Tuckers Bricks Part 1

It's been a long time since I blogged about the Tucker family - 2016 - who were involved in brickmaking in Loughborough. Recent blog posts have been a bit wordy, so this week let's have a look at some pictures of the buildings that have used Tucker's bricks in their construction. This week we'll concentrate on buildings across the country, before looking at the more local buildings next time.

One of the earliest, and one of the most well-known buildings that made use of bricks made by Tuckers of Loughborough is St Pancras station and hotel. 

"In 1868 a new London railway station opened, showcasing the best of construction materials from the Midlands. Engineered by William Henry Barlow and Roland Marsh Ordish, St Pancras station was built by the Midland Railway Company to connect London to many major English cities. The Victorian Gothic design for the hotel and station accommodation was by the renowned Sir George Gilbert Scott.  The ironwork was made by the Derbyshire firm Butterley Iron Company, the majority of the 60 million bricks used in the building were manufactured by Nottingham firm, Edward Gripper, and the mortar was also produced in the Midlands. Such was the demand for brick that Edward Gripper’s firm were unable to keep up, and while disappointing for the Nottingham company, this proved to be the perfect opportunity for the Loughborough firm of Tucker who were able to provide the additional bricks. Butterley Iron Company also made bricks, and it was they who acquired Tucker of Loughborough in 1964, keeping the firm open until 1967, but liquidating it in 1979." (1)

St Pancras, summer 2018

The first school to be opened in Leicester by the Leicester School Board, in January 1874, was the Syston Street Board School, and Tuckers supplied the bricks. The following year, they supplied the bricks for the Everard's Brewery building on Southgates Leicester. I don't have any photos of either the school or the brewery, but the Everards webpage has a timeline that includes a photo of the latter.

Red-brick churches seem quite unusual, as I'm used to stone-built ones, but Tuckers supplied the red bricks for St Saviour's church in Leicester, which was built 1875-6.

St Saviour's church, Leicester

The barracks at Glen Parva, which is very close to South Wigston, was constructed in 1881 and used bricks from Tuckers. There are numerous photos on the web, as well as a history of the barracks.

Apparently, the town hall at Aberavon was also constructed with Tucker's bricks, but the 'old town hall' was built sometime between 1826 and 1840, which is possibly a bit early for the Loughborough firm, and since the reference is in a volume published in 1891 (2), then the re-building of the Aberavon town hall in 1915 is most certainly not the one referred to. However, Gilbert Tucker (snr. born 1803) was listed as a brickmaker on the entry in the birth register for his son, Gilbert (jnr.) in 1838, so perhaps Gilbert snr. was involved with the building of Aberavon's old town hall.  

In the same volume, mention of the Bull's Head in Leicester is also proving difficult to locate, but was on Market Place, Leicester. 

An article in the 'Newcastle Daily Chronicle' of 1900 states that Messrs G Tucker and Sons would provide the chimney pots for the whole of the convalescent homes and homes of rest for discharged soldiers, but doesn't actually say where they are. The newspaper is most definitely based in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, nor Newcastle-Under-Lyme, so perhaps these homes were in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne?

The Central Board School was erected by the Chesterfield School Board in 1901. Again, this/these has/have been difficult to locate, but could be the schools on Durrant Road and Hipper Street. Interestingly, Loughborough firms had quite a lot of input to the construction of these schools: the masonry work was done by Moss and Co. of Loughborough. ‘The schools are faced with Ellistown red-dressed bricks with buff terra cotta dressings (manufactured by Messrs G Tucker & son, of Loughborough).’ ‘The schools are provided with a loud-toned bell cast by Messrs John Taylor of Loughborough’ (3) Much later, in 1927, Tuckers would also be involved in the building of Chesterfield Technical College. 

Chesterfield Technical College, now just Chesterfield College

And finally for today, in 1906, ‘Messrs. G. Tucker and Sons, provided pressed sewer and wire cut bricks’ (4) for the Brent sewage works. Again, a location that I'm not 100% convinced about, but could possibly be the sewage works in Brent Cross (which isn't just a shopping centre, and convenient car park for people driving to the outskirts of London from the Midlands, to catch a train to the centre!!)

Did Tuckers contribute to this construction work?

So, that covers some of the contributions Tuckers made to buildings across the country - up to 1906!!! Pop back later for more Tuckers building works: some of the best are yet to come!!

References

(1) Dyer, Lynne (2019) 'Secret Loughborough'. Stroud: Amberley

(2) 'Loughborough: History, manufactures, trade. London: Robinson, Son & Pike, 1892.

