THE EARL OF POMFRET 1815 BRICK.

[NIGEL]

Found in a house on the Easton Neston estate, this was the predecessor to the Easton Estate & Mining Co. Ltd.formed by Sir Thomas Fermor-Hesketh in 1873. I believe in 1815 the 3rd Earl of Pomfret, was a George Fermor who was born in 1768, died in 1830, and had as his seat Easton Neston house and grounds. The brick works in the north of the parish would have been under his control. The title became extinct on the death of the fourth earl's son, in 1867, who never married. The 3rd and 4th earls were brothers and both succeeded to the title.

It has been stated that a brick kiln had been established between 1806 and 1827 on the west side of the Northampton road and was operated directly by the estate. They made both common and special bricks, roofing and flooring tiles, drain pipes and chimney pots. In 1849 the output included 107,000 common bricks, 25,000 plain roofing tiles, and 294,500 pipes of various sizes. In 1855 there was both an Old Yard and a New Yard, both appear to be on the same site. The brick works appear to be in use until after the death of the 5th earl, but had closed by 1872. What we don't know is exactly when the kiln was established.