Hertfordshire Genealogy: Occupations: St Albans Brickmakers: St Stephens Brickworks, Bricket Wood

Years	Observations	Comments
1841	No evidence for brick making in the area from census
1851	No evidence for brick making in the area from census
1851-1895	No evidence for brick making in the area from county trade directories	Brick works were often quite temporary affairs - and trade directories usually recorded the sales office or owner's address - which need not be at the brick works. As it was in a very rural situation it may also have been missed by the directory recorders.
1851-1901	No certain evidence for T. Pearson in trade directories or census returns.	There is no reason why the owner should live near the brickworks, or even in Hertfordshire. For instance he may well have been a builder or builders merchant in London or Middlesex.
1856	Brickworks and the Railway Contract	"If the contractor wished to make bricks the site of the works was not to be within half a mile of any mansion." Building the Watford to St Albans Railway. WADIHS Journal 1973. The location seems to be sufficiently remote to be suitable.
1858	Railway built over Bricket Wood Common	Brick earth possibly discovered when building adjacent railway cutting and may have been used to make bricks used in the railway construction. (Compare Digswell Viaduct which was built using bricks made on the site.)
1861	A number of families (but no brick makers) living on the Brick Field, Bricket Wood.	Has a brick field opened and closed on the site in the previous 10 years? 13th
1869	Poles, stakes, etc, to be sold - apply to Mr Oldring, Foreman, St Stephens Brickworks, Bricket Wood Small Ad in Herts Advertiser, 6th February, 1869. and Watford Observer, 13th February, 1869	No certain evidence for identity of Mr Oldring. Did the poles come from clearance of woodland so that brick earth could be excavated? Anthony suggests: Oldring is such an unusual name that George Oldring born about 1845 at Kelsale Suffolk must surely be your man. 1861 a grocer Needham Suffolk; 1871 a grocer's assistant at High Street St Albans; 1881 a grocer in St Peter St Albans; 1891 grocer's assistant Hemel Hempstead; 1901 a bricklayer's labourer at Hemel Hempstead; 1911 jobbing gardener Hemel Hempstead; probably he died there in 1941. He is in the right place at the right time and clearly could turn his hand to more than one thing. Two sons on the Hemel Hempstead War Memorial.
1871	John Hunt, a 44 year old brickmaker, was living on Bricket Wood Common, with wife and family	In 1851 John was a brickmaker living in Old Stratford, Warwickshire. In 1861 (listed as John Hurst) he was a brickmaker living with wife and eldest daughter at Buggenton Brick Yard, Hockliffe Road, Leighton Buzzard, Beds. In 1881 and 1891 he was living as an agricultural labourer on Bricket Wood Common.
1871	Sale of the whole stock in trade of St Stephen's Brick Works, including machinery and plant on 12th April - suggests works completely closed down, at least for a time. Advert from Herts Advertiser, 25 March, 1871
1871	John Hunt, a 44 year old brickmaker, was living on Bricket Wood Common, with wife and family	In 1851 John was a brickmaker living in Old Stratford, Warwickshire. In 1861 (listed as John Hurst) he was a brickmaker living with wife and eldest daughter at Buggenton Brick Yard, Hockliffe Road, Leighton Buzzard, Beds. In 1881 and 1891 he was living as an agricultural labourer on Bricket Wood Common.
1872+	Brickmaker children born at Bricket Wood	In March 1872 Eliza Alexander, and 1873/4 Charles J Alexander, children of William Alexander, and grandchildren of Charles .Alexander were born at Bricket Wood.
1877?	Brickmakers recruited?	The places of birth of children recorded in the 1881 census suggest several of the brickmakers moved to the area at about this date., after the Alexander family moved there.
1880s ??	T . Pearson named as owner of St Stephen's Brickworks on a railway wagon.	This and the naming of the railway siding, are the only explicit references found so far to the owner of the brickworks. However it is very likely that he was Thomas Pearson (1821-1876) who was described as a builder and contractor employing 100 men in 1861, and as a brick manufacturer in 1871.
1881	Charles Alexander was a 60 year old foreman brickmaker at Stephens Brickworks, Brickfield St, St Stephens	See separate detailed biography for Charles Alexander.
