Sunday 3 November 2013

Beeley Bros. Brickmakers, Sutton in Ashfield



Samuel Hibbert Beeley & Fredrick William Beeley are recorded as Builders, Contractors & Farmers on High Pavement, Sutton in Ashfield, a family business which had been established by these two brothers in 1743, according to local historian, Luther Lindley. This company is recorded from 1899 to 1941 in White's Trade Directories & was run over the years by several members of the Beeley family. 

I next find in the trade directories, William Beeley junior, who I believe is related to the Beeley's above. In Kelly's 1876 & 1881 editions William Beeley junior is recorded as brickmaker in Sutton-in-Ashfield, residing in Mansfield. The location of his brickworks is not recorded.
From the 1861 Census I have found that William aged 33 in 1876, had a brother John aged 26 in 1876, who may have be working with him, with this brick being stamped Brothers or William jnr. could have just been using the family business name as above ? 


 © Crown Copyright. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey 1887
Originally I was unable to name the owner of the brickworks, which was next to Blackmires Farm on this 1887 map. I have recently found out that it was owned & run by William Beeley (senior).
William is recorded in the 1864 edition of the Nottingham History Directory & Gazette as farmer & brickmaker at Blackmires. 
William Beeley is next recorded at Forest Street, S-in-A in White's 1885 edition & residing at Blackmires. As there is no works recorded for William junior in the trade directories, he may have worked with his father ? 
I have just found this map at the library & although it is dated 1899 it shows a brick kiln on Priestsic Road just off Forest Street (marked green), this is where I think William or William junior & John could have made their bricks after moving from Blackmires Farm as recorded in White's 1885 Directory.

 © Crown Copyright. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey 1900

My next finding is an advert in the Derbyshire Times dated 15th April 1891. This is the sale of Blackmires Farm, Brick Works, Hotel, Public House & Contractor's plant by J. Jeeley, Auctioneer & Valuer. The article mentions probate transfers, so I take it that William senior has passed away. 

On the 1900 Ordinance Survey Map of the area, Blackmires brickworks is no longer recorded only the farm, which in the 1901 Census is now owned by William Antill (farmer) & his family. Factories & industrial units are now built on the land which was formerly the farm & brickworks.

At first I thought that the two recorded William's may have been the same person, but with me finding the 1876 entry as William junior & living at Mansfield, I now know that the 1864 William at Blackmires was his father & this has been backed up by the 1861 Census.

I have one further little bit of information found by Marg at Sutton Library that in the 1861 Census, a William Tomlinson, Master Brickmaker was living/boarding with William Clay at Blackmires Cottage. This cottage could have been on Blackmires Lane, which ran from Newark Road to Blackmires Farm & is now named Hamilton Road. So this William Tomlinson may have worked at or owned the Blackmires brickworks before William Beeley ?







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