Downiehill Brick & Tileworks, Peterhead.
06/04/1844 – Aberdeen Herald – Brick and tile maker wanted – A person thoroughly acquainted with the manufacture of brick and tiles is wanted just now as a foreman at Downiehills Works. Apply to James Arbuthnot. Downiehills by Peterhead. 04/04/1844.
Below – 04/09/1844 – Aberdeen Press and Journal – Advert. Jas Arbuthnot, Manager.
(James Arbuthnot of Umzinto Lodge, Natal. Born at Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland during 1816, died at Umzinto Lodge, Kelso District, Alexandra County, Natal on 4 May 1861 and is buried at the Humberdale Cemetery, Kelso. James was educated at Aberdeen College. He went on to farm at Buchan, Scotland and then, with his young family at Downie Hills, Peterhead where he founded a company manufacturing clay pipes, tiles and bricks. He and his family were Byrne settlers to Natal arriving from Liverpool aboard the Unicorn in Port Natal on 17 September 1850).
1852 – Downey Hill Brick & Tile Company, Downeyhills; John Mackintosh, manager.
1853 – Downey Hill Brick & Tile Company, Downeyhills; John Mackintosh, manager; Office Long-gate Street.
1865 – 1871 – ScotlandsPlaces – John Mutch Occupier. Applies to a few sheds & kiln with workmen’s houses; for the manufacture of bricks, draining tiles etc. the property of Mrs Arbuthnot, Dens.
31/07/1866 –Banffshire Journal and General Advertiser – Downiehills Brick and Tile Works. John Mutch, who has been many years manager at the above Works begs to intimate to his agricultural friends and the Public that he has become purchaser thereof and trusts by assiduity and attention to business, to merit a continuance of those favours so liberally bestowed on his predecessors. J.M is now ready to deliver bricks, drain pipes, roof tiles etc. Price moderate. Downiehills by Peterhead July 1866.
1867 – Downiehill Brick and Tile Company – Downyhills, Peterhead, Aberdeen. John Mackintosh Manager.
Below – 1868 – Downiehills Brick & Tileworks.
1877 – Downeyhill Brick & Tile Co. Downeyhill.
21/12/1880 – Buchan Observer – Article regarding a charge against the officers of the Xanthus. Witnesses called include – William Law Mutch, seaman, Downiehills, Peterhead and John Mutch, jun, brick and tile maker, Smiddyhill, Peterhead ( I believe John Mutch may have lived at Smiddyhill which is located just north of Downiehill brickworks)
20/02/1884 – Peterhead Sentinel – The late Mr John Mackintosh – There are few old residents of Peterhead in any part of the world who will not hear with regret of the death of Mr John Mackintosh which took place last Wednesday … aged 83 years … From 1834 till a few years ago he was the manager of the Gaslight Company and he was also the manager of the Downiehills brick and tile company to the time of its dissolution …
1886 – Downiehill Brick and Tile Company – Downiehills, Peterhead. John Mutch, Manager.
23/05/1890 – Peterhead Sentinel – House of two apartments to let. Rent £3. Byre and stable could be had. Apply Downiehills Brickworks.
10/03/1891 – Peterhead Sentinel – To let, three houses, suitable for labourers or farm servants. Apply at Downiehills Brickwork.
23/04/1891 – Buchan Observer – Boy (about 14 or 15 years of age) wanted – Apply Dowhniehills Brickwork.
01/12/1891 – Peterhead Sentinel – Wanted – active girl (16-18), general servant, capable of milking cows. Apply Downiehills Brickwork, Peterhead.
19/06/1894 – Wanted immediately, two boys from 14 to 16 years for Brickwork – Appy Downiehill Brickwork.
31/12/1895 – Buchan Observer – To let – Workman’s house, 2 apartments at Roadside near Howe of Buchan. Immediate entry. Apply Mutch, Downiehills Brickworks.
1896 – John Mutch & Sons, Downiehills Brick and Tileworks, Peterhead.
10/01/1899 – Buchan Observer – Lost between Inverugie Station and Downiehills Brickwork, lady’s shawl – Apply Mrs Alexander, Brickworks.
