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. This is backed up with a new find in 2025 when a January 1850 advert for the sale of some land by John Harpur describes this land as being situated between Joseph Gascoyne's brickworks & Uttoxeter Old Road.

 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.

Nottingham Brickworks - part 2 - Carlton, St. Ann's, Beacon Hill & Sneinton

In this post I am covering brickmakers that operated in the Carlton, St. Ann's, Beacon Hill & Sneinton areas of Nottingham. I have found many trade directory entries for brickmakers working in this area & even found the location of their yards on maps, but their named bricks have so far not turned up & only a handful are shown in this post. We will only know if they stamped their bricks when examples are found, so the search continues & if their bricks do turn up, photos will be added as & when.

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

Carlton yards 1 to 6.

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

St. Ann's, Beacon Hill & Sneinton yards 7 to 10.

Please note I've now added a new yard called Great Alfred Street as location 8a & is next to yard 8.

I have used two 1900 OS maps to show the locations of the ten yards which are covered in this post. Most of the yards had more than one owner, so I have numbered each yard & will write about each in turn. I have to say that from trade directory descriptions, the name of their works differers in each entry, but hopefully I have assigned each of these makers to the correct works. Brickmakers which I am not sure of the location of their yards I have listed at the end of the post. I have already covered William Burgass/NPBC's two yards (located off Carlton Road & coloured cream) in my first Nottingham post. http://eastmidlandsnamedbricks.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/nottingham-brickworks-mapperley.html


Yard 1 - Star Lane/Dale Road, Carlton.

After establishing Dale Road was previously called Star Lane the brickmakers & companies who worked on this site fell into place. I have found that this yard is shown on maps dated 1875 to 1946, but was not in constant operation & is marked as disused on several old maps between each owner. So the first trade directory entry I have found for this yard in Kelly's 1885 edition is for the Star Brick Co. Carlton Hill, Carlton. I then found a notice in the London Gazette dated July 1885 recording the owner of the Star Brick Co. Carlton as William Gee, the younger, but he was declaring himself bankrupt, so whether he sorted his finances out or someone else took over the company I do not know as the Star Brick Co. is next listed in Kelly's 1891 edition with Benjamin Gregory as manager. This yard is then marked disused on the 1900 OS map, so taking into account that maps were surveyed two years earlier, the Star Brick Co. closed sometime between 1891 & 1898. 

This yard then reopened in 1901 as the Carlton Hill Brick Co. with Albert Henry Vass as proprietor & from a London Gazette entry I found Albert Henry Vass was initially in partnership with Edward Bentley at this works up to the 1st of January 1902 when the partnership was dissolved by mutual consent & Vass continued as sole owner. The Carlton Hill Brick Co. is listed in Kelly's 1904 & 1908 editions on Star Lane, Carlton. 

A May 1907 Melton Mowbray newspaper article reveals Albert Vass of Uppingham Road, Leicester was in Court over his debts. The article reports the Carlton Yard had run at a profit until recently, but the Mortgagees took possession of the Works in the consequence of interest in arrear last March (1906). Apparently Vass had run out of money with him investing into to many house building projects, he had also purchased a brickworks in Chesterfield in 1904 which the name of which is not recorded in the article, but could have been the Wheeldon Mill Brickworks with it being advertised for sale in October 1904. So after March 1906 with the Mortgagees now running the Carlton Hill Brick Co. we find Star Lane was renamed Dale Road & this took place by the 1912 OS map & the entry in Kelly's 1912 edition which now lists the Carlton Brick Co. on Dale Road.  I have found a newspaper article mentioning the Carlton Brick Co. in 1914, but that is the last for the company & we find that this yard is once again marked disused on a revised map dated 1919.   

As a footnote on Albert Vass, he successfully ran a brickworks in Thurmaston, Leicester between 1895 & 1900, making a large profit on the sale before moving his interests to the Carlton Brick Co. His Chesterfield brickworks also suffered the same result as the Carlton works with it being taken back by the Mortgagees in April 1907. 

© Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NCC/Ordnance Survey 1912.

The next trade directory listing for this yard is for The Gotham Co. Ltd. offices, Bentinck Buildings, Wheelergate, Nottingham, works, Dale Road, Carlton & this company is recorded in Kelly's 1922 edition through to the last available directory in 1956. The company is also listed in the 1949 Directory of the British Clayworks at The Star Brickworks, Dale Road, Carlton. The year the works closed is unknown & this company may have been the last owners of this yard. New information received from Mike Chapman has revealed that the Gotham Co. purchased the freehold to the Dale Road brickworks in 1919. 
Now The Gotham Co. Ltd. is first listed in the Brick & Tile Makers section in Kelly's 1912 edition & then in the 1916 edition with offices at Bentinck Buildings & depot, Castle Boulevard, Nottingham, but with no reference to the location of it's works. They were not at the Dale Road works at this date as the Carlton Hill Brick Co. were still operating this yard in 1912. So further investigation & information received has revealed that the Gotham Company founded by Job Nightingale Derbyshire were primarily gypsum producers with three mines. The Company was incorporated in December 1897 after taking over the Victoria Mineral & Plaster Co. Their Gotham & Thrumpton mines extracted gypsum & the Cropwell Bishop mine extracted gypsum & marl. Now there are two brick yards in Cropwell Bishop marked on a map dated 1899, so the Gotham Company could have owned one of these yards & produced bricks at Cropwell Bishop as recorded in Kelly's 1912 & 1916 editions before purchasing the Dale Road, Carlton works in 1919. This theory is plausible, but I still have to find firm evidence for the company owning a brickworks in Cropwell Bishop. If only the 1912 & 16 trade directories had named the location of the company's brick works then we would have had the answer !

Lorna Ellans sent me this Dale brick which she photographed in Basford, Nottingham. More than likely it will be a brickmaker by the name of Dale, but I have found no reference to him in trade directories. It may have some connection to this Dale Road brickworks, but that has yet to be proven. If anyone has any information on this brick, please get in touch. Thanks. 



Yard 2 - Standhill Brick Works.

 © Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NCC/Ordnance Survey 1887.

This yard is shown in operation on a 1875 OS map, but my first trade directory listing for this works is in Kelly's 1888 edition & it was owned by Buxton & Walker. I have found that Buxton & Walker had owned yard 3 in 1885 & write about that works next. Going back to Standhill we find that in Kelly's 1891 edition the entry is now Edward Christopher Buxton, Standhill Road, Carlton, so the partnership of Buxton & Walker must have ended. We then find that the 1900 edition records Mrs. Ruth Buxton as owner of the yard, so one can assume that Edward had passed away. There is another change of ownership at this works as Kelly's 1904 edition now lists W & J Broughton as owners at Standhill Road. I have found that William Broughton is recorded as previously owning another Carlton brick works (yard 4) on his own in Kelly's 1888 to 1900 editions before moving to Standhill & I write about that works later in the post. How long the Broughton family produced bricks at the Standhill works is unknown as there are no more trade directory entries after 1904 & the works is shown disused on the 1912 OS map.

I photograph this J. & W. B brick at Wollaton Hall Industrial Museum so there is the possibility that it could have been made by J. & William Broughton at Standhill in 1904, but I have also found another trade directory listing in Kelly's 1876 edition for J. & William Buxton at Kimberley. The Museum has been unable to identify the maker of this brick, so it could have been made by either of these two makers. 


Yard 3 - Buntings Lane.

 © Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NCC/Ordnance Survey 1887.

