Recent History

(Contributed by John Cooksey)

Much is known about the early and middle history of the Harris and Pearson Brickyard, but there are items that have not been told.

In 1872 when the Newside works was built, there was already a brickyard here namely Trotter, Haines and Corbett of 1850. Their buildings and kilns were close to the canal, but if seen on an ordnance Survey map appear to blend in with the works of Harris & Pearson, although it was a lot smaller than Harris and Pearson's.

The building was occupied in its later years, by more than one Company. The last occupant (if my memory serves me well) was Casting Department , or Silver End Works, Mr Timmins being the Manager. The works was originally under the ownership of E J J Pearson then Price Pearson and finally the Sheffield firms of J. J Dyson and Pickford Holland.

In the early 1930s Trotter Haines & Corbett, Harris & Pearson, Samuel Evers & Sons, Canal Works and Amblecote Works were all absorbed into the E. J, J, Pearson Company, creating at that time the largest refractories group in the Country.

Mr R, A, Pearson was Managing Director at Harris & Pearson, Mr Charles Salt, (Charlie) was the manager. For a good many years the Offfice Manager was Mr L Tonks, Mr Alf Latham was Foreman and Tom Timmins was Loading Foreman. These later pieces of information and much more were kindly given to me by Mrs Milton who, as Miss J Thomson, was employed by Harris & Pearson as a Shorthand Typist, Invoices and Despatch Clerk.

The works as Harris & Pearsons finished in 1968 but sales carried on for another two years. Mr A Timmins, the Manager of Casting Department, later Silver End Works, moved then from the downstairs office to the upper floor, and remained there until the 1980s when Silver End Works closed.

There is still is a works on Harris & Pearson land making cold cast refractories.