06/06/1899 – Buchan Observer – For sale – good black bull calf. Apply Downiehills Brickwork.
Below – 1900 – Downiehills Brick & Tileworks
10/04/1900 – Buchan Observer – Wanted. A boy from 14 to 16 years. Apply Brickworks, Downiehills.
Below – 05/11/1901 – Buchan Observer – Golden wedding at Downiehills – Mr and Mrs John Mutch. Reference to the Rosefield Brickworks, Westerton.
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1903 – J Mutch & Sons – Downiehills, Peterhead.
Below – 01/12/1903 – Buchan Observer – The death of Mr John Mutch.
19/12/1905 – Buchan Observer – To let – house (3 apartments) at Downiehills – apply, Brickworks, Downiehills.
Below – 08/01/1907 – Buchan Observer – Downiehills Brick and Tile Works for sale – carried on for over half a century by Messrs John Mutch & Sons.
14/06/1909 – Aberdeen Press and Journal – Golden wedding at Peterhead – Mr Alexander Watt (73) and Mrs Watt … Have just celebrated their golden wedding … He was born at Denholm near Peterhead and in early life elected to follow the hard but healthy occupation of a ploughman and was engaged on several large farms throughout Aberdeenshire. Ultimately Mr Watt abandoned farm service and for 14 years was employed at the brick and tile works at Downiehills which were then under the management of the late Mr Mutch, his uncle …
Additional information – 23/06/1802 birth of Ann Fraser in Cruden, son of Andrew Fraser and Jean Walker. Andrew Fraser was the brother of the William Fraser who was the father of illegitimate William Fraser born in 1805. In 1835 she married William Mutch at Peterhead. In 1841 they are Dee Village, Oldmachar with 2 young children and William is a tilemaker. Can’t find them in 1851 but in 1861 they’re at Nigg, Kincardineshire at the Torry Farm Brickworks where William is a brickmaker. With them are two daughters, a grandson and 9-year-old lodger. They’re still there in 1871, with a granddaughter and two lodgers. By 1881 they’ve moved back to Peterhead and are at the Downiehills Brickwork Cottages, William formerly a brick maker. Ann is still at Downiehills in 1891, a widow and annuitant, living with her niece and various members of the extended Mutch family. All the men are brick makers. Ann Mutch nee Fraser died in 1893 at the age of 91, of old age, at Downiehills.
(Note – SBH – I cannot find a map with these works detailed although Torterston Farm is very close to Downiehill Farm which had a brick and tile works. Mr Boyd of Torterston Brickworks may be the same Mr Boyd who owned the Ednie Brick and Tile Works). Below – 05/02/1864 – Buchan Advertiser –…
The Northern Patent Brick & Tile Co. was a constituent company of the Seaton Brick and Tile Company Limited. Keith, Harriman, & Watson, Northern Patent Brickworks opened for business in 1868 in a new works located at Pitmuxten in Ruthrieston in Aberdeen. The clay became exhausted at the old site and in 1882 the company…
Torry Brickworks, Aberdeen aka Tory Farm Brickworks. With special thanks to Ed Fowler, Doric Columns for permissions to refer to his notations. Torry Brickworks – Demolition of the Torry Brickworks chimney was in the early 20th century, Torry Brick and Tile Works There were a number of Brick and Tile Works in Torry in the 19th century,…
Found by Mike Lynch in the Aberdeen area. Many thanks too to Jeannie Cooper for assisting with its transport to the collection. An absolute cracker of a brick. I believe this to be a Northern Patent Brick and Tile Co , Pitmuxton, (Pitmuckston) Aberdeen product. . . .
Canmore Seaton Brick & Tile Co. Limited, Strabathie; Torry; Plaidy; Turriff & Esslemont, Ellon, Aberdeen – To be read in conjunction with the Old Aberdeen brick kilns, Aberdeen. See also a wonderful publication of 128 pages entitled ‘Bricks and golfers. The Strathbathie Light Railway and Murcar Buggy’ by A. Gordon Pirie. Published by The Oakwood…
