Bath brick

Bath brick

The bath brick, patented in 1823 by William Champion and John Browne, was a predecessor of the scouring pad used for cleaning and polishing.

Bath bricks were made by a number of companies in the town of Bridgwater, England, from fine clay dredged from the River Parrett near Dunball. [cite book |last=Hawkins |first=Desmond |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Avalon and Sedgemoor |year=1982 |publisher=Alan Sutton Publishing |location=Gloucester |isbn=0862990165 ] By the end of the 19th century some 24 million bath bricks had been produced in Bridgwater for the home and international markets.

The brick, similar in size to an ordinary house brick, could be used in a number of ways. A mild abrasive powder could be scraped from the brick and used as a scouring powder on floors and other surfaces. Powder could also be moistened with water for use on a cloth for polishing or as a kind of sand paper. Items such as knives might be polished directly on a wetted brick.

References

External links

* [http://patriot.net/~pinniped/beetons/beeton1l.html extract from Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management mentioning bath bricks]


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  • Bath brick — Brick Brick (br[i^]k), n. [OE. brik, F. brique; of Ger. origin; cf. AS. brice a breaking, fragment, Prov. E. brique piece, brique de pain, equiv. to AS. hl[=a]fes brice, fr. the root of E. break. See {Break}.] 1. A block or clay tempered with… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Bath brick — Bath Bath, n. A city in the west of England, resorted to for its hot springs, which has given its name to various objects. [1913 Webster] {Bath brick}, a preparation of calcareous earth, in the form of a brick, used for cleaning knives, polished… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Bath brick — n. 〚after BATH, where first made〛 a brick shaped piece of calcareous earth, used for cleaning polished metal * * * …   Universalium

  • Bath brick — n. [after BATH, where first made] a brick shaped piece of calcareous earth, used for cleaning polished metal …   English World dictionary

  • bath-brick — /bäthˈbrik/ noun A preparation of siliceous silt, manufactured at Bridgwater in the form of blocks and used in cleaning knives ORIGIN: Traditionally said to be named after the first maker, one Bath, or from its resemblance to Bath stone …   Useful english dictionary

  • bath brick — noun Usage: usually capitalized 1st B Etymology: from Bath, England : an unfired brick of siliceous material used as a scourer and polisher of metals * * * Bath brick, a preparation of fine sand containing much silica, molded in the form of a… …   Useful english dictionary

  • bath brick — /ˈbaθ brɪk/ (say bahth brik) noun a compacted mass of fine siliceous sand, used for scouring metal. {named after Bath, England} …  

  • Brick — (br[i^]k), n. [OE. brik, F. brique; of Ger. origin; cf. AS. brice a breaking, fragment, Prov. E. brique piece, brique de pain, equiv. to AS. hl[=a]fes brice, fr. the root of E. break. See {Break}.] 1. A block or clay tempered with water, sand,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Brick clay — Brick Brick (br[i^]k), n. [OE. brik, F. brique; of Ger. origin; cf. AS. brice a breaking, fragment, Prov. E. brique piece, brique de pain, equiv. to AS. hl[=a]fes brice, fr. the root of E. break. See {Break}.] 1. A block or clay tempered with… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Brick dust — Brick Brick (br[i^]k), n. [OE. brik, F. brique; of Ger. origin; cf. AS. brice a breaking, fragment, Prov. E. brique piece, brique de pain, equiv. to AS. hl[=a]fes brice, fr. the root of E. break. See {Break}.] 1. A block or clay tempered with… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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