Many thanks to Vladimir Smirnov for the following information.
This brick is in the possession of Grisha? and believed to have been found in the Donetsk region of Ukraine.
Both Vladimir and I believe this to be a forgery of a Glenboig, Scotland brick. Glenboig bricks were renowned throughout the world for their quality and reliability as a firebrick. It comes as no real surprise that someone somewhere would try and forge the brickmark to pass it off as the genuine article.
Vladimir states ‘the first letter is a “C” instead of “G” and of course “N” is simply reverse Russian “И”.
Glenboig Union Fireclay Company, Glenboig, Lanarkshire.
Alternative brickworks include:
The above brick is very similar in many aspects to this forged Glenboig which was manufactured in Ukraine and may well have been manufactured by the same maker. Click here – Kuznetsov
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A c.1913 Glenboig Union Fireclay catalogue states – The fame attained by the Glenboig brands has led to some dishonest imitations by makers of inferior goods. The word Glenboig which is our trademark and trade name is used in various ways by the parties referred to, who also imitate the form of our stamps and purposely stamp indistinctly. We would, therefore, warn buyers, when not buying directly from the Glenboig Union Fireclay Limited, to make sure that one or other of the brands shown at page 9 is clearly impressed upon the goods and not to be satisfied by any other use of the name Glenboig.
The Scottish Refractory Industry 1830 – 1980 book by Kenneth W Sanderson states with regards the section on the Glenboig Union Fireclay Company “… Reports were received that firebricks made in Germany and shipped from Hamburg and Antwerp to the Black Sea ports were branded with Russian characters which translate phonetically as ‘Glenboi’. Customers in Southern Russia were circulated to warn them of this attempt to mislead them”
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 –…
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 Eddie Mclean in the Glasgow area. Glenboig Union Fireclay Company, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Alternative brickworks include: Glenboig Star Fireclay Works, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Glenboig Fireclay Works, (Old Works) Glenboig, Lanarkshire .
Found by Eddie McLean in the Glasgow area. Glenboig Union Fireclay Company, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Alternative brickworks include: Glenboig Star Fireclay Works, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Glenboig Fireclay Works, (Old Works) Glenboig, Lanarkshire .
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 Ian Suddaby near Ravenscraig, Motherwell. 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
03/11/1934 – Coatbridge Leader – Glenboig brick romance. Knocking about ocean bed for twenty years. A fireclay brick which was one of a consignment of 47,500, despatched twenty years ago by the Glenboig Union Fireclay Company made quite a romantic reappearance on Wednesday at the annual meeting of the Company held in Glasgow. Mr Robert…
04/10/1879 – West Lothian Courier – On Monday a somewhat alarming explosion of fire damp took place at the Star Pit, Glenboig but was fortunately unattended with serious results. Hitherto the regular fire clay workings have been entirely free from damp but some had been generated during the driving of a mine through an upthrow….
Found in the Ayrshire area by Jason Sutcliffe. 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 possibility of a double edge around the name stamp which is unusual on a Glenboig fire…
Found in the Ayrshire area by Jason Sutcliffe. 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
