Made in Leicester. First reference is in a 1898 newpaper and then Kelly's Directories for 1900 & 1908. It is believed to have closed after the death of owner John Henry Weston in June 1909. Info by Martyn Fretwell, photo by Paul Ross.
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This brick came from a factory where one of the main bricks used
was Belgrave Brick Co., Barkby Road, Leicester. Photo and
info by Dennis Gamble.
Made by Bell Brothers Ltd, owned by Sir Hugh Bell, at South Brancepeth Colliery, Page Bank, Durham. Photo and info from Ian Suddaby who found this in the Hexham area.
Found at Stanhope Quarry by Robert Anderson.
Photo by Steven Tait.
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Photo by Chris Tilney
The Bell brickworks was in Byers Green, Durham and seems to have operated from the 1870s to 1921. In 1879 the owner was Robert Bell but by 1891 this was Frances Bell, who was born at Ipstones in North Staffordshire, and in 1911 his son Thomas Bell is listed as a brick manufacturer. The trade directories from the 1890s list the business as Mrs Frances Bell even though Frances was a widower in 1891. Photo by Neville Akers.
Spotted in Riddings, Derbyshire by Martyn Fretwell.
Lord Belper open a brickyard at New Kingston in 1886 & it was operational until 1913. The works consisted of a boiler house, chimney stack and three clamp kilns. The yard manufactured bricks stamped with the letter ‘B’ (for Belper) & they were mainly used at Lord Belper's gypsum quarry works in Kingston. In 1979 the clay pit was filled in & by 1987 the site was levelled and all trace of the works removed. Photo by Martyn Fretwell, courtesy of Nottingham City Museums & Galleries.
Photo by Phil Burgoyne.
Photos by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection. Martyn Fretwell writes :- Belvoir bricks were made by the Vale of Belvoir & Newark Plaster Co. in Orston. Notts. and the works is listed in the brick makers section of Kelly's Notts 1904 edition as the Belvoir & Newark Plaster Co. at Orston sidings, G. N. Rly. & Lowfield sidings, G. N. Rly. Newark (2nd works). Started in 1864 the company only made bricks during the summer months at this date as their core activities were producing plaster & gypsum. Up to 1873 Hardy & Co had been share holders in the company, but after this date Hardy & Co. purchased the company & continued to trade under the same name until the Orston works closed in 1928. I expect that many of the Belvoir bricks which have been found were made when this works was under the control of Hardy & Co.
Photo by David Fox.
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Joseph Bennett, brickmaker, Brick Kiln Lane, Basford, Stoke
is listed in trade directories from 1869 to the 1892. Then in the 1896 to 1908 editions, the listing is for
Bennett & Son, Basford. He took over the works from his father John c1869. Photos & Info by Martyn Fretwell.
Found at Pyenest Street, Etruria. Photo by Tim Lawton.
Photos by Frank Lawson.
Front and back of R Bennett, Melbourne.
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In 1879 the Nottingham Patent Brick Co. first used machinery made by Richard Bennett of Derby to produce wirecut bricks. Info & Photos by Martyn Fretwell.
Photos by Phil Burgoyne.
Two sides of a brick from the Spondon works.
These two bricks above have no stamp on the reverse side.
Thomas Bennett, born 1806 in Stapenhill established his Slack Lane Brickworks, Derby (also listed as Uttoxeter Road) around 1849. Thomas was operating a second works in Spondon by 1857. Kelly’s 1868 Staffs. edition records Thomas was operating the Spoutfield Tileries works in Cliff Vale, Stoke. The Bennett rev. Derby brick by Ken Perkins with it being found together with several more in the Stoke area are thought to have been made at the Spoutfield Tileries works. With Joseph Bennett (no relation) producing blue bricks at his nearby Basford works it is thought that is why Thomas Bennett stamped his bricks, Derby. Thomas’ son Richard joined him at the Derby works & after Thomas' death in 1871 Richard went into partnership with his brother-in-law Henry Leese. Richard Bennett in Kelly’s in 1881 edition is listed as producing red, white & blue bricks at his four brickworks, Uttoxeter Road, Derby, Spondon, Melbourne (actually in Kings Newton) & Tamworth (blue bricks). Henry Leese died in 1882 & Richard was now in full control of the family business. Around this same time Richard Bennett was manufacturing brick making machinery as well & he then went into partnership with engineer William Sayer & both companies ran side by side. Richard Bennett died in October 1885 & the brickworks were first run by Richard’s executors, then later they operated under the company name of Bennett & Sayer until 1932 when the Derby Brick Company purchased Bennett’s last remaining Slack Lane Brickworks. Photos & Info by Martyn Fretwell.
 by Ken Perkins.jpg)
 2 by Ken Perkins.jpg)
This brick (two images above showing both sides) is thought to have been manufactured at Bennett's Spoutfield Tileries in Stoke-on-Trent. Photo by Ken Perkins.
Thomas Bennett is listed in Kelly's 1881 edition at Parcel Fields, Slack Lane, Derby. Then in the 1887 edition at Sinfin Lane, Sinfin, Derby. With this brick having California on it's reverse, I think that this Bennett is the same one as the brick stamped Bennett, Holmes & Kay, who are recorded in Kelly's 1876 edition at the California Brick Works, Stockbrook Street, Derby. Photos & Info by Martyn Fretwell.
Bennett, Holmes & Kay are listed at the California Brickworks, Stockbrook Lane in Kelly's 1876 edition & this is the only entry for the trio. Information received states they were at this yard in 1874. We next find that the works was divided into two & new buildings & kilns were erected with Thomas Bennett owning the original California works & John Holmes owning the new works. Both brickmakers later moved, Bennett to the Parcel Terrace Works in Derby, then another move to a works on Sinfin Lane, Derby & Holmes moved to a works at Melbourne Junction, Sinfin, Derby. Before becoming a brickmaker Thomas Bennett who was born in Burton on Trent had been a boot maker & grocer. I have found no family connection of Thomas Bennett being related to Thomas Bennett & his son Richard Bennett at the Slack Lane brickworks in Derby. Photo & Info by Martyn Fretwell.
The partnership of Richard Bennett & his brother-in-law Henry Leese had been formed by 1876 & Kelly’s 1876 & 1881 editions record the duo as owning works at Derby & Spondon. Henry Leese in the 1871 census was recorded as a Commercial Traveler (salesman). This partnership also shared Richard Bennett's works in Kings Newton in the Parish of Melbourne in 1881 and this is recorded on the reverse of the brick above. The other Bennett & Leese brick has nothing on the reverse & due to the colour of this brick, this will have been made at the Spondon works. Henry Leese died in the autumn of 1882. Photos & Info by Martyn Fretwell.
Red & blue brick works, Derby. Photographed at Derby Silk
Mill Museum by Martyn Fretwell.