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.
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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 Ian Suddaby in the West Lothian area. I am not in possession of this example. Note the thumbprint to the bottom left. Heathfield Fireclay Works, Heathfield, Lanarkshire. Alternative brickworks include: Cardowan Fireclay Works, Lanarkshire.
Found by Ian Suddaby at Bruntons, Musselburgh. This example is not in my possession. Castlecary Fireclay & Lime Works, Castlecary, Stirlingshire. . . .
This brick is in the possession of John Stevens. John states – I believe it came from a fireplace in an old north Brisbane home here in Queensland. Note the thumbprint to the bottom left. Blochairn Sand and Fire Clay Co, Blochairn, Glasgow. . .
This brick was found by Gustavo Agustín Coronel. He lives in the City of Malagueño Córdoba, Argentina. Gustavo states (apologies for the quality of the google translation) – I would like to tell you that since last year I have been researching and studying the history of our city, this study was carried out mainly…
Many thanks to Chock Camancho for taking this photograph of ‘Sankey BM Scotch’ bricks. Chock states:- I took this photo which shows some old bricks still in place at an estate which houses a sugar mill in Nasugbu, Batangas, Philippines. It is just fascinating that this came all the way from Scotland a long time…
Found by Ian Suddaby in Leith, Edinburgh. This example is not in my possession. Ian states – This might well be a second as it’s not well made. On the first photo, the frog is malformed and looks like it’s been repositioned in the press. The whole brick is misshaped too and the letters aren’t clear,…
Many thanks to Terrence Honore and the Palmiste Historical Society for the following information. These Scottish bricks were found on the Cedar Grove, Canaan Palmiste Estates, Trinidad. They were formerly owned by Scotsmen like the Lamonts. A chimney of bricks from that era 1810, still stands, along with bridges and a few other structures. The…
The following bricks are in the possession of Boris Talpa, Rostov on Don, Russia. They were found in the Vladivostok and Primorye area of Eastern Russia. . . Below – Glenyards – Glenyards Fireclay Works, Glenyards, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. Note the thumbprint to top right. Below – Boghead – Boghead Fireclay Works, Bathgate, West Lothian. ….
The following bricks were found at Old Manutenção Militar, Beato – Lisbon, Portugal by Rui Ribolhos, Lisbon, Portugal. Empatia Arqueologia LDA. Rui states – I am an archaeologist working in Lisbon at an old nun’s convent from the XVII th century (Convento das freiras Grilas, Beato, Lisboa) transformed into a military facility of baking bread…
Found at Heathfield Fire Clay Works. Note the thumbprint to the top right which has slightly deformed the ‘S’. Heathfield Fireclay Works, Heathfield, Lanarkshire. Alternative brickworks include: Cardowan Fireclay Works, Lanarkshire. .