This brick yard was located just off Main Street West / Carlton Hill. The 1887 map above shows this yard had it's entrance off Carlton Hill, but on the 1875 map it show this section of road as Main Street West & this road address ties in with one of the brickmakers that worked this site. 
So I first start in 1876 when Henry Bunting is listed in Kelly's 1876  & 1881 editions as being a brickmaker in Carlton. The reason why I have put Henry Bunting to this yard is that when this works finally closed the access road to this works was named Buntings Lane & houses were built along it. Buxton & Walker are next listed in Kelly's 1885 edition at Main Street West, Carlton & I am also taking this address as this works. Buxton & Walker only worked this yard for about three years as we then find in Kelly's 1888 edition that the pair are now listed as owning the Standhill Brickworks (yard 2). Buntings yard was also accessible from Southcliffe Road & we next find in Kelly's 1891 edition that James Rouse Lacy is recorded as brickmaker at Southcliffe Road, Carlton & I am again matching this maker to this yard. I have found on an old map from this date that their were only a few houses built on Southcliffe Road, so there is the option of Southcliffe Road being James home address, but in the main the address given in trade directories is normally the works address. 
I have found that there are no more trade directory entries relating to this yard after 1891 & the 1912 OS map no longer shows this brickworks. Also the entrance road into this yard is now shown as Buntings Lane named after Henry Bunting.


Yard 4 - Church Street.

© Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NCC/Ordnance Survey 1912.

Church Street was formerly known as Newgate Steet & it is the red coloured brickworks shown on the 1912 map above. This works appears on maps dating from 1875 to 1937 & the first trade directory entry that I have for this yard is William Brookes, Newgate Street, Carlton in Kelly's 1885 edition. The next entry for this yard is William Broughton, Mount Pleasant Road, Carlton in Kelly's 1888 edition. I am taking Mount Pleasant Road (next street to the yard) as William's home address because in Kelly's 1891 edition it now records him at Newgate Lane brickworks. To slightly confuse the matter Kelly's 1895 edition records William at Carlton Hill, but I am still taking this to be the same yard, however Kelly's 1900 edition now lists William brickmaking at Standhill Brickworks (yard 2) under the company name of W. & J. Broughton.
With William Broughton leaving the Newgate/Church Street yard sometime just before 1900 this yard or its owners are now no longer directly named in anymore trade directories but the works is still shown on the 1937 OS map & on the 1912 map above it looks that it is going strong & in full production. 
So who was operating this yard ? I have formed this theory, but I do not have any firm evidence to back it up as yet. From Kelly's 1900 edition there is an additional works of  '& Carlton' added to the entry for the Nottingham Patent Brick Co. This Carlton works appears separate to the Thorneywood Works, so I am reading this as another yard in Carlton, hence my thoughts on NPBC being the new owners of the Church Street works. NPBC's Carlton works entry last appears in Kelly's 1925 edition, but as said this works is still shown on the 1937 OS map & it may have still remained opened after this date ? Another clue to the ownership of this works comes in 1969 when Charles Leslie Bennett was managing director of NPBC & it was under his guidance that five of NPBC's  works were closed & all production was moved to Dorket Head, Arnold works. So I am taking Carlton along with Mapperley x2, Thorneywood & Radford as the works which closed. If I do find any firm evidence for my theory on this Church Street works, it will be added at a later date.


Yard 5 - Mar Hill Brickworks.

© Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NCC/Ordnance Survey 1912.

Coloured green on the 1912 map above this works is first recorded in Kelly's 1900 edition as being owned by the Mar Hill Brick Co. & being situated just off Urban Road, Carlton, Nottingham with Arthur Morris recorded as owner. On the following line there is Arthur Morris’s name & the address of Station Street, Carlton which may have have been his office. 

Photo by Mike Chapman.

Kelly's 1904 edition now records T. Clarke & Son as owners of this works, then the 1908 & 12 editions records the owner as John George Deabill. This works is shown on OS maps from 1887 to 1937, so who owned this works before & after the named brickmakers above is unknown.


Yard 6 - Stonepit Road.

 © Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NLS/Ordnance Survey 1885.

Shown as disused on the 1885 map above I have recorded this yard off Stonepit Road (now Cavendish Road) because from trade directories I have found several brickmakers listed as making bricks at Carlton but with no reference to their yards, so any of the following could have owned this small yard. J. Taylor, New Carlton Kelly's 1855, Thomas Norman, Carlton, Kelly's 1876 & Edward Reach, Carlton, Kelly's 1876. I also have to add that any of the other Carlton yards that I have already written about may have been the location their yards. 


