Dykehead 72 – 81
— 10/01/2024Found by Eddie McLean in the Glasgow area. Dykehead Fire Clay Works, Bonnybridge, Falkirk. . . . . Below – A close up of the mark left in the clay by an unknown object prior to firing the brick.
James Kirkwood – Dykehead Fireclay Company, Bonnybridge, Scotland to Alexandra Brickworks, Singapore
Established in 1899, Alexandra Brickworks was the first brickyard in Singapore to produce bricks using modern machinery on a large scale.
Iconic public buildings like the former National Library at Stamford Road, Tiong Bahru SIT flats and Gillman Barracks were built with these bricks.
Below – “This 1956 photograph of Alexandra Brickworks show 3 tall chimneys. Smoke emitted from the chimney indicating that brick production was in progress. There were two mine carts, each connected with a chain, that were on the railways tracks on an elevated ground facing towards the brickwork factory. During a school excursion, students from Beatty Secondary School visited the Alexandra Brickworks site near the Bukit Belayer Village in Pasir Panjang.” Source
.
Below – This is the 1956 Alexander (Alexandra) Brickworks which was situated at the end of Alexander Road near the Bukit Berlayer Village. At that time a single worker pushing the mine cart on railway tracks made with iron bars and wood to fill the clays from the surrounding hills. There were two small hills where the worker will use the mine cart to transport the clay for their burned bricks production. The bricks were burned in a kiln within the factory compound. Those were fired bricks which were durable for building houses. The factory supplied their fired bricks to most of the local contractors then. By the early 1960s, the factory ceased operations due to the lack of clay from the hills which were flattened then. The photograph shows during a school excursion to Alexander Brickworks where Beatty Secondary School students entering the kiln in the factory. Source
13/03/1920 – Falkirk Herald – In the Royal Hotel, on Friday evening last, Mr James Kirkwood, of the Dykehead Fireclay Company, was the guest of his fellow-workers and was made the recipient of a handsome gold Albert the occasion of his leaving the district to take up a three year appointment with the Boness Company Limited, Alexandria (Alexandra ?) Brickworks Singapore. Mr Robert Manson, mine manager, occupied the chair, and the gift was handed over by Mr McKim. A pleasant time was thereafter spent in song and sentiment. Kirkwood left the village on Thursday to take up his new appointment.
Below – 1942 – Alexandra Brickworks.
Below – Two ‘Alexandra’ stamped bricks. Source
.
Similar articles
-
-
Peter Smith – Inverarity to Dundee Brick and Tile Works, South Africa
— 30/03/2023Dundee Brick and Tile Company, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. 04/11/1899 – St. Andrews Citizen – … Coincidently, with the battle of Dundee, and the sad death of General Symons there, it is interesting to note that the founder of Dundee is a Scotsman. This gentleman – Mr Peter Smith – is a native of Forfarshire, being…
-
Lowland
— 14/03/2023Found by Ian Suddaby on the site of the old Dykehead Firebrick Works, Bonnybridge. This example is not in my possession. The manufacturer is unknown but considering the find site and the lack of non-Dykehead bricks found on site it is highly considered that this is a Dykehead product. Dykehead Firebrick Works, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. ….
-
Dykehead Karrena WT 3
— 26/02/2023Found by Ian Suddaby on the site of the Dykehead Fireclay Works, Bonnybridge. This example is not in my possession. Dykehead Firebrick Works, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. (Note – SBH – I believe this was manufactured for The Karrena Furnace Engineering Limited). . .
-
Dykehead Karrena WT 2
— 26/02/2023Found by Ian Suddaby on the site of the Dykehead Fireclay Works, Bonnybridge. This example is not in my possession. Dykehead Firebrick Works, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. (Note – SBH – I believe this was manufactured for The Karrena Furnace Engineering Limited). . .
-
Superscot
— 26/02/2023Found by Ian Suddaby on the site of the Dykehead Fireclay Works, Bonnybridge. This example is not in my possession. Ian states – it’s fairly certain that Superscot was a possible brand name used by General Refractories during their time (the 1930s on) at Dykehead. The Fife example of Superscot does bear a close resemblance to…
-
GR’s Dykehead GTL
— 14/02/2023Found by Ian Suddaby in the Bonnybridge area. This example is not in my possession. Dykehead Fire Clay Works, Bonnybridge, Falkirk. The GR’s refers to General Refractories which bought over the Dykehead Works. . . Below – It is not instantly seen but the motif in the circular stamp on the brick is as per…
-
Dykehead Bonnybridge brick found in Russia
— 17/04/2022Many thanks to Vladimir Smirnov for forwarding the following photograph and the find location. Found in Stalingrad (now Volgograd), Russia. Dykehead Fire Clay Works, Bonnybridge, Falkirk. . . .
-
Overseas brick manufacturers advertising for Scottish brickworkers
— 12/04/202213/11/1840 – John O’ Groat Journal – A very interesting letter from Sydney, under date 6th June last, reached a few days ago. Its writer is a gentleman belonging to Caithness-shire, for some time settled in Sydney. As the information it contains can be relied on, we present our readers with the following extract –…
-
Dykehead 30
— 17/12/2021Found by Eddie McLean in the Glasgow area. Dykehead Fire Clay Works, Bonnybridge, Falkirk. . . . .
