Billups Brick Company Limited - Jonathan Edwin Billups - The Llandough Brickworks.

Slater's Directory [160] of 1880 lists under Contractors:-

◊ Billups Jonathon E., 28 The Parade, Cardiff

Kelly's Directory for Monmouthshire and South Wales of 1895 [175] lists, under the category Brick & Tile Makers:-

◊ Billups Brick Co. Lim. (The), Newport road ; offices, Castle road, Roath, Cardiff.
◊ Billups J. E. Llandough, Cardiff.

I also found a reference to the Llandough Brick Company at Coldbrook Road, Cadoxton, Barry.

There are references to his company in newspaper reports and articles on this website see:-

◊ June 1880 - Penarth - Fatal Accident - report of men working on sidings at Penarth Dock . . .
◊ September 1881 - Penarth Dock Extension Works - Contract for building Penarth railway station . . .

	Jonathan Edwin Billups was born in September 1827 at Charteris, Cambridgeshire. His widowed mother used to send him into the fields to earn 4½d (old pence) a day, to help support them. He came to Cardiff, via Llanelly, in 1856-7, and soon became the principal contractor for the Taff Vale Railway Company. He founded the Llandough brickworks on Penarth Road, later to become, Billups Brick Co. Ltd., was proprietor of the Cambrian Engine Works at West Bute Dock, and undertook large contracts building railways in Sweden. He also built the Dowlais ironworks, East Moors, Cardiff, and the dry dock for the Bute Shipbuilding Company. He was described as a man of great energy and considerable force of character, yet in his entire career avoided labour disputes with his workers. The above is taken from the Evangelical-times.org website - many thanks to them for their research and for the image left. Read more about his life and connections with the Cory family and the founder of Salvation Army, General Booth. [464]
	J. E. B. - Jonathan Edwin Billups initials engraved in the 'frog' - the indentation in the face of a brick intended to form a key for mortar. [275]
A section of the OS 1898 map of Llandough and the location of the Llandough Brick Works nearby the old tollgate house on the Penarth Road. The route of the siding from the Penarth Harbour & Dock Railway to the works may be seen clearly. The quarries nearby the lime works and the brickworks are the site of an industrial estate today. [010]

◊ The Penarth Harbour Dock and Railway Act, 1881. - authorising the 1883 extension works of the dock mentions the brickworks in the Schedule:- 'The Company (the Penarth Harbour Dock and Railway Company) shall upon the request in writing of Lord Windsor reopen and maintain the occupation bridge under the Company's railway opposite the brickyard (known as Billup's brickyard) with proper approaches thereto.'

◊ 1908 - Damage by Tramps at Llandough - 'The weekly batch of out o' works at Penarth Police-court on Wednesday, numbered nine. They were charged with "sleeping out" at Llandough Brickworks. Police-superintendent Morris said that such men were a perpetual nuisance, and several letters of complaint had been received. Mr. William Evans, manager of the brickworks said that the tramps visiting Llandough did considerable injury, damaging the bricks and disturbing things generally. All the men, mostly fishermen, said that they were out of work, and one had only come from Swansea the previous day in search of work. The Bench dismissed all the men with a caution.' Evening Express [135] [361] 3rd December 1908.

Charles Byrd - 'Brickworks, Llandough' - 1950's - The painting forms part of the People's Collection Wales (Casgliad Werin Cymru) [048] [466]