One possibility that spring to mind is Dennis Park at Amblecote near
Stourbridge. Bricks from there (if this was the source) would have been
sent by canal to Stourport, then down the Severn and by coastal shipping.
This is presumably an appropriate route to a quay. Parts of Amblecote
produced fireclay, the area being the original source of that substance.
Firebricks are white (actually off-white), but there were also seams in the
Black Country coalfield that produce blue engineering brick and common red
brick.
Dennis Park was developed for housing in the late 1860s by a freehold land
society, but the vendors of the land to the society were several people who
are known to be associated with the firebrick industry. What I am less sure
about is where the boundary fault runs, and thus how much of Dennis Park was
within the coalfield, and thus contained clay. The best source on this is
probably V.C.H. Staffs XX, but it is in fact not very helpful.
Peter King
49, Stourbridge Road,
Hagley,
Stourbridge
West Midlands
DY9 0QS
01562-720368
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-----Original Message-----
From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
Robert Waterhouse
Sent: 16 August 2007 19:06
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Tamar Valley Brickmakers
Dear list,
In my current excavations at Morwellham Quay, I've been finding several
bricks marked DENNIS. These appear to be 1850s and are the same orangey-red
fabric of the Wagstaffe bricks I queried on the list earlier in the year.
I've checked out Dennis in the Ferguson and Thurlow book on Cornish
Brickmakers and its not in there, so I'm hoping someone will know........
Robert Waterhouse
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