Bonshaw Brick and Tile Works, Annan, Dumfries.
Many thanks to Iain Gow with regards to much of the information herein.
Canmore – Bonshaw Tileworks entered use after 1857 and became disused about 1900. It is partly demolished and has one kiln of Newcastle type.
Bonshaw Tileworks was established in the latter half of the 19th century and is depicted on the 2nd edition of the OS 6-inch map (Dumfriesshire, sheet lviii, 1900). Of the buildings shown on this map, only the kiln survives, and this is a two-chamber example of the Newcastle type; the outline of the drying sheds and the other buildings are now indicated by a pattern of robber trenches. The map indicates a pond to the SE of the kiln; this was still water-filled on the date of visit, but there is also evidence of several other dammed ponds, now breached, to the N. A tramway is also depicted, running from the processing plant to the clay pit, but only a short stretch now survives and the clay pit has been removed by the construction of the new motorway. Strewn across the area, there are fragments of red bricks and drainage tiles, but most of this appears to be wastage. The Tileworks was connected by a siding to the Kirtlebridge, Annan and Brayton Branch of the Caledonian Railway.
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AD2136 – William Jolly, Master Mariner of Doubletrees, St Blazey Gate
AD2136/2 – Papers – schooner Margaret Murray of London.
A letter from Archibald Murray, Annan Dumfries to Captain Jolly.
Dated 03/08/1887
Description “He has just got strong enough to go downstairs. He hopes that Captain Jolly will find something suitable soon. The ship ( The Margaret Murray) went into dry dock yesterday to be repaired and he is currently waiting for the official survey. John Murray is going to Liverpool to see to it. He encloses the average adjuster’s statement (not present). On the reverse in pencil are calculations probably relating to Jolly’s share. All on notepaper of J and A Murray, Quarry Owners, Corsehill Quarries and Bonshaw Brick and Tile Works, Annan, Dumfries. Source
Scheduled monument – The monument consists of the upstanding remains of the former Bonshaw Tileworks, comprising a two-chambered Newcastle Kiln and associated earthworks marking the site of workshops, processing plant and drying sheds. The Bonshaw Tile Works was established in the latter half of the 19th century to produce lightly fired tile field drains and from 1896-1911 also produced common pressed red brick.
The horizontal draught kiln is constructed of squared rubble, with substantial masonry buttresses at the SE and NW and is characterised by two brick-lined vaulted chambers each incorporating a pair of fireboxes and four flues which lead to a single chimney. The fireboxes are now partially blocked with brick rubble and the chimneys are no longer extant. A linear feature to the E of the works marks the track of a tramway that linked the complex with a clay pit from which the raw material was extracted. To the W, a siding connected the tile works to the Kirtlebridge, Annan and Drayton branches of the Caledonian Railway. SE of the kiln, a swampy area denotes the former site of a pond while depressions indicative of several other dammed ponds, now breached, are just visible to the N.
The area to be scheduled is irregular in shape with maximum dimensions of 125m NW-SE by 160m NE-SW as marked in red on the accompanying map extract, to include the upstanding remains of the two-chambered Newcastle Kiln, earthworks indicative of former buildings associated with the tile works, depressions marking the site of former ponds and a portion of the trackway. Excluded from the scheduling are the remains of a World War II Nissen hut which lies at the extreme N end of the site.
1848 – 1858 – ScotlandPlaces – Bonshaw Tileworks. John Burnie Manager. A newly constructed tilework on the property of the Revd. [Reverend] John Irving of Bonshaw Tower. Tenanted by Mr Moffat.
1855 – Valuation Rolls – The Reverend John Irving, proprietor, Tileworks, Bonshawside, Annan.
Below – 08/07/1857 – Dumfries and Galloway Standard – Fatal accident – A young lad named Porteous died while building the kiln when the brick arch fell on him crushing him to death.
11/09/1863 – Carlisle Journal – Proposed railway – Port – Annan and Kirtlebridge Junction Railway – Reference that it will pass the Bonshaw Brick and Tile Works and west of Whinnyrigg Brick and Tile Works.
1882 -1885 – Bonshaw Tileworks, Ecclefechan. Moffat & Murray. T.O. Kirtlebridge Station, 2.
10/02/1882 – Glasgow Herald – Man wanted to take charge of an engine and make himself generally useful. One with mechanical knowledge would be preferred. Apply to Moffat & Murray, Bonshaw Brick and Tile Works, Kirtlebridge, Ecclefechan.
05/12/1883 – Eskdale and Liddesdale Advertiser – Dumfries Sheriff Court – ln this court on Monday, before Dr Bruce. Hon. Sheriff Substitute, William McGuire, labourer. Rigg of Gretna pleaded guilty to having assaulted Mr Moffat, brick and tile manufacturer, Kirtlebridge, and having committed a breach of the peace at the same time while in a compartment of a train between Gretna and Kirkpatrick railway stations on Saturday last, and was fined £1 or 14 days’ imprisonment.
25/07/1884 – Annandale Observer and Advertiser – Melancholy accident at Kirtlebridge. On Monday afternoon, about half-past five o’clock as Mr Thomas Stothart, joiner, Eaglesfield, and his son Thomas a youth of 17 years, were engaged at Bonshaw Brick and Tile Works in sawing some timber for the erection of a new drying-shed there, a slab, about an inch square and eleven feet long, on being removed from the saw accidentally caught it and being thrown with great violence, struck Mr Stothart Senr in the region of the heart, killing him almost if not quite instantaneously. Mr Stothart was a widower, having lost his wife about two years ago. He leaves a family of seven, the youngest child being about six years of age. Mr Stothart was an elder in Middlebie Parish Church, an able and energetic workman, and was much and deservedly respected in the neighbourhood.
