Monument record 8479/1/1 - Post Medieval/Modern Brick Kilns & Possible Lime Kilns

{1} The first evidence for brick kilns was in the 1755 parish rate book which states in consecutive listing 'Mr James Woolston for Brick Kilns £0 4s 8d' and beneath this 'George Barratt for Brick Kilns £0 2s 4d'. These amounts were the annual rates paid to the parish. No brick kilns were recorded in three earlier rate books.
The exact location of these kilns is not known, but from 1761 to 1768 Edward Cole is the only person listed in the rate books as having brick kilns and it is possible that Cole inherited the kilns from Barratt and then brought out Woolston and the area in which Cole's brick kilns were located is known. From 1772 to 1781 Edward Cole and Robert Billson are registered as having land at the brickhill in the rate books.The 1778 map of the enclosure awards, records the land ownership of Coles land as owning 4 acres 1 rod and 36 perches. With the Inclosure award of 1778 both Billson and Cole were awarded a new road, "one private carriage drift road of the breadth of 15ft from and out of the Turnpike road from Northampton towards Kingsthorpe". Cole records that on his land were, "brick kilns, lime kilns and all other buildings, erections sheds and appurtenances there in…"
It is probable that Robert Billson's and Edward Coles brick kiln area were run as a single capitalist enterprise under John Turvey as the brickmaker.
The 1793 rate book states John Johnson's ownership of the "late alderman Cole" land and his last entry is in the 1802 rate book. The rate books show the brick kiln went from John Johnson to William Johnson. The brick kiln then stays in the Johnson family until William H Johnson sells it to Stephen Green in 1845.
In the 70 years to the end of brickmaking on this part of the site in c. 1914, there were only two brickmakers, Stephen Green, who owned and ran the site between c.1845-8 and c.1877-80 and Rand Greenhough.

<1> Atkins, R., 2003, Brickmaking in Holy Sepulchre Parish, Northampton, p.85+87+90 (checked) (Article). SNN103917.

Record last edited

May 16 2014 3:17PM