(3) 'Derbyshire Courier', 1 June 1901, pg 5. The reason for the involvement of Tuckers in Chesterfield buildings would be that Gilbert Tucker (jnr.) was born in Holmgate in the parish of North Wingfield, which is about 5.5 miles from Chesterfield, and his second wife, Annie Jane Evan Boden, was born in Chesterfield. 

(4) 'Kilburn Times' 16 February 1906, pg 8

Posted by lynneaboutloughborough 21 March 2021

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Dyer, Lynne (2021). Tuckers Bricks Part 1. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2021/03/tuckers-bricks-part-1.html [Accessed 21 March 2021]

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Tuckers

A few weeks ago I was leafing through the local paper (The Loughborough Echo, Wednesday 23 March, 2016, p31) and my attention was caught by a headline in the Looking Back section, From The Archives, 50 years ago ... Beacon Rd brickworks ...

Apparently, the brickworks on Beacon Road, belonging to Tuckers, was scheduled to close after Easter. That would have been around April 1966, which was only a couple of years since Tuckers had been taken over by Butterley Bricks. 

I think my interest in the brick-making firm of Tuckers started when I looked into the development of Middleton Place, and discovered that one member of the brick-making family was living at number 81. I've also seen a number of adverts for Tuckers Bricks in some of my books, including in "Loughborough 1951":

The Gilbert Tuckers

The story of this brick-making family goes back many years. Gilbert Tucker (born Smisby, 1806) was married to a lady called Hannah Orgill, who was born in 1811. In 1841 Gilbert was a publican and maltster, running what was then called the Malt Shovel (which I believe is now called the Tap House and is on the corner of Annwell Lane and Ashby Road, and was previously known as the Annwell Inn, and Mother Hubbard's). Also in 1841 Gilbert and Hannah had at least 3 children: Gilbert (jnr) born Clay Cross, 1838; William, born 1833; Emma, born 1839; and Nathan, born 1841. 

By the time of the 1851 census, Gilbert snr was now a brick maker and, and Gilbert jnr was a brick maker's assistant, and they were living on Far Park Lane, Loughborough. When the next census took place, in 1861, Gilbert snr was living with his wife Hannah and their son Nathan in Brickyard Cottage, in Loughborough Parks (in between the listings for Pocket Gate and Sydney Terrace). Gilbert snr was a brick maker/master employing 2 men and 6 boys, and Nathan was also a brick maker. They were also living with James something-or-other, who seems to have been a partner in the brick making business.

Meanwhile, by 1861, Gilbert jnr had branched out and moved away from his parents, having married Eliza. They, with their 8 month old son, William Trueman, were living on Bedford Street (the next census entry is for Albert Street), and Gilbert was a brick maker/master, and a Primitive Methodist local preacher. 

By 1871, Gilbert and Eliza were living at number 2 Park Street, with 6 of their children (William Trueman, Annie, Lucy Emma, John Edward, Ellen and Arthur. Gilbert was by now a brick maker/master employing 11 men and 6 boys. Father Gilbert, brick maker, and his wife Hannah were at this time living on Park Lane, with their invalid son, Nathan, formerly a brick maker, and Nathan's wife, Eliza.

In 1876, Gilbert snr died, and in 1881 his widow, Hannah can be found living in Park Lane with Kate, aged 7, listed as Hannah's daughter (???). At the same time, Gilbert jnr was living with his wife, Eliza, the same 6 children as in 1871, but were joined by 2 further children, Florence Louisa, and Alfred Gilbert. Gilbert was a master brick maker and farmer, John Edward was an assistant brick maker, and William Trueman was a book keeper. They were all living on Forest Road, at number 12, which I believe is the house on the corner of Park Road and Forest Road, opposite the side of the Trinity Methodist Church.

In 1886 Eliza Tucker died, and in 1887 Gilbert jnr married Annie Jane Evans Boden (daughter of Charles Boden of Walsall), from Chesterfield, and in 1889 their son, Charles Henry Boden Tucker was born. At the time of the 1891 census, Gilbert is living with his new wife Annie, his children from his first marriage - Annie, Ellen, Florence, Kate, and Alfred - and their son Charles. Gilbert is listed as a brick manufacturer, Alfred is a joiner's apprentice and they are still living at number 12 Forest Road.

Hannah Tucker died in 1893. In 1901 son Gilbert, his wife Annie, their son, Charles, and Annie's father Charles, were living at Brick Yard, which I believe is number 1 Granville Street. Gilbert was listed as a brick and terra cotta manufacturer. His father-in-law Charles was a retired Primitive Methodist Minister.

1911 and Gilbert, his wife and their son Charles were living at Burleigh Cottage on William Street, which appears to be next to number 14. Gilbert was listed as a brick and tile manufacturer (employer) and Charles listed as a tile maker (worker). Gilbert died in February 1920 and left the sum of £2,596 5s. 6d. Probate was granted to his widow Annie, and his son Arthur, a brick manufacturer.