Yard 7 - Edgar Rise, St. Ann's.

 © Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NCC/Ordnance Survey 1875.

Edgar Rise brickworks is shown on maps dated 1875, 1885 & 1900, but is not shown on the 1912 map. The first trade directory entry that I have is for Edward Watts, Pease Hill Road which I believe is this yard as Edgar Rise runs off Pease Hill Road. The next entry in Kelly's 1904 edition is for Enoch Hind & he is listed as brickmaker at Edgar Rise, so we know that this yard was still operational around 1904/5. Edgar Rise & part of Pease Hill Road no longer exists & this area of land is now the playing field & grounds to Sycamore Primary School. I do have an entry for Daniel Crosby in White's 1864 edition at St, Ann's Road, Nottingham, but I am unsure if this entry is the Edgar Rise brickworks. 

Yard 8 - Bluebell Hill Road & Yard 8a - Great Alfred Street.

 © Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NCC/Ordnance Survey 1875.

Maps up to 1946 show this blue coloured brick works as being on Bluebell Hill Road, but today this road has been renamed Beacon Hill Rise. There is still a section of Bluebell Hill Road that remains & it runs from the roundabout at Beacon Hill Rise & Southampton Street to the junction with Colborn Street. The entry in White's 1864 edition records John W. Lee operated this Bluebell Hill Road works. As of yet no bricks made by John W. Lee have turned up. Another brickmaker who operated in the same area was William Whitehead & I write about him next.

Nottingham Review 18th June 1852.

The first reference found to William Whitehead brickmaking in Nottingham is this 1852 advert. Research has revealed he was a Auctioneer & valuer by trade & the owner of the Beacon Hill brickworks employing brickmakers to make his bricks. However a Nottingham Archives article dated 1853 by Mr Wylie on brickmakers in Nottingham has revealed William Whitehead had 3 large yards on Beacon Hill. Jeff Sheard has identified one of Whitehead's yards as being on Plantagenet Street, just off St. Ann's Well Road. The second is the Beacon Hill Works which is recorded in trade directories & adverts as being on St. Ann's Well Road, however a 1863 newspaper notice records William's Beacon Hill Works was actually on Great Alfred Street & I am assuming it bordered onto St. Ann's Well Road. I've added this notice at the end of this entry with it bearing info relating to William Whitehead closing the brickmaking side of his business down. Another clue from a March 1857 newspaper article in the Nottinghamshire Guardian records William's Beacon Hill Works adjoined Mr. Whitchurch's brickworks which is recorded as being on St. Ann's Well Road. So William's Beacon Hill brickworks may have been in the area that I have coloured yellow on the 1881 OS map below. Great Alfred Street is coloured green, St. Ann's Well Road red & Bluebell Hill Road blue. There is the option that Mr. Whitchurch's works was the blue coloured works, but it wasn't on St. Ann's Well Road, however it could have been accessed via Pym Street from that road.

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

It appears William's third works was not on Beacon Hill, but on Mapperley Hill. I've deduced from information found that this works was situated somewhere on Woodborough Road near Ransom Road & was called the Patent Brickworks, Mapperley. The 1853 advert below describes bricks made at this works as "Mapperley Park" solid bricks. 

Nottinghamshire Guardian 27th October 1853.

White's 1853 edition records William Whitehead as brickmaking on St. Ann's Road. William Whitehead is next listed in Kelly's 1855 edition with the entry of offices - 2, Albert Street, works - Beacon Hill Works, St. Ann's Road. 

This next October 1857 Notice reveals William Whitehead at the end of each brickmaking season sold off his horses used at his Mapperley Hill & Beacon Hill Brickworks. A canny move not having to feed & look after his horses during the winter. The article states it was the fifth such sale, so we now know for certain William Whitehead established his brickworks at the beginning of the 1852 season. 

Nottinghamshire Guardian 1st October 1857.

