The Calder Fireclay Company was founded in 1880 by Robert Fleming & Co with a brickworks at Armadale. The Company was reconstructed in 1892 as the Calder Fireclay Co and passed into the control of the Paine family who erected a brickworks 2 miles south-east of Airdrie near the Carnbroe Iron Works. They also worked the fireclay and had a brickworks at Hareshaw near Shotts from 1907 to 1919. James Paine joined his father in the business after WW1. Their firebricks, branded Calder, won an excellent reputation for service in blast furnaces. The Calder works used 9 Newcastle type kilns with about a 50-ton capacity each. They used a large number of hand moulders as a 1925 catalogue claims all firebricks were handmade. This lack of brick manufacturing machines and the smallness of the Company made it difficult to compete in the 1930’s so an agreement was signed with the Bonnybridge Silica Company to merge on 18/01/1936. Calder owned a mineral field of about 30 acres at Chapelhall, 2 miles south-east of Airdrie with easy access to a railway siding. The combined company decided to build modern works on this site. By March 1937 the Bonnybridge and Calder Works were reported at full production and the new Chapelhall Works had started to produce saleable fire bricks. The original intention to close the Calder Works was postponed. The Calder brand continued after the merger with the Calder Fireclay Company and was used mainly for bricks made at the Chapelhill Works. Octo and Novo brands were introduced in the 1960s for high alumina bricks. Source Kenneth W Sanderson.
13/04/1907 – Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser – Contractor (certified), wanted to open up a fireclay mine at Hareshaw Brickworks near Salsburgh. Apply in the first instance to Calder Fireclay Company, Calder Brickworks, Coatbridge.
Below – 1938 – Hareshaw Clay Mine.
Below – Information – British Geological Survey. Fireclay from the Hareshaw Fireclay, Calder Fireclay Company, Lanarkshire
Black carbonaceous waxy fireclay from the Hareshaw Fireclay, Calder Fireclay Company. The specimen was donated to the Geological Survey of Great Britain in 1916. Scotland has large resources of fireclay that include some of the best high alumina fireclays in Britain.
Fireclays are restricted to the Passage Group and the lower part of the Coal Measures. Most recent production has come from the Central Coalfield, though fireclays were worked in
Ayrshire and reserves are known in the Douglas Coalfield.
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’….
Many thanks to Chris Lowe for the following information. Chris states the bricks were found in an old fireplace on his family’s property in Oregon, USA. 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…
Thanks to Mark Norstad for the following information. . Mark states – The ‘Heathery Knowe’ was found underneath an old house in Marin County, CA (near San Francisco). The age of the house is unknown. Below – Heathery Knowe Patent Glasgow – Heatheryknowe Fire Clay Works, Glasgow. (Note – SBH – Heathery Knowe appears to be…
Found by Jim in the Sheffield area. This example is not in my possession. Bonnybridge Silica & Fireclay Co Ltd, Bonnybridge. alt Calder Firebrick Works, Airdrie, Lanarkshire. alt Chapelhall Works, Lanarkshire. Hepworth Ceramic Holdings plc (GR-Stein Refractories Ltd. parent co) bought the Bonnybridge Silica & Fireclay Co. Ltd in 1972, closed Bonnybridge works in 1973…
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 by Craig Powell in Western Australia. Bonnybridge Silica & Fireclay Co Ltd, Bonnybridge. alt Calder Firebrick Works, Airdrie, Lanarkshire. alt Chapelhall Works, Lanarkshire. Hepworth Ceramic Holdings plc (GR-Stein Refractories Ltd. parent co) bought the Bonnybridge Silica & Fireclay Co. Ltd in 1972, closed Bonnybridge works in 1973 and closed Chapelhall in 1980. Therefore between…
Found by Ian Suddaby in the Ravenscraig, Motherwell area. This example is not in my possession. Bonnybridge Silica & Fireclay Co Ltd, Bonnybridge. alt Calder Firebrick Works, Airdrie, Lanarkshire. alt Chapelhall Works, Lanarkshire. Hepworth Ceramic Holdings plc (GR-Stein Refractories Ltd. parent co) bought the Bonnybridge Silica & Fireclay Co. Ltd in 1972, closed Bonnybridge works…
This brick was photographed by Peter Christensen while out walking in Dominica, West Indies. Peter states – It is in the ground next to the Belfast Distillery. I think it must have been part of the kilns that made the cane rum back in the day. Bonnybridge Silica & Fireclay Co Ltd, Bonnybridge. alt Calder…
Found by Mohammedreza in an oil pump-house in Darkhoein, Khuzestan province, Iran dating from 1920s till 1930s. Bonnybridge Silica & Fireclay Co Ltd, Bonnybridge. alt Calder Firebrick Works, Airdrie, Lanarkshire. alt Chapelhall Works, Lanarkshire. Hepworth Ceramic Holdings plc (GR-Stein Refractories Ltd. parent co) bought the Bonnybridge Silica & Fireclay Co. Ltd in 1972, closed Bonnybridge…
Below – Information – British Geological Survey – Indian Kyanite. Indian kyanite supplied to the Glenboig Union Fireclay Company Limited 18.2.37 Indian kyanite supplied to the Glenboig Union Fireclay Company Limited 18.2.37 Kyanite is a mineral composed of aluminium silicate. It belongs to the triclinic crystal system and generally forms elongated tabular crystals and is…