Arthur Tucker

Gilbert jnr's son Arthur, born in 1869, was living with his parents on the night of the 1871 and 1881 census, but I can't find a listing for him in 1891. By 1901 he was listed as a brick makers manager, and on the night of the census was at the house of his sister, Annie, and her husband, Wallis Adcock, at 134 Herrick Road. It was in the summer of 1901 that Arthur married Mary Ellen Hand, in Shardlow, and their daughter Ida Mary was born in 1903, and their son Arthur Leslie born in 1907. In 1911 the family were living at 81 Middleton Place, and Arthur was listed as a brick and tile manufacturer. 

At the time of his death, on 29 May 1936, Arthur was living at "Gyseburne" on Ashby Road. Probate was granted to Mary Ellen, his widow, and Arthur Leslie, his son, a brick manufacturer. He left the sum of £44,579 6s. 6d.

William Trueman Tucker

William Trueman Tucker, the eldest son of Gilbert jnr and his wife Eliza, was born in 1861 and was living with his parents and siblings at the time on the 1871 and the 1881 census, and in the latter he was listed as a book keeper. In 1883 he married Martha Philips Jones, the daughter of John Jones, the iron founder of Britannia House, and their son, William Jones was born in 1885. In 1891 William and his wife Martha were living at 12 Charnwood Road (although I'm not sure the house numbering is still the same today - see later census returns) with their children, William Jones, Charles Gilbert, born 1886, and Elsie Mary, born 1890. William Trueman was listed as a brick manufacturer.

by 1901 the family had been joined by another child, Dorothy Martha, born 1893, and were living at "Parkside" on Charnwood Road (which today is a nursery school, and is numbered 25). William Trueman is listed as a brick manufacturer (employer) but there was no occupation listed for the two sons who were now 16 and 14; nor were they listed as scholars.

Still living at "Parkside" in 1911, William Trueman and Martha now lived William Jones and Dorothy Martha, and Violet Ruth who was born in 1902. William Trueman was listed as the Managing Director of a Brick and Tile Works, whilst William Jones was now a brick maker.

William Trueman Tucker died on 17 November 1925. The family were still living at "Parkside" and probate was granted to Martha Phillips, William Jones Tucker, Manager, and Charles Gilbert Tucker, squadron leader, RAF. He left £11,985 19s. 7d.     

Charles Gilbert Tucker

Charles died in an unfortunate flying boat accident in 1931 in Plymouth. The Blackburn Iris No N238 was a British three-engined biplane (unlike the Sunderlands which were British flying boat patrol bombers).  

William Jones Tucker

William married Hannah Marion Stephenson in January 1912, and I believe they went to live in Canada, but returned to England in about 1918. Their son, Robert, was born in Vernon, British Columbia in 1913, but sadly died in 1918 in Loughborough. William died on 7 September 1946. He had been living at "Stapenhill" (number 156) Leicester Road, in Loughborough. Probate was granted to Hannah, his widow, and David William, an architectural student at the time, who was their son and he left £6,054 14s. 6d.. 

David William Tucker 

There may well have been other children, but David William was born in 1925, and after his studies he went on to design golf courses, like Lingdale, Beedles Lake, amongst others. His daughter, Lindsay Jelley (wife of the MD of Jelsons) has been going through the papers he left when he died in 2006, and there is an interesting discussion of this in Golf Course Architecture: the global journal of golf design and development (2014).
          
Bricks today

The identification and collecting of bricks is a particularly popular hobby today, and there are a number of useful and interesting websites where you can see pictures of the actual bricks that were used.  

Houses on the local Shelthorpe estate, which were built around 1926-1928, were made of bricks and tiles made locally by Tuckers.

When the Nottingham Patent Brick Company couldn't supply enough bricks to finish building St Pancras railway station, Tuckers provided more (along with a number of other brick makers, including Wains of Heather, and the Butterley Brick Company.

I don't know why, but I have a feeling Tuckers bricks were used in the construction of the former central control tower at Heathrow airport. 

Of course, there were many local buildings in Loughborough that used Tuckers bricks, not least the Carillon, which, as well as using mostly these local bricks, used steel made by Herbert Morris's, bells that were cast and hung by Taylors, and the tower being built by Moss the builders.     

If you happened to want to own some Tuckers bricks or roof tiles, they are, apparently, available to buy!

I believe the clay pits that were used by Tuckers have now been reused, one being part of the site occupied by Tesco's Park Road store and William Davis Construction, the other having been filled with water and which has become Charnwood Water, formerly known as Tucker's Pond.

So, I'd better stop now! As ever, this research could go on for so much longer ...