitary pipe & wares manufacturerers at both their works & only produced bricks for their own & local use. The Brothers also operated a builders yard on Uttoxeter Old Road from where they did general house repairs & some new build, more than likely using there own bricks.

If you wish to read more about the Slater family, please click the link below to my Slater post.
http://eastmidlandsnamedbricks.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/william-drury-lowe-denby-terra-cotta-w.html

Photo taken at the Silk Mill Museum, Derby.

With this brick being stamped Slack Lane there is the option that Bemrose & Son or the Slater Brothers were the makers of this brick. 

Before I leave Yards 6 & 7 I have an entry in Kelly's 1876 edition for the Derby Brick Co. Ltd. on Slack Lane with George Freeborough as manager. There is the option that DBC may have been at Yard 6 occupying this site before Bemrose & Son in 1881. A 1879 newspaper article records Ripley brickmaker Henry Bowman had previously worked for this Derby Brick Co. Ltd. before setting up his own brickworks in Ripley. 

There is a strong case for this Derby Brick Co. brick to have been made by this 1876 Derby Brick Co., with this style of frog being used in the 1870's & 80's. Also with Henry Bowman then using this style of frog to make his bricks at Ripley, I think the Bowman brick below confirms my case. As far as I know this shape of frog was not used after 1900, so this brick will not have been made by the 1906 Derby Brick Co. who appear at first to only stamp their bricks DBC. Then with there only being this one entry for DBC at this 1876 date I believe there is no connection to the 1906 Derby Brick Co. Ltd. which I am going to write about next.

Derby Brick Company Ltd.

The formation of the Derby Brick Co. Ltd. had all come about with an amalgamation of five local brickmaking companies in March 1906 with the common interest in saving unnecessary expense & to stop the under-cutting of the price of their bricks between themselves. These brick manufacturers/makers being Messrs. Richard Bennett & Co. Ltd. - Slack Lane Works; Mr. Joseph Tomlinson - Rowditch Works; Mr. Samuel Squire Kent - Stockbrook Fields Works, Stockbrook Street; Mr. William Eaton - Normanton Works & Mr. George Dusautoy - California Works, Stockbrook Street.  Mr. George Dusautoy was to be the Company's Managing Director & Mr. F. McIntyre, secretary. There was to be no initial public issue of shares, therefore I am assuming the Company's shares were divided between these five companies. This information came from an article in the Derby Daily Telegraph dated 24th March 1906.

 Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD

I next found the London Gazette dated 28th of August 1906 (page1, page 2) reveals Richard Bennett & Co. Ltd. was voluntarily wound up on the 2nd of July 1906 by it's members & on the 24th of July 1906 an agreement was signed for the Derby Brick Co. Ltd. to purchase the brickworks previously owned by Richard Bennett & Co. Ltd. Shares & debentures in the Derby Brick Co. were then distributed to the share holders of the former company. This notice was signed by William Sayer, Chairman of Richard Bennett & Co. Ltd. Thought I would mention that after the death of Richard Bennett in 1885 both Bennett & Co. & Bennett & Sayer (Engineers) were primarily run by William Sayer. 

The Derby Brick Company is first listed in Kelly's 1908 edition at the California Brickworks, Stockbrook Street & the Rowditch Works, Uttoxeter Road, Derby. For some unknown reason the company's Slack Lane Works is not listed until Kelly's 1925 edition & the two works previously owned by Kent & Eaton are also not listed. Further research has revealed sometime before the 1913 OS map Samuel Kent's Stockbrook Fields Works had been demolished & clay was then extracted from the land it had stood on, creating a larger clay pit to the California Works. Then the Normanton Works previously owned by William Eaton appears to have closed by 1907 with a newspaper article in the Derby Daily Telegraph dated the 7th of November 1907 reporting the Corporation (Derby Council) had made arrangements to tip into the disused clay pit at Normanton belonging to the Derby Brick Co. on payment of 3d per load, 3 old pennies = 1p today.  

© Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NLS/Ordnance Survey 1913.

The 1913 map above shows how the California Works, Stockbrook Street (green) had altered since the 1885 map. Buildings which had been in Yard 4 had now been replaced by an extension to the works clay pit, which can be seen in the 1937 Britain From Above photograph later in the post. 

