Thank you to Olga Kubareva for forwarding photos and information on this brick. Olga is a director of the Museum and Exhibition Center of the KB JSC “Apatit” in the city of Kirovsk, Murmansk region, Russia.
On a survey of an old mine in the Khibiny Mountains, several Dougall stamped bricks were found. The mine operated from c. 1930 to 1939.
James Dougall & Sons Ltd, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire
Alternative brickworks include:
The buildings around the mine were later crushed by avalanches.
One of the Dougall bricks found by Grigoriy Ilin, also bore the Russian lettering “4 щ д”
The following information from Vladimir Smirnov, St Petersburg, is believed to be relevant to the above brickmark.
4 – Can stand for size or shape or degree of heat resistance
Ш=Шамот
Д=Динас (Dinas).
Д can also stand for Доменный, i.e. Blast-furnace
Letters Ш and Д at Russian firebricks means Shamot (Fireclay) and Dinas type (not less than 93% silicon dioxide (silica)). I have no idea how two alphabets appeared at one brickmark and which of them can indicate the origin of the sample.
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So was this firebrick manufactured at Bonnyside, Scotland by James Dougall and also stamped with Russian cryllic lettering denoting that it is a Dinas fireclay brick. ( Note – SBH – I have not seen reference of Dougall specifically using Dinas fireclay, but ganister fireclay is associated with Dinas fireclay and certainly Dougalls manufactured bricks from ganister).
It is also entirely possible that this brick is another counterfeit of a UK manufactured brick as per these possible similar examples – click me
The following bricks were found in Suriname, South America by Marnix (John) Visser. Marnix states – I have found several bricks on an old Scottish plantation in Suriname South America with the name Waterloo and located in Nickerie at the border with Guyana. James Balfour was the plantation owner. . . Below – Hurlford –…
Found by Hector Miguez in the area of Mendoza, Argentina. Prestongrange Brick, Tile and Fireclay Works, Prestonpans, East Lothian. . . . .
Found by Michèle Côté and Marc Trudel on the beach along the Gaspé shore of Percé, Québec Canada. The ‘Gartcraig’ brick is most definitely Scottish. It was found near to a brick stamped ‘Vulcan’ which may also be Scottish as ‘Vulcan’ is a trademark of Campbell & Co, Roughcastle Fireclay Works, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. (However, ‘Vulcan’…
Many thanks to Bruce MacDonald for the following photographs which were taken at The Sunbury Plantation House, St Philip Parish Barbados. All the bricks present were fire bricks and included English manufacturers such as Ruffors of Stourbridge, Cowen of Newcastle and Duddell of Fenton. 90% of the bricks present appear to have been stamped ‘Glenboig’….
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.
Many thanks to Charlie Terry for the following photographs and information. Charlie states – My great-grandfather worked at the Beaconsfield and Lefroy gold mines in Tasmania. He was an assayer. Some of the bricks are still in their original boxes and have been stored in a shed for decades. Below – An example of one…
This brick is in the possession of John Hicks, West Monroe, Louisiana, USA. John is uncertain where the Docken brick was found in the USA as he picked it up at a brick swap meeting. James Dougall & Sons Ltd, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. Alternative brickworks include: Bonnyside Brickworks, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. .
Found by Joe Fletcher at “Turonville” in Tarana, NSW Australia. The property is a farm dating back to the 1850s. Gartcraig Fire Clay Works, By Millerston, Glasgow. . . . .
The following Scottish bricks were found by Tracie Perrie on the shore at Borden, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Below – ‘Glenboig’. Glenboig Union Fireclay Company, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Alternative brickworks include: Glenboig Star Fireclay Works, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Glenboig Fireclay Works, (Old Works) Glenboig, Lanarkshire Below – ‘Gartcraig Scotland Gaskil’. Gartcraig Fire Clay Works, By Millerston, Glasgow….
Found by Dr Ali Asghar Hemmati in an old building previously belonging to the Iranian oil company located in Haftgel City in the province of Khuzestan, Iran. James Dougall & Sons Ltd, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire Alternative brickworks include: Bonnyside Brickworks, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. . .