William is also listed in Hunt's 1858 mining statistics as operating at Beacon Hill producing an estimated 2,500,000 bricks in 1858 with the freeholder of the site given as Mr. Freemen of Nottingham. Wright's 1858 edition records William Whitehead as brickmaking at the Beacon Hill Works, St. Ann's Well Road. White's 1864 directory is the last entry recording William Whitehead on St. Ann's Well Road. As said earlier the 1863 notice shown below indicates William Whitehead was in the process of closing his brickmaking business down in November 1863. Please note the Mapperley Hill works is not mentioned & this may have been the plant etc from that works with the Beacon Hill works on Great Alfred Street closing shortly after the 1864 trade directory entry. 

 Nottinghamshire Guardian 27th November 1863.

As a footnote - it has made me smile 😁 that both Auctions were taken by William Whitehead himself, so I am wondering if he charge himself on the transactions. 😂

Yard 9 - The Wells Road.

 © Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NCC/Ordnance Survey 1912.

This brickworks appears on maps from 1875 through to 1937. With studying the 1937 map this works may have been closed & in a state of dereliction by this date as the last trade directory entry that I have for this works being operational is 1916.

The first trade directory reference to this site is in Kelly's 1881 edition when The Wells Road is given as the office address of the Bulwell Brick Co. with it's works listed as Bulwell (Kett Street), but with the 1875 map showing an operational brickworks on The Wells Road, I expect the Bulwell Brick Co. was producing bricks on this site in 1881. We next find in Kelly's 1885 edition that BBCo's listing is The Wells Road & Kett Street, Bulwell, so bricks were definitely being produced on the Wells Road site by 1885.
The Wells Road works continues to be listed alongside Kett Street in Kelly's up to it's 1916 edition, whether this works closed soon after this date is unknown. My thoughts are that with this works being shown operational on the 1912 map & it's last Kelly's entry being 1916 the works was mothballed as a result of men going to fight in WW1. The works may have then not reopened after the war & as shown on the 1937 map  the works appears to be closed & derelict, as it is not marked as a Brick Works & it just shows the clay pits with some buildings still shown standing. The Bulwell Brick Co. according to trade directory entries did continue to produce bricks at Kett Street from 1916 through to 1932/3, when the Company is last recorded in Kelly's 1932 edition. Bricks made at Bulwell's Kett Street works will be shown in my next Nottingham post.


Yard 10 - Carlton Road / Sneinton Hill.

 © Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NCC/Ordnance Survey 1875.

1875 map showing the location of the Nottingham Builders' Brickworks on Carlton Road, Nottingham. I have found references to this yard also being classed as Sneinton Hill or Sneinton Elements & even Carlton Hill, therefore I have included the Terry Brothers & several other brickmakers in this section who could have owned/worked this yard before the Nottingham Builders' Brick Co. Jeff Sheard in his book has attributed the Terry Brothers to owning this works before NBB Co.

The Nottingham Builders Brick Company was established by Edwin Gauntley Loverseed (b.1830) in 1871 as per reference in a 1935 newspaper article about the company. Trade directories have revealed that Edwin was in partnership with his father John & brother Frederick, trading as J, F & EG Loverseed, Builders & Contractors on Union Road, Nottingham. I am assuming John & Frederick were also involved in the running of the brickworks, hence the company's name. The earliest trade directory entry that I have found for the Loverseed's as builders & contractors is Wright's 1862 edition & at this date Edwin was living on Ferrers Street. 

Before setting up NBB Co. Edwin had owned a brick yard on Mapperley Road which he purchased the Freehold of from Samuel Cartledge in 1862 or 1863. He then proceeded to run this yard until 1865 or 1866 before selling his yard to Edward Gripper who is listed in Wright's 1866 edition as owning this Mapperley Road works. This works was actually accessed off Mapperley Place/Plains Road. Gripper had also purchased two more yards which lay between Loverseed's yard & Woodborough Road & these three combined yards became Gripper's Top Yard. In this deal between Gripper & Loverseed for this Mapperley yard, Edward Gripper granted Edwin Loverseed a licence to build a Hoffman type kiln at his new brickworks on Carlton Road. Gripper had just negotiated a licence with Friedrick Hoffman to solely operate his Patented Hoffman kilns within a radius of 10 miles around Nottingham. Gripper was then in a position to issue further licences at his own discretion. The granting of this licence to Edwin Loverseed comes from a book wrote in 1924 by Robert Mellors, Joint Managing Director with Edward Gripper, then MD of the Nottingham Patent Brick Co. after Gripper's death. The Loverseed brick below will have been made at his Mapperley yard.

