Sarah, -----Original Message-----http://www.stourbridge.co.uk/htm/glass.htm :"For centuries glass has been manufactured in the Stourbridge area. The rich natural resources of coal and fireclay for lining furnaces made it the perfect location for the industry." Does anyone have any information on Stourbridge fireclay?----- My friend John Cooksey of Cradley, about 3 miles from Stourbridge, published his book "Brickyards of the Black Country - A Forgotten Industry, Refractories" in 2003. He is the brick industry expert of the Black Country Society's Industrial Archaeology Group, and he spent 17 years working in the refractory (firebrick) industry. I can only describe the book as the definitive work on the subject and of course a large part of it is about Stourbridge. Is this of interest to you? Nigel Brown ENG-WOR-CRADLEY-L@rootsweb.com

Oh yes, thank you! I'm trying to develop an understanding of the iron business as it relates to my family in England and Colonial America. I would like to expand on the Stourbridge connection. That's the kind of thing my great nephews are sure to ask about, and someday my library will go to them. ;-) Benedict Arnold's men destroyed the forge and the furnace John Reveley set up. After the war, John's son Joseph went to Tennessee and became a potter, where the clay was considered excellent for that purpose. I wonder if he found Stourbridge clay there? Did Stourbridge know how important the Continental Congress considered them to be? Thanks again, Sarah in Texas ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nigel Brown" <nigel-brown@blueyonder.co.uk> To: <ENG-WORCESTER-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, September 16, 2005 5:58 PM Subject: RE: [WOR] Stourbridge clay > Sarah, > > -----Original Message-----http://www.stourbridge.co.uk/htm/glass.htm > :"For > centuries glass has been manufactured in the Stourbridge area. The rich > natural resources of coal and fireclay for lining furnaces made it the > perfect location for the industry." Does anyone have any information on > Stourbridge fireclay?----- > > My friend John Cooksey of Cradley, about 3 miles from Stourbridge, > published > his book "Brickyards of the Black Country - A Forgotten Industry, > Refractories" in 2003. He is the brick industry expert of the Black > Country > Society's Industrial Archaeology Group, and he spent 17 years working in > the > refractory (firebrick) industry. I can only describe the book as the > definitive work on the subject and of course a large part of it is about > Stourbridge. > > Is this of interest to you? > > Nigel Brown > ENG-WOR-CRADLEY-L@rootsweb.com > > > > > > ==== ENG-WORCESTER Mailing List ==== > Transcribers wanted for Worcestershire FreeREG > for more information see http://freereg.rootsweb.com > UK Census on-line > http://freecen.rootsweb.com/ > > >

Dear all, A couple of people (Sarah, Carolyn) have written to me about John Cooksey's book "Brickyards of the Black Country - A Forgotten Industry, Refractories" published in 2003. It is very much about Stourbridge, and also Cradley. It is not available from commercial bookshops as far as I am aware. It can be obtained from John himself, and David has pointed us all to http://www.harrisandpearson.info/brickmanuf2.htm where it is mentioned and this link gives John's home phone number. Alternatively, I know that it is obtainable from Cradley branch Library in Colley Lane, telephone 01384 812885; details of opening hours etc. are on Dudley Council's web site at http://www.dudley.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/libraries/find-a-library and select Cradley/More info. Also, it may be available for sale from Coseley Archives who can be emailed at archives.centre@dudley.gov.uk I hope this helps. Nigel Brown

> Sarah, > > -----Original Message-----http://www.stourbridge.co.uk/htm/glass.htm :"For > centuries glass has been manufactured in the Stourbridge area. The rich > natural resources of coal and fireclay for lining furnaces made it the > perfect location for the industry." Does anyone have any information on > Stourbridge fireclay?----- > > My friend John Cooksey of Cradley, about 3 miles from Stourbridge, published > his book "Brickyards of the Black Country - A Forgotten Industry, > Refractories" in 2003. He is the brick industry expert of the Black Country > Society's Industrial Archaeology Group, and he spent 17 years working in the > refractory (firebrick) industry. I can only describe the book as the > definitive work on the subject and of course a large part of it is about > Stourbridge. > > Is this of interest to you? > > Nigel Brown > ENG-WOR-CRADLEY-L@rootsweb.com > * * * Certainly of interest to me. Where can one get this book? My gg-grandmother was a Perry from Stourbridge. I was told that her family were glass-blowers. Carolyn Perkes Montreal, Canada