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.
Many thanks to Marco Machado for forwarding the following information. This brick was found near a power plant situated at the Patu Dam, Atintico Nordeste Oriental, Brazil. The dam was built c. 1919 – c. 1923. Bonnybridge Silica & Fireclay Co Ltd, Bonnybridge. alt Calder Firebrick Works, Airdrie, Lanarkshire. alt Chapelhall Works, Lanarkshire. Hepworth Ceramic…
Found by Ian Suddaby in the Bo’ness area. Left in situ due to size. Glenboig Union Fireclay Company, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Alternative brickworks include: Glenboig Star Fireclay Works, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Glenboig Fireclay Works, (Old Works) Glenboig, Lanarkshire. .
This brick was found by Isabelle Leblanc in Sainte-Thérèse, Québec, Canada. Isabelle states that the brick was found at her house which was built in c. 1870. Below – ‘Hurll’ – Garnqueen Fireclay Works, Glenboig, Lanarkshire Alternative brickworks include: Gartliston Fireclay Works, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Building bricks at Garscadden Works, Drumchapel.
This example was found by Graham Teede about 400m southeast of the old townsite of Kanowna east of Kalgoorlie, Australia. Graham states – Interestingly it was not near any other buildings as such which makes me think someone may have used it for a small furnace to smelt some gold. Although I’m sure there were fireplaces…
This brick forms a set of steps at a house owned by Margaret Lesjak at Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia. Broken Hill is a frontier mining town in the far west of New South Wales, in the Australian outback. Gartcraig Fire Clay Works, By Millerston, Glasgow. . . .
Found by Carol Woods on the shore of San Francisco Bay in Hayward, California. . . . . Below – The brick stamp should read ‘Patent R Brown & Son, Paisley’ – Robert Brown & Son, Ferguslie Fireclay Works and Caledonian Brick and Tile Works, Paisley, Renfrewshire
This was found by Glenn Robinson in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Western Australia. Glenn states – The homestead of Richard Amos Robinson and Sybella Robinson nee Pauley. They came from Heathcote, Victoria around 1908 and build their home in South Boulder/Kalgoorlie. The home was a 3 bedroom iron and camp home which was extended to seven rooms, Richard…
The following bricks are in the collection of Allan Hackett, Sydney, Australia. The bricks were all found in Australia. Below – ‘Glenboig’ and ‘Starworks Glenboig’ bricks – Glenboig Union Fireclay Company, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Alternative brickworks include: Glenboig Star Fireclay Works, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Glenboig Fireclay Works, (Old Works) Glenboig, Lanarkshire Below – Shawsrigg Fire Clay &…
Found by Hock Keong in Singapore. Hock states – The Glenboig brick was found on Semakau Island, Singapore. Pulau Semakau, which was probably a prominent fishing village for many of the native sea folks for probably centuries, but were all resettled in the 1980s onto mainland Singapore. All the structures and homes were demolished, and…
Found by Hock Keong in Singapore. Hock states – This half a brick from a hilly area beside a road, Clementi Road, but which used to be Reformatory Road, before the road was re-named. The location is a short distance away from the grounds of the former Reformatory School which started in February 1901, for…