Photo by MF courtesy of Nottingham City Museums & Galleries.

Now back to the Nottingham Builders Brick Co. (established 1871) & after building his round Hoffman type kiln at his Carlton Road works, Edwin Loverseed set about building another continuous type kiln to an alternative design by Herbert Guthrie to boost production, with Gripper only granting Loverseed a licence to only build one Hoffman type kiln. This Guthrie designed kiln was patented in 1877 & it was the first fender-fired continuous kiln of this type to be built.

Wright's 1874 edition is the first trade directory listing the Nottingham Builders' Brick Co., works, Carlton Road; office Poultry Arcade, Nottingham. Kelly's 1876 edition Brick Makers section lists Edwin as now living at 86, St Ann's Well Road, Nottingham & on another line it lists the Nottingham Builders' Brick Co., works, Sneinton Hill, Sneinton with James Whitehouse as manager; office Poultry Arcade with Frederick Goddard as secretary & George Marsh as office manager. Kelly's 1881 edition also lists NBB Co. with the address of Sneinton Hill & James Whitehouse as manager. Kelly's 1885 edition now records the works as being on Carlton Road. Kelly's 1891 edition records the Company as having a railway siding connecting the works to GNR line at Thorneywood. This entry continues until the 1904 edition when the works are referred to as Sneinton Hill again. Then from Kelly's 1908 through to the 1941 edition the works address is given as Carlton Road. From a 1933 article in the Nottingham Archives, NBB Co. Ltd. is recorded with offices & works on Carlton Road, Nottingham & with sidings at Thorneywood LNER. The Directors are listed as J. Phillipps (chairman), J. Stafford, J.T. Rayson & H. Stafford. The works closed sometime in the late 1950's / early 1960's.

Photo courtesy of the Mike Chapman Collection.

With this brick having fancy lettering it may have been made in the 1880's. The first one shown in this entry & the white brick below will have been made after 1900.

Photo by MF courtesy of Nottingham City Museums & Galleries.

With photographing this Nottingham Builders blue brick at Nottingham Museums, it poses the question of where it was made because clay required for blue bricks is only found in the West Midlands. If I find the answer, I will update the post.  

This Whitehouse, Nottingham brick was photographed together with the first red NBB Co. brick in this entry at Wollaton Hall Industrial Museum & the only candidate I have found for the maker of this brick is James Whitehouse who is recorded as manager of Nottingham Builders Brick Co. between 1881 & 1900. It is unknown if this brick was made during James' time at NBB Co., but it is my best option as I do not have any trade directory entries or other references for a Whitehouse brickmaking in Nottingham. 

Update 11.9.19.
With just photographing a F.G. Sharpe brick which is in Nottingham Museums collection I have now added it to this post.

Photo by MF courtesy of Nottingham City Museums & Galleries.

Fredrick George Sharpe is listed at Queens Road, Nottingham in Wright's 1862 & 64 editions. This will have been his office or home address. Meanwhile White's 1864 edition records F.G. Sharpe at Carlton Hill, then Wright's 1866 & 68 editions records him at St. Ann's Hill Road, Nottingham. This St. Ann's Hill Road address may be the brick yard which Jeff Sheard has been identified as being on Cranmer Street / St. Anns Hill Road. I have coloured these roads yellow & red respectively on the 1880 OS map below which does not show a brickworks at this date, but there is land not built on where a brick yard may have existed. However a 1867 newspaper advert still records his brickworks as being at Carlton Hill same as the 1864 directory.

