Wharton & Chambers, Brickmakers, Kirkby-in-Ashfield & Kirkby Station Brickworks

 © Crown Copyright. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey 1898.

In the 1912 & 1916 editions of Kelly's Trade Directory, Wharton & Chambers are recorded as brickmakers at Hodgkinson Road, Kirkby in Ashfield. Notts. This is all the information that I have been able to find about these two brickmakers. Their yard is shown on the 1898 map above coloured green & this yard is still shown on the 1938 map, whether W & C were still at this yard at this date is unknown. 

The 1877 map below shows that this yard (green) is just shown as brick kilns & was accessed via a lane which later became Hodgkinson Road. Maybe there was a brickmaker called Hodgkinson around 1877 & working there, hence the road being named after him ? 

Updated 21.2.17. 
Kelly's 1881 edition has revealed that there was a brickmaker by the name of Hodgkinson, so I was correct in my theory of this access lane being named after him. The entry is George Hodgkinson, Kirkby in Ashfield. I then found that this yard was then taken over by Thomas Brunt who is recorded in Kelly's 1888 & 91 editions at Kirkby Folly. In 1888 this part of Kirkby-in-Ashfield (today it's the town centre) is shown on maps as East Kirkby & was also known as Kirkby Folly. White's 1894 edition now records the owner of this yard as Mrs. Sarah Brunt, Kirkby-in-Ashfield. Kelly's 1895 & 1900 editions records T. Brunt as brickmaker at East Kirkby, so this could be Thomas again or his son ? Then Kelly's 1904 & 08 editions now records W. Brunt as brickmaker at East Kirkby, so possibly Thomas' son this time. This then takes us to the Wharton & Chambers entry in Kelly's 1912 edition for this works.

The brickworks which I have coloured red on the 1898 map above was owned by Benjamin Holmes & I covered Benjamin & his sons in my previous post. The area which I have coloured yellow had been a brick works & I write about this yard next.

Photo by MF.

Photo by Frank Lawson.

 © Crown Copyright. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey 1877.

Updated 3.1.17.

With just recently writing about Heanor brickmakers it has revealed who may have worked at the brickyard which was next to Kirkby railway station on Station Street (coloured yellow on the 1877 map above). To give you an idea of the location of this works it was situated between Station Street & Pond Street. 

So on to the information found. A family website has revealed that Alfred William Claxton before owning & running a brick yard in Heanor (1901 Census), he is recorded in the 1891 Census as brickmaker in Kirkby & living on Station Street with his second wife & their children & his children from his first marriage. His son Arthur aged 17 in 1891 & from his first marriage was also to become a brickmaker with his father at their Nelson Street yard in Heanor. 

So with Alfred living on Station Street, Kirkby in 1891 this has drawn me to think that he worked at this Station Street yard. Then with him being in Heanor by 1901 & this Kirkby yard is no longer shown on the 1898 map only as a clay pit, this is why I have come to the conclusion that Alfred was at this Station Street yard. When his Nelson Street yard Heanor had closed we find that Alfred/Arthur may have moved to Ripley to become brickmakers there as there is a listing for A. Claxton & Sons in Kelly's 1916 edition. 

Alfred & his family had moved to Kirkby from Norfolk around 1876 with his first wife Ann giving birth to their daughter, Frances in that year at Kirkby. The 1881 census records Alfred as a labourer & living with his family on New Street in Kirkby.

Also found in Kelly's 1876 edition that a Mr. Oliver (no initial given in this entry) is listed as brickmaker at the yard "near to the railway station, Kirkby in Ashfield." So it appears Mr. Oliver owned this yard before Alfred Claxton worked there. Morris's 1877 trade directory has revealed that Mr. Oliver's first name was Thomas & he is listed as brick & tile manufacturer in Kirkby. Then Benjamin Holmes is recorded as brickmaker in Kirkby from 1871, so he may have worked at this Kirkby Station yard before establishing his own brickworks on Portland Street in 1888. I have to also note that there is the option that Benjamin Holmes could have worked at the green yard owned by George Hodginson or another small yard at The Summit on Lowmoor Road as shown on a 1877 map. This Summit brick yard was taken over by the Butterley Co. when they sunk their Kirkby/Summit Colliery next to it in 1887. Please follow this Link to my Benjamin Holmes post to view this 1887 map which shows the Summit brick yard. (halfway down the post).