	Henry Atkins was a 35 year old brickmaker lodging with George Well on Bricket Wood Common	Born Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. In 1871 he was an agricultural labourer in Bedford Prison, while in 1891 he was a labourer on a sewage farm, living in Branch Road, Park Street.
	Charles Butcher was a 23 year old brickmaker at Stephens Brickworks, Brickfield St, St Stephens, with wife and young family	Born St Albans. In 1872 he was found guilty of stealing money while working at Miskin's brickworks on Bernards Heath. In 1891 he was a brickmaker at Branch Road, Park Street, St Albans with 12 years old son Charles a brickmakers boy. In 1901 he was a well sinker in Culver Road, Sandridge
	George Chapman was a 25 year old brickmaker at Stephens Brickworks, Brickfield St, St Stephens	Born Beaconsfield, Bucks. Wife Sarah 1856 born Rickmansworth. Daughter Florence, 1, born St Stephens. He was still living on Bricket Wood Common in 1891, but as an agricultural labourer
	William Maskell was a 38 year old brickmaker living near the New Fox, Bricket Wood, St Stephens	Born 1843, Langford, Bedfordshire. In1871 labourer with wife Emma and parents-in-law at Bedmond, Abbots Langley. In 1891 he was foreman brick maker at Bricket Wood. In 1901 he remained on the brick field but as a general labourer on the Bucknells Estate.
	George Wells was a 30 year old brickmaker living on Bricket Wood Common	Born Leverstock Green. In 1881 his two children, aged 4 and 1 were born in St Stephen's parish. In 1891 he was a brickmaker at Leverstock Green, but a 2 year old daughter was born at St Stephens, suggesting he was working at the brickworks until about 1889.
1883	Ordnance Survey shows brick works	Various buildings are show, plus a siding. There is an indication which could represent an disused siding on the other side of the railway line, suggesting the brickwork might have been there earlier.
1891	William Maskell was a 47 year old foreman brickmaker living at the Brick Yard, Bricket Wood Common	See 1881 entry for him.
	Henry Bates was 15 year old Brick Maker's Labourer living on Bricket Wood Common	Born Greenwick, Essex
	Henry Broom was 20 year old brickmaker lodging with Thomas Harris at the Brick Yard, Bricket Wood Common	Born Hertfordshire. In 1881 he was living on the Brick Field at Shenley, Middlesex, (his parents being away). In 1901 he was a railway platelayer in Watford
	William Burgess was 38 year old brickmaker lodging with Thomas Harris at the Brick Yard, Bricket Wood Common	Born Slip End, Beds
	William Darton was 19 year old brickmaker lodging with Thomas Harris at the Brick Yard, Bricket Wood Common	Born Slip End, nr Luton, Beds. In 1901 he was a general labourer at Watford
	George Harris was 42 year old Brick Maker's Labourer living on the Brick Field, Bricket Wood Common	Born Sandridge. In 1881 he was railway labourer in St Albans. He presumably moved to the brickworks in about 1887 as in 1891 his youngest child was 3. In 1901 he was carter on a farm, on Bricket Wood Common.
	Thomas Harris was a 38 year old brickmaker living at the Brick Yard, Bricket Wood Common	Born 1852 Pegsdon/Luton, Beds. In 1881 he was a brickmaker lodging with William Alexander (35, b Huntingdon) Brickfield Foreman, at Woodcock Hill, Rickmansworth. The birth of Frederic Thomas in 1889 at St Stephens suggests that he had moved to Bricket Wood by this date.
	Edward Wiles was a 33 year old brickmaker living on Bricket Wood Common	Born Bushey. General Labourer at Bushey (1881) and Watford (1901)
1894	"Pearson's Brick siding"	Handbook and Appendix of Stations, Junctions, Sidings, Collieries, etc
1895?	Brickworks closed down around this date
1897	Ordnance Survey map shows brickworks gone and siding removed.
1901	No brickmakers left on Brickfield	William Maskell remains on Bricket Wood Common, as a general labourer on the Bucknells Estate.
Possible other leads to follow up
?	P.J & J. Pearson bricks were made in Stourbridge	Pictures of old bricks

February 2012		Page created
February 2012		Notes re railway contract and Mr. Oldring
November 2017		1871 advert