Tile Works.—Mr. T. W. Camm commenced the business of Art decoration of tiles in 1866, in Brewery Street, and later on new buildings were erected in High Street. Having been joined in partnership by Messrs. J. M. and H. C. Camm, the business was carried on under the style of “Camm Brothers”—the general management of the business being divided into three departments, each under the special management of one of the partners, the first-named taking the designing department, the second the painting, and the third the glazing. By this excellent arrangement the whole processes from beginning to end are carried on under the eye of the entire firm, and thus excellence in each is insured. Messrs. Camm Brothers do not manufacture the tiles themselves, but purchase them in their unglazed state and then decorate and glaze them. Their designs are extremely varied, and the whole being hand-painted they are adapted to the tastes and requirements of their customers and designed in strict accordance with the style of building they are intended to adorn. The figure subjects, whether allegorical, historical, or otherwise, the productions of this firm, are of the highest order; the drawing bold, firm, masterly, and effective, and the colouring rich, full, and harmonious. Some other larger works, notably historical plaques of two or three feet in length and proportionate depth, are grand in conception, and form historical pictures of considerable value. The firm also produce appropriate tile-decorations for furniture, cheeks of fire-places, hearths, linings of bath and other rooms, friezes, memorial figures and other designs for churches and for every purpose where they can be made available, and these are characterized by the same good taste that is shown in their stained glass. The mark is simply the name “CAMM BROTHERS, SMETHWICK.”
Reading.
Coley Avenue Works.—These works were established in 1861 by Messrs. Collier & Son, and are continued under the style of “S. & E. Collier.” Brown terra-cotta, glazed and unglazed brown ware, and roofing and other tiles are the products of these works.
Wakefield Moor.
“Potters Pale Yellow Clay of Wakefield Moor,” is mentioned in a list of clays, by Houghton, in 1693. As the list contains valuable particulars I give it entire. In the same work is a vast deal of curious information on tobacco-pipe clay and the making of pipes, brick and tile-making, etc. The list is as follows:
“A TABLE OF CLAYS.
Pure, that is, such as is soft like butter to the teeth, and has little or no greetiness in it.
Greasy, to be reckoned amongst the medicinal earth, or terræ sigillatæ.
- 1. Fullers earth.
- yellowish At Brickhill in Northamptonshire.
- At ... under the Yorkshire woolds.
- brown about Halifax.
- white in Derbyshire lead mines.
- 2. Boli In Cleveland.
- At Linton upon Wharfe.
- 3. Pale yellow, in the marlepit at Ripley.
- 4. Cow shot clay, or the soap scale lying in coal mines.
- 5. A dark blue clay or marl at Tolthrop. Harsh and dusty when dry.
- 6. Creta properly so called, or the milk-white clay of the isle of Wight.
- 7. The potter’s pale yellow clay of Wakefield moor.
- 8. The blue clay of Bullinbrooke pottery in Lincolnshire.
- 9. A blue clay in Bugthorp beck, in which the astroites are found.
- 10. Yellow clay in the seams of the red sand rock at Bilbro.
- 11. Fine red clay in sand rock, at Bilbro.
- at Rippon.
- 12. A soft chalky blue clay} at Buttercrain.
- 13. A soft chalky red clay do. do.
- Stony when dry.
- 14. A red stone clay In the banks of Whitcar beck, near Leppington: and at Housam in the Milscar.
- 15. A blue stone clay do. do. do. do.
- 16. Clunch, a white stone clay in Cambridgeshire.
- Mixt with round sand or pebble.
- 17. The yellow loam of Skipwith moor, Yorkshire.
- 18. A red sandy clay in the right hand bank of the road beyond Collingham, near the lime kilns going to ——
- 19. A red sandy clay in the red sand rock near Rippon.
- With flat or thin sand, guttering with Mica.
- 20. Crouch white clay Derbyshire, of which the glass pots are made at Nottingham.
- 21. Grey or bluish tobacco-pipe clay at Halifax.
- 22. A red clay in the red sand rock at Rotherham.”