From my research I have only found references to George Dusautoy, William Eaton & William Sayer being involved in the management of the Derby Brick Co. after 1906, whether Samuel Squire Kent or Joseph Tomlinson took an active roll in the operation of the company is unknown. They may have sold their shares in DBC with Tomlinson concentrating on running his business's as brickmaker in Mansfield & as a Contractor in Derby. Then the 1911 census records Samuel Squire Kent was now living in Blackpool with his family & listed as a Garage Proprietor. So if I find any new info regarding DBC & these two men, I will update the post. 

At the time of his death in December 1918 William Sayer is recorded as an Engineer & the Chairman of the Derby Brick Co. Ltd., leaving an estate to the value of £34,727 1s. 10d. 1000 ordinary shares were left to each of his daughters in the Derby Brick Co. with the remainder & all the shares in Bennett & Sayer (Engineers) left to his son, Norman William Sayer.  

The 1921 edition of the Derby & District trade directory lists George Dusautoy as manager of Derby Brick Co, Stockbrook Street & residing at Warwick Avenue, Littleover. Then a March 1921 newspaper article records William Eaton as the Chairman of the Derby Brick Co. taking over after the death of William Sayer.

DBC continue to be listed in Kelly's directories at their Slack Lane, California & Rowditch brickworks up to the 1932 edition when there is the first listing of a new works at Acre Lane, Aston-on-Trent which opened in 1931. 

The SL denotes the Slack Lane works.

http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/epw055019

This 1937 "Britain From Above" photo shows the Stockbrook Street works was also accessible via Spring Street. Also check out the depth of the clay pit in 1937, it's really deep. I would have not wanted to walk around the edge of this clay pit in the dark ! 

DBC continues to be listed in Kelly's trade directories until the last edition in 1941 at Rowditch, Slack Lane & Aston on Trent. Kelly's 1936 edition was the last entry for the California B/W's on Stockbrook Street. This works appears to have closed by 1940 & the last remains of the works were demolished in 1961. 

I have added this link to Picture the Past - 
http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/frontend.php & if you enter Stockbrook Street in the search box you will get 5 photos of when they demolished the works chimney in 1961.

The Rowditch & Aston on Trent works closed for the duration of WW2, reopening in 1946. The Slack Lane works stayed open for most of the war years, but did close for the most of 1945 for alterations & was working again by January 1946.  

Message received via the comments box which I assuming was a journey through the Rowditch Works or possibly the Slack Lane Works to the school.   

"When Brackensdale School was under construction - 1953? - my father was the Deputy Head-elect. The Head lived in Lonsdale Place and the three of us once walked from there to the school via the brickworks which was still in operation, and I was shown inside a kiln still warm and full of bricks." So from this snippet of info we now know either the Rowditch Works or Slack Lane Works was still going strong around 1953.

It is unknown in which year the Derby Brick Co. actually closed it's Slack Lane, Rowditch & Aston works, but the company as a whole went into Liquidation on the 6th of March 1968 as recorded in the London Gazette. This notice was signed by Chairman Norman William Sayer, son of William Sayer (as in Bennett & Sayer).  

The Slack Lane & Rowditch sites are now the Kingsway Retail Park & the Aston on Trent site is now being used for the extraction of aggregates by Hanson's.

I have one last entry for Derby to tell you about, but I have not been able to establish if this company had a brickworks in Derby. The entry in Kelly's 1864 & 1876 editions is for T. Roe & Son, Siddals Road, Morledge & Exeter Street, Derby & Hanford, Stoke on Trent. From old maps I have established that the buildings & yards which where on Siddals Road backed on to Derby Canal & it was to here that T. Roe delivered his Hanford Stoke on Trent made bricks by barge for distribution around Derby. Exeter Street was more than likely his Derby office where bricks could be ordered from. So in conclusion T. Roe only sold & distributed his bricks in Derby. If any evidence of him owning a brickworks in Derby does turns up, it will be added to the post at a later date.

Photo taken at the Silk Mill Museum, Derby.

I have since received some snippets of information regarding the possible location of T. Roe's brickworks in Derby. I have to note that I do not have any concrete evidence or maps showing the exact location of this works.
Joseph Pickford (may have been a descendant of the architect of the same name) is recorded as owning a share of a brickworks at Nun's Green situated off Brick Street. Pickford was later in partnership with the Roe family at the brickworks. If this was between 1864 & 1876 this would match up to T. Roe's trade directory entries.




I wish to thank the following people for their help & use of their maps & photos.

Silk Mill Museum, Derby - for giving me access to their brick collection & permission to use my images in this post.
http://www.derbymuseums.org

National Library of Scotland & Ordnance Survey - use of their maps.

Britain From Above - photo.

Frank Lawson - E. Dusautoy brick photo.