Garnrkirk brick found in Australia
— 05/05/2022Found by Rachel Brown on an old gold mine crushing plant in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. Note the thumbprint to the bottom left. Garnkirk Fireclay Works, Garnkirk, Lanarkshire. . . .
Found at Weir Castlecary works, Castlecary.
Note the lovely thumbprint to top right.
Unidentified maker.
Find location would suggest Scottish origins but….. in the absence of any further information I will suggest this was manufactured on site.
.
.
There are very few references to a place called Glencroy in Scotland – there is this -” Glencroy – (Vale of ) a wild and romantic tract near the NE extremity of Loch Loung (Long) in Argyleshire. The 2 ranges of mountains, which overhang this valley, approach each other, and between these the traveller is immured. Their stupendous height and the roaring of numerous cataracts that pour over their broken surface, produce an awful effect” (see page headed GLI) – but this location does not shout clay or brick.
However there is a village of Croy which is approx 4.5 miles from the find location at Castlecary and it is highly likely that this brickmark is named after this village and surrounding area.
Below – 1896 OS Map of Croy near Cumbernauld. There is also a colliery here known as Nethercroy Colliery.
Found by Rachel Brown on an old gold mine crushing plant in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. Note the thumbprint to the bottom left. Garnkirk Fireclay Works, Garnkirk, Lanarkshire. . . .
Many thanks to Gustavo Coronel for the following information. The brick was found by Jorge Villafañe at Los Hornos de la Ochoa, Malagueño, Córdoba, Argentina. There may be a thumbprint to the top right. Bonnybridge Silica & Fireclay Co Ltd, Bonnybridge. alt Calder Firebrick Works, Airdrie, Lanarkshire. alt Chapelhall Works, Lanarkshire. Hepworth Ceramic Holdings plc…
Found by Andy and Pip McKeown on a beach near Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. Castlecary Fireclay & Lime Works, Castlecary, Stirlingshire or the Glenboig Union Fireclay Company which took over the Castlecary company and works in 1936 (Via General Refractories, Sheffield) and continued the ‘GEM’ and ‘Castlecary’ brand names. . . .
Found by Allan Mitchell and recovered from an old copper mine chimney about 250km from Darwin, Australia. Allan states:- The site is known as the Daly River Copper Mine Massacre, where, in 1884, about 5 white miners were murdered by Aboriginals. The reprisals or punitive expeditions probably resulted in the death of around 100 Aboriginals….
Many thanks to Martyn Fretwell and David Cufley for their assistance with creating this page. Many fire bricks are stamped BCM alongside the manufacturer’s name. BCM – British Commercial Monomarks. Below – 10/07/1925 – The Times – Indexing humanity. Men may soon be like motor cars. Lost property solution. Latest in classification. Modern life is…
Found by Ian Suddaby on the old Bonnyside Brickworks site, Bonnybridge. This example is not in my possession. Note the thumbprint to the top right. James Dougall & Sons Ltd, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. Alternative brickworks include: Bonnyside Brickworks, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire.
Found by Eddie McLean in the Glasgow area. Castlecary Fireclay & Lime Works, Castlecary, Stirlingshire. . . . .
Found by Ian Suddaby on the old Bonnyside Brickworks site, Bonnybridge. This example is not in my possession. Note the thumbprint to the top right. James Dougall & Sons Ltd, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. Alternative brickworks include: Bonnyside Brickworks, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire.
Found by Ian Suddaby on the boundary of the old Bonnyside Brickworks site, Bonnybridge. I am not in possession of this example. Note the thumbprint to the top right. James Dougall & Sons Ltd, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. Alternative brickworks include: Bonnyside Brickworks, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire.
The following bricks were found by Jacob Serge at a demolished military camp at Leopoldsburg, Belgium. . . . . Below – Castlecary – Castlecary Fireclay & Lime Works, Castlecary, Stirlingshire. Below – Preston Grange – Prestongrange Brick, Tile and Fireclay Works, Prestonpans, East Lothian.