Questions about Bricks.
I am having trouble locating the Brick Industry!
In the victorian expansion there must have been a huge demand for bricks. I have Irish ancestors who were employed as brickmakers, brickburners, brick carties and brickyard labourers. They lived in central Birmingham so where were they at work?
I have read that mechanisation in the Brick Industry was patchy up to World War 1 and only faily universal in the 1930's. Was Birmingham making bricks with steam power fairly early?
Apparently brickmaking was often seasonal. Was this the case in Birmingham where the demand was so high? If it was, what did the workforce do in the winter?
Anyone know of any work that has been done on this?
Thanks
I am having trouble locating the Brick Industry!
In the victorian expansion there must have been a huge demand for bricks. I have Irish ancestors who were employed as brickmakers, brickburners, brick carties and brickyard labourers. They lived in central Birmingham so where were they at work?
I have read that mechanisation in the Brick Industry was patchy up to World War 1 and only faily universal in the 1930's. Was Birmingham making bricks with steam power fairly early?
Apparently brickmaking was often seasonal. Was this the case in Birmingham where the demand was so high? If it was, what did the workforce do in the winter?
Anyone know of any work that has been done on this?
Thanks