Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 122
Advert from
Brickmaking in Sussex,
for Sussex brickmakers
Tallant Brothers
'rubbing bricks equal
to Fareham ware' from
their Pitsham and
Henley yards, 1887.
TLB Red Rubbers
The TLB rubber was produced by Thomas Lawrence and Sons of Bracknell
(Berkshire), hence the initials that were always stamped on to the flat beds of
the rubbers, or in the frogs of all their other bricks. They were considered sec-
ond only to the Fareham Red, as Walker (1885, 1761) states:
Next in quality come the Berkshire Builders and T.L.B. Rubbers, Made by
T. Lawrance [sic] Bracknell, Berks.
No. ones T.L.B.s are good bricks, though less firm than Farehams, but of an even
texture; they are divided by colour into two classes - Cherry-red and orange tint.
The orange is generally used, as they contrast well with the red building bricks,
but will not carry so sharp an arris or weather so well as the darker bricks.
As can be seen in their trade price list of 1898 (Fig. 123) there were three
different types of TLB rubber. In ascending order of quality these were the
'Orange Red', 'Cherry Red' and 'Rich Dark Red', sized at 9¾ ins
4
5
⁄
8
ins
80 mm). Of interest, their prices are not quite dou-
ble those of their handmade facings. The 'Large Rubbers' listed beneath their
main bricks were significantly bigger and more expensive, being specially pre-
pared for use mainly on carved gauged work.
3
1
⁄
8
ins (247
118
