19th century Brickworks at Great Bentley. (EHER 15365)

London Brick Company, one of two brickworks in village.

Arthur Solomon Went later became the London Brick Company and the second was the Modern Brick Company Limited. London Brick Company works at Dines Farm was situated east of Flag Creek and west of Dines Farm. <1> Dates from around 1880 to 1916 Operated by Arthur Solomon Went (known as Solomon Went) from c. 1880 to c1898. John Cathles Hill (1858-1915) trading as London Brick Company c. 1898 to 1900. London Brick Company Limited 1900 to 1916. It produced red facings and wire cut bricks which were used for several rows of houses at Norwood, London. There were thirty two houses called Hill Cottages at Great Bentley for brick works employees. Solomon Went was previously a brick maker at East Donyland and purchased land at Dines Farm, where he established his new brick works, in a series of transactions from October, 1880. He made good use of water transit and in 1893 was advertising clay for sale (plastic, strong and mild) suitable for pipes, tiles, pots and smallware, delivered in full bargeloads anywhere. By 1898 he sold his business to J. C. Hill for whom he became manager. Hill was founder and sole proprietor of the London Brick Company which was incorporated as the London Brick Company Limited in 1900. He was Chairman of the Directors of the British Clayworkers’ Mutual Insurance Corporation and in 1897 was Chairman of the Institute of Clayworkers. In 1898 the London Brick Company were seeking powers for the construction of a light railway between Great Bentley or Thorrington and St. Osyth. In about 1900 the London Brick Company Limited which also owned brick works at Peterborough and Enfield employed some 1,500 men with a combined output of 700 tons of bricks a day. The Great Bentley site comprised of 70 acres and included two Hoffmann and two down draught kilns. The chimney for the Hoffmann kilns was about 150 foot high. The London Brick Company Limited which had wharfage on Flag Creek continued to use the tidal river for the transportation of bricks. J. C. Hill who was declared bankrupt in 1912, died in 1915 and was buried at Highgate Cemetery. The brick works which had been for sale since 1913 were sold in 1916 and closed down. The London Brick Company Limited survived at Peterborough and after amalgamations eventually became the largest single brickmaker in the world. <1> Further information is needed on condition / survival of above and below ground remains. Additional references: <2> - <11>