Industry of the Black Country-BRICKMAKING

[mumbles]

BRICKMAKING AND LAPAL TUNNEL



Flavell Family who lived at various times in Sedgley, Rowley Regis and Northfield/Lapal area were responsible with Smart family for " Red Bricks" manufactured at Stonehouse Brick Factory at Northfield and transported through Lapal Tunnel and along Dudley,Worcester and Birmingham Canal to Gas Street in Birmingham. Following is short history:-
Stonehouse Farm estate was surveyed in 1835 and at that time no brick making plant was evident. Yet below a portion of estate was a rich bed of clay. This situation changed when Isaac Flavell acquired the Stonehouse Farm property. During the 1850's Flavell began to extract the clay and work it up into "Red" bricks, which were brought by canal boat from his yard at Stonehouse Farm along the Dudley and Worcester & Birmingham Canals to Gas Street, in Birmingham, where Flavell had a wharf. Flavell disposed of the brick making business to William Smart during the 1860's and it was Smart who improved the trade established at California by Flavell. Clay from the marl pit was brought in tubs along a narrow gauge tramway through a narrow tunnel under Stonehouse Lane and to the drying sheds and kilns arranged alongside the north bank of the Dudley Canal.( Source:- Birmingham Canal & Navigations Society web page)
Note :- Errors in above have been identified as it was possible that James Smart ( father of William ) who first had an interest in brick making business in 1851 Census and initially leased the brickworks from Isaac Flavell between 1861 Census and 1871 Census. James’s son William worked for his father in 1871 and 1881 as a brickmaker and it would appear that Isaac Flavell sold brickworks before his death in 1870 as in 1871 James is shown as Brickmaker employing 24 men &14 boys.
In 1881 Census James is shown as a Brick Manufacturer but by 1891 Census he has retired and business is shown on 1891Census as under control of his son William Smart, Brick Manufacturer of Canal Side, Northfield , Kings Norton, Worcestershire.( Next location on Cenus is Stonehouse building on one side and California Inn on the other)
Both James Smart and Isaac Flavell at some time mixed farming with Brick Making in same area so the exact relationship between them is difficult to determine


1) Possible Flavell ancestry is as follows:-

1) Edward Flavell born 1630 married Margaret ? born 1630
2) Daniel Flavell born Sedgley 1682 – 1736 married Anne ? born 1666
3) Job Flavell born 1705-1789 Sedgley married Ann Wakelam born 1705
Job died in May 1789 Gornal Wood , Staffordshire
4) Job Flavell born 1748 Sedgley,Gornal, Staffordshire married Rebecca Jones 5)Isaac Flavell b.1792 Sedgley Staffordshire, I believe his father was Job Flavell b. 1748. Sedgley . Isaac married c. 1833 in St. Phillips Cathedral Birmingham an Ann Chinn daughter of ? Chinn

Isaac first appears on Census in 1841 and he and Ann and family are living in Patcham in Sussex.He became a railway contractor for the government then purchased Stonehouse Farm in Weoley Castle Northfield and founded a brick yard there. He named the area California and played a part in building the Birmingham Town Hall but is difficult to link him to his father.(nb. Town Hall was completed between 1834 and 1849 so this may be just a family rumour).
Flavell details are inserted on Bcc

[Northern Lass]

Thanks for this Mumbles

I have now made this a section using your thread as to Industrial Heritage of the Black Country
And will move the Chainmaking one on to this thread too and the one from Mally

so any more Manufacturers/ Occupations/ Industry please post on this thread