21/07/1884 – Thomas Stothart killed at Bonshaw Tileworks. The inscription reads “In memory of Mary McDougal wife of Thomas Stothart in Eaglesfield who died at Edinburgh, 23rd August 1882 aged 46 years. Also, the said Thomas Stothart who was killed at Bonshaw Tileworks 21st July 1884 aged 45 years”
1886 – Moffat & Murray, Bonshaw Brick & Tile Works, Kirtlebridge.
Below – 1886 – Bonshaw Brick and Tile Works, Ecclefechan.
1886 – 1889 – Bonshaw Tileworks, Ecclefechan. Moffat & Murray. T.O. Kirtlebridge Station, 2.
20/05/1887 – Annandale Advertiser – The business of the late firm Moffat and Murray, brick and tile manufacturers, Bonshaw Tileworks, has been acquired by us and will be carried on in all its branches under efficient supervision. All orders left at the tilework or at Corsehill will be punctually attended to. J & A Murray. Corsehill 23/04/1887.
Below – 1889 – J & A Murray, Corsehill Quarries and Bonshaw Brick and Tile Works.
18/04/1890 – Annandale Advertiser – Reference to John Blackstock, Bonshaw Tileworks attending a Dumfriesshire Liberal Association meeting.
Below – 1893 – Advert Bonshaw Brick and Tile Works, Annan.
1896 – J & A Murray, Brick and Tile Manufacturer, Bonshaw Brick and Tile Works. Office Corsehill, Annan.
Below – 1896 – Bonshaw Brick and Tile Works, Annan.
05/12/1898 – Glasgow Herald – To brick and tile makers – Bonshaw Brick and Tile Works near Kirtlebridge Station, Caledonian Railway.Good going business which may be largely increased by an enterprising tenant. Entry on Whitsunday 1899. Apply to Mr George Moffat, Factor, Kirtlebridge …
Below – 1898 – Bonshaw Brick and Tile Works. Railway link in place.
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Below – The remains of a burnt outbuilding on the side of the railway branch running alongside the brick and tile works. Kirkhouse and Sanquhar bricks were found as part of the structure along with unnamed hollow blocks. – Information from Iain Gow is that the burnt-out building is actually an army “group office” as the MOD had a narrow-gauge railway and munitions along the old railway line.
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2. A red brick which has been perforated with very small cores as can be seen on the broken edge below and in the next photo too.
Below – A brick/drainage tile or brick.
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Below – The following brick is the middle left one on the photo above and clearly shows finger drag marks where someone has removed a scraping of clay.
Below – This is the cored brick depicted right middle on the assembly above with what looks like the holes left after being lifted by a 2 pronged lifting fork.
The left prong can be seen between the first 4 cores on the left. The right pong has just nicked the core on the bottom row, 2nd from right.
Below – Examples of field drains etc found on site.
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Found by Ian Suddaby at Bonnyside, Bonnybridge. This example is not in my possession. James Dougall & Sons Ltd, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire Alternative brickworks include: Bonnyside Brickworks, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. Below – A similar stamp with a thumbprint to the top right. Found by Ian Suddaby in the Ravenscraig, Motherwell area.
Found by Ian Suddaby in the Ravenscraig, Motherwell area. This example is not in my possession. The manufacturer of this fire brick is unknown. The find location would suggest Scottish origins but … Ian states – Another pile of sieved bricks at the Dalzell/Colville Steelworks dumping ground in Motherwell and another very interesting find. This firebrick is…
Found by Ian Suddaby in the Ravenscraig, Motherwell area. This example is not in my possession. Note the thumbprint to the top right. Lilliehill Fireclay Works, Townhill, Dunfermline, Fife – Robert Lindsay, brick manufacturer. . .
Found by Ray Thorn at Grandbay, New Brunswick, Canada. Note the thumbprint to the top right. Gartcraig Fire Clay Works, By Millerston, Glasgow. . . . .
This brick is in the possession of Chris Tramacchi. It was found in Nerrdrie, Queensland, Australia. Note the thumbprint to the top right. Cumbernauld Fireclay Works, Cumbernauld, Lanarkshire. . . .
Found by Jamie McMillan in Georgian Bay, Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. Jamie states – I found one of your old bricks in Georgian Bay, Owen Sound, Ontario on land that belonged to Empire Stove Works and Russel Brothers shipbuilding company, odds are it’s not important but that brick is on my mantle now. Those factories…
Found on the site of the old Manuel Works, Whitecross. The manufacturer of this brick is unknown but it is highly likely it was made at the Manuel Works. Note the fingerprints. 18 or 81? The bricks found so far weigh between 3.1 and 3.5kg . . . . . Below – The same brick…
Found in Townsville, Queensland Australia by Michelle Jonker. This example is not in my possession. Glenboig Union Fireclay Company, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Alternative brickworks include: Glenboig Star Fireclay Works, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Glenboig Fireclay Works, (Old Works) Glenboig, Lanarkshire Note the possible thumbprint to the top right.
The following Scottish bricks were found in Townsville, Queensland, Australia by Michelle Jonker. Michelle states – We live in Townsville, Australia. We recently bought a Queenslander house, that is from the 1920s. A lot of the houses here were brought from Charters Towers after the gold rush ended. Below – ‘Glenboig 30’ with possible thumbprint…
Found by Ian Suddaby at teh site of the old Hilton Brickworks, Alloa. This example is not in my possession. The manufacturer is unknown but there is every chance it was manufactured at the Hilton Works. Ian states – It looks like somebody trod on it whilst it was drying and split the fabric. It’s also…
