| AdminHistory | Stourbridge Fire Brick Manufacturers' Association was set up on 3rd September 1879. There were five inaugural members from Stourbridge Firms, who were joined by three more in 1880. Their objectives were to regulate prices and wages; to promote the welfare of the trade; to provide a means of joint action agreed by the majority of its members; to assist in the spread of technical information in the Industry; to exchange information between employers and workers; to regulate the engagement and discharge of workers; and to foster goodwill in the Industry.
By 1924, Kelly's Directory of Worcestershire shows 9 Fire Brick Manufacturers, and 4 Fire Clay Manufacturers in Stourbridge alone.Stourbridge has been well-known for its Fireclay Industry for centuries. Fire clay was extracted from layers contained within coal seams. It was mined from local pits, being brought to the surface in slab form and 'weathered'. Furnaces and hearths were lined with firebricks to retain the heat, and the local clay was particularly suitable for a variety of uses. Stourbridge eventually became the leading centre in England for manufacture of refractory products.
The records in this Collection were deposited at Dudley Archives & Local History Service as accession numbers 8985 and 8668, and were catalogued as part of the 'Documenting the Workshop of the World' Project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, in March 2005. |