Rufford and Co

See also Rufford and Finch

1802 Francis Rufford opened his fire brick works and continued by his son Francis Tongue Rufford

c1880 New Works manufacture glazed bricks and porcelain baths, covering two acres of ground, and being nearly, 1,000 feet long. The clay and coal are mainly mined in the firm's own pits and after the clay has been ground and tempered in the mills it is brought to the Works by means of a tramway. The workshops proper are three in number, and measure 150 ft. by 30 ft. There are ten kilns constructed so that the flame does not come in contact with the bricks during the firing, while at the same time the consumption of fuel is greatly lessened. This arrangement is the invention of Mr. Holcroft, the senior partner of the Firm, and is covered by patent rights. Each of the kilns holds 12,000 bricks, and six out of the ten can be used for the firing of porcelain baths. Close to the Works are the Upper Fire-Brick Works, near which are situated the fire-clay and coal-pits owned by the Firm, the whole covering an area of 150 acres. Powerful engines with an aggregate of 250 hp are used in raising the raw materials from the pits, in grinding the clay, and in pumping.

1936 Ceased trading

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