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.