Reference
HF41/9
Title
Ham Brick Field, Faversham, Kent
Scope and Content
These documents relate to a brickfield in Kent that was leased by George Powers in 1879. The previous tenant was Edward George Tattershall, who bought out his partner William Henry Gill in June 1878. Previous to this Tattershall and George Powers had gone into partnership to purchase land in Westminster and erect buildings using Ham Farm bricks. By December 1878, Tattershall could not pay the rents and royalties for the brickfield. On 11 December 1879, an Arrangement was entered into. Among his debts he owed George Powers two sums of £3,350 & £5,500 and Gill the whole of his share (£6,000) that was supposed to have been paid in June of the previous year. The Arrangement was probably forced by a Writ being issued on 10 December 1879. The complicated Agreement between Gill and Powers is found at HF41/9/1/2.
As early as March 1879 George Powers was trying to get his relations & cronies to put Capital into the brickfield and set up a company to be called the Ham Farm Brick Company. In the event only Frederick Safford (son of Frederick Hogg of Girtford - see HF47) and Hugh Powers, his first cousin, (see HF41/2) [? showed any interest]. Much of the Correspondence here relates to the growing disenchantment and concern of one of the partners, Fred Safford about how George Powers was running things as the Company's Manager. From 1885 the firm was managed by an Accountant, Francis Cooper. After protracted negotiations the business was sold to Messrs Eastwood, who by at least 1890 had a brickfield at Arlesey.
Although undoubtedly the Company was mismanaged by George Powers and he certainly used underhand methods to obtain credit to pay off debts on his other extensive financial enterprises, brickmaking generally was in a state of recession and the royalties demanded by the ground landlords were too heavy to be realistic.
Level of description
sub-series