The following Scottish bricks were found by Consuelo Bravo Antúnez in the heart of the Atacama Desert, Chile.
The Atacama Desert was a huge source of sodium nitrate (saltpetre) which was mined on a large scale until the early 1940s. The UK imported many many shiploads of the saltpetre and it appears they supplied many of the fire bricks required for the industrial processes involved in the production of the fertiliser.
Other stamped bricks found were ‘Hanningtons’ from the NE of England and a broken mystery brick stamped ‘Balka?’
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Below – A brick stamped ‘Glenboig’.
Below – Bricks stamped ‘Morningside’ and ‘Forth’.
Below – A brick stamped ‘Scotia’. The maker of this brick is still unidentified but it is thought to be of Scottish origins.
Below – A ‘Coltness’ brick. This is a building brick and such bricks are rare on foreign shores. Normally it was the more important refractory or fire bricks that were exported out of Scotland.
Found by Leonid Semushin in Arkhangelsk, Russia. 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 Danielle Gustafson in an old cottage on the shores of the Bay of Fundy in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, Canada. The maker is unidentified. The brickmark would suggest Scottish origins but … There is the distinct possibility that this fire brick was manufactured in Scotland for an overseas customer and that the G &…
Found by Martin Somermaa. Martin states – I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and recently unearthed this brick in the backyard while replacing a fence. The back of the property borders what is now known as the Canadian National rail line. In the late 1800’s it was known as the Grand Trunk Railway line which…
Many thanks to Andrew Davis for sending this photograph. These bricks form part of the chimney in his house which is believed to be at least 100 years old. The house is situated in Newfoundland, Canada. Gartcraig Fire Clay Works, By Millerston, Glasgow. . .
This brick is in the possession of Vladimir Smirnov and was found in the St Petersburg area. Blochairn Sand and Fire Clay Co, Blochairn, Glasgow. . . . .
Found by Jörgen Everklint in Strängnäs, Sweden. Stein, Castlecary Fireclay Works, Castlecary, Stirlingshire. Stein, Manuel Firebrick and Refractory Works, Whitecross, Stirlingshire. Stein & Co, Anchor Brickworks, Denny, Stirlingshire. Milnquarter Fireclay & Gannister Works, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire .
This was found somewhere in Canada by Carl Larouche, Isle-aux-Coudres, Québec, Canada. St Rollox Brickworks, Glasgow. . . . .
Found by Daniel den Hollander and Peter Greendyk. Peter states – On a recent field trip to an old iron furnace site, Split Rock Furnaces, in Boonton Township, New Jersey, Morris County, USA, a student spotted the remnants of a Gilmour and Kilmarnock brick near the base of the furnace. I could find none other…
Found by Franco Andrés at Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina. Franco states – I’m a mechanical engineer from Argentina. I was looking for information about this brick and found your website. I’m currently working at an old technical school. The building has a boiler room, built between 1934 and 1937. One of my coworkers found some of…
This brick was photographed by Siobhan Ratchford at the The Queens Hotel, Kandy, Sri Lanka. Gartcosh Fireclay Works, Gartcosh, Glasgow. . . . .