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

I now return to the Nottingham Builders Brick Co. & as previously wrote other brickmakers may have worked at this works before NBB Co., but I do not have any firm evidence to back this up & from the various listings of these brickmakers, their yards could also refer to Yards 1 & 3 above, as these two yards are also classed as being on Carlton Road or Carlton Hill. Because I have been unable to establish the exact location of the yards owned by these brickmakers, I have just listed each brickmaker with the information found. 

Joseph Terry, Sneinton Elements, White's 1853, then 1852 stats from Nottingham Library, Thomas & Joseph Terry, two yards Carlton Hill, 3,000,000 bricks, then Hunt's 1858 mining stats, Joseph Terry, (executors), Carlton Hill. 

Moses Wood, 1852 stats, Carlton Road, 1,500,000 bricks.

John Drury, 1852 stats, Carlton Road, 500,000 bricks. Jeff Sheard has identified the location of this yard as being where part of King Edward's Recreation Ground is today.

Hopkins & Co. 1852 stats, Carlton Hill.

John Drew, Sneinton Elements, White's 1853.

Joseph Hornbuckle, Old Sneinton, Kelly's 1855, then Hunt's 1858, Carlton Road, freeholder & brickmaker, 750,000 bricks, then Carlton Hill, White's 1864.

J. Taylor, New Carlton, Kelly's 1855, then Hunt's 1858, freeholder, Mrs. Smith, brickmaker, J. Taylor, Carlton Road, 600,000 bricks.

James Lee, Carlton Hill, White's 1864.

Thomas Terry, Carlton Hill, White's 1864, then Hunt's 1858, freeholder, Earl Manvers, brickmaker, Thomas Terry, Carlton Road, brick production - 900,000 bricks. (Brother to Joseph Terry). 

J.S. Ferguson, Carlton Road, Hunt's 1858, freeholder & brickmaker, 1,000,000 bricks.

William James, Carlton Road, Hunt's 1858, freeholder & brickmaker, 1,5000,000 bricks.

T & W Terry, Robin Hood Street, Wright's 1862, William Terry, Robin Hood Street & Carlton Hill, White's 1864.

Thomas Norman, Carlton, Kelly's 1876.

Edward Reach, Carlton, Kelly's 1876.

John Needham, Thorneywood Lane, New Sneinton, Kelly's1876.

Jason Clayton, Carlton Road & Wollaton, Kelly's 1885. Also these adverts - 24th June 1872 Nottingham Journal, J. Clayton, Brick & Tile Manufacturer, Sneinton Hill Works; offices 38 Clumber Street - All kinds of Bricks kept in stock, & supplied on the shortest notice. Then 4th August 1875 Nottingham Journal & 7th April 1877 Nottingham Journal, same advert - Clayton's Brick & Tile Works, Carlton Road; offices 38, Clumber Street - Pan tiles, paviors floor & every other kind of bricks kept in stock. Orders received at the above address. 

The two 1883 maps below show the brickworks which were on Carlton Hill & Carlton Road and may have been where some of the brickmakers listed above worked. Please note the two works on the first map on Carlton Hill coloured yellow & green were later taken over by the blue works which was run by the Nottingham Patent Brick Co. who eventually expanded their clay pit into the fields numbered 332, 333 & 327. The second map of Carlton Road shows there were several works on this site & it explains why there are many brickmakers listed on Carlton Road. Also the 1850's brick yards could have been on other land situated on Carlton Road & Carlton Hill & the remains of which had totally disappeared by the 1883 map.

© Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NLS/Ordnance Survey 1883.

© Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NLS/Ordnance Survey 1883.

I wish to thank the following people for their help & the use of their information & maps in this post.

Nottingham Museums & Galleries - my photos of the Museums bricks in this post.

St Ann's Allotments Visitor Centre - my photo of the Whitehead brick which is displayed at the centre.

Nottingham Central Library.

Nottingham Archives.

Mike Chapman.

Jeff Sheard.

British Brick Society.

Nottingham C.C. Insight, National Library for Scotland & Ordnance Survey - maps.