Phil Sparham's East Midlands Collection

When I was looking for bricks at one of my usual sites, I met a chap who told me of Phil Sparham's wall made of bricks. So after contacting Phil, I went round. He had quiet a few in the wall which I had already recorded, but the most interesting ones were on top of the wall, here are a few, some with info. More of his bricks can be seen at 
http://uknamedbricks.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/phil-sparham-collection.html

William Buckley, brickmaker of Steeple Grange, near Wirksworth, Derbys. is recorded in Drake's Trade Directory for 1862 & then in White's Trade Directory for 1870, Mrs Buckley, brickmaker of Steeple Grange.  Steeple House also known as Steeple Grange House was were they lived.

I have sent these 2 photos to a Wirksworth Web Site, which has since found more details about William. See link.

http://www.wirksworth.org.uk/X650.htm

My first trade directory entry for John Marbrow of Newton Solney near Burton upon Trent is in Kelly's 1864 edition. In 1871, John is recorded as employing 6 men & 1 boy at his Newton Solney brickyard. He produced bricks, tiles, drainpipes & kiln tiles until 1890. The works are listed in Kelly's up to the 1891 edition. The brickworks had been founded by John's father-in-law, William Hopkins in 1811.

I have found in a gypsum mine article that Chellaston Minerals were to later follow T.P.Stableford at the Woodlands Brickworks sometime after 1916, but it may have not been until 1928, the year when the company is first listed in Kelly's Directory with Mr. J.E. Williamson as Managing Director. 
Bricks were in great demand during both World Wars especially the 2nd as the company 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 gypsum mine article states that the gypsum on this site had run out by 1965. The company continues to be listed in the brick & tile makers section of Kelly's Directory up to it's 1941 edition & the brickworks closed in 1977. 

I have recently found this good example in Derbyshire.

Bennett's had two brickworks in Derby, one on Uttoxeter Road and one in Spondon.  Richard Bennett of Slack Lane (Uttoxeter Road), Derby is recorded in White's Directory for 1891, 1899 & 1912.

                     

The New Byron Brick Co. is recorded in Kelly's from the 1922 edition  to the 1941 edition at Palterton, Chesterfield with Joesph Wilson Chapman as manager from 1922 to 1928 editions & Herbert Leslie Vass as manager from 1932 to 1941 editions.

History of the Byron Brickworks at Palterton, Derbys. can be read here.  http://www.richardsbygonetimes.co.uk/batties.htm

I have only found two Belper brickmakers recorded in any of Kelly's Trade Directories & I believe the Park Foundry Company who are listed as brickmakers in Kelly's 1899 edition are the makers of this brick. It may have only been around 1899 that the company made bricks as it's core business was to be in producing solid-fuel appliances. 
The Park Foundry Co. was founded in 1850 & was registered in 1900. The company is then recorded in 1949 as being part of the Radiation Company making the Siesta stove at Belper. The company later traded under the Parkray name & was then taken over by Tube Investments, then Hepworth. The Belper works closed in 2003. 

One of Slaters many commemorative bricks. William Henry Slater and Joseph Slater's works were in operation at Uttoxeter Old Road, Derby between 1860 and 1887, and in Denby between 1874 and 1941.