Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
response to the move towards the use of the bow-saw to cut and shape the rub-
bers within profiled cutting boxes, as described later in this chapter.
Praise of the Fareham Reds for their consistent and inherent qualities was
widespread during these late Victorian years, especially in the architectural
and building press.
The Builder
of 2nd September 1871 reported that gauged
Fareham reds were being first rubbed smooth on a revolving table (1871, 689).
Clearly this was a builder's development to speed up the traditional process of
initial preparation of squaring, whereby the rubbing brick was held stationary
as the rubbing stone revolved. It then relates how these rubbers were set closely
in 'fine stuff' on South Kensington Imperial College (now part of the Victoria
and Albert Museum). Both the small and large rubbing bricks, for carving,
were also used on the original part of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Towards the close of the century a Mr Asher Barfield took ownership of the
company. Fareham Reds gradually began to fall from favour,
The Building News
of 27th December 1895 commenting they 'were expensive in the labour of cut-
ting' (1895, 918). This was towards the end of a prolific period in the use of
gauged work, however, and competition from other companies producing qual-
ity rubbers was peaking.
Kimber's Rubbers
An advertisement in,
The Architect, Engineer's and Building Trades' Directory
of
1868, states (1868, 239):
Thomas Kimber, Ramsdell near Basingstoke, Hants. Celebrated for upwards of a
century for roofing tiles, paving ware, clinker and rubbing bricks, etc'.
Midhurst Rubbers
In 1887 the Midhurst, Sussex brickmakers, Tallant Brothers advertises, 'rub-
bing bricks equal to Fareham ware' (Beswick, 2001), from their Pitsham and
Henley brickyards (Fig. 122). Rubbers are still being produced at Pitsham
today by W.T. Lambs, but the clay is brought in from further afield.
Roshers Red Rubbers
An advert appeared for F. and G. Rosher, Lime, Cement, Brick, Tile and Slate
Merchants in
The Architect
of 3rd July 1869. (1869, x) describing them as:
Rosher, Lime, Cement, Brick, Tile and Slate Merchants, where one can obtain
from their London Wharfs, White, Black and Red Rubbers.
The Builder of
23rd December 1893, however, describes them as (1893, xxii):
Roshers Brick, Tile and Pottery Company. Works: Henley Road, Ipswich, Are the
only Makers of the Highly-Esteemed R R Red Rubbers.
