Giles Brearley tells us what the Brameld family graves mean to him. "The Brameld family graves are sited at the side of St Margaret's church in Swinton and are alone, always in shadow.  | | Giles Brearley |
"They're the graves of Thomas Brameld, his wife Jane and his brother John Wager Brameld who all ran the world famous Rockingham Pottery situated at the top end of Swinton town. "The pottery made the Royal Desert service for King William the Fourth and they employed 600 people, turning out some of the finest pottery pieces in the world. Why not tell us what inspires you - send us an e-mail using the link below:
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"The Bramelds were once at the top of their tree and now their graves stand in silence alongside each other; a reminder that we are all flesh and blood and nothing lasts forever." :: Rockingham Pottery, SwintonRockingham Pottery based in Swinton was originally started in 1745 by Joseph Flint and was taken over by the Bramelds in 1806 with the backing of the local Earl Fitzwilliam. The pottery was renamed the Rockingham Works as a compliment to Earl Fitzwilliam's uncle, the Marquis of Rockingham.  | | Rockingham Pottery from Swinton |
The Earl also stepped in to save the pottery in 1825 when it was almost made bankrupt. It was around this time that the trademark Rockingham porcelain first went into production. The family crest of the griffin was adopted as the factory mark. The red griffin mark was used on Rockingham pottery between 1826 and 1830. They specialised in high quality tea and dessert services in a variety of colours and patterns, establishing a first class reputation. It soon became world famous and was purchased by many of the leading nobles of the day. The pottery closed in 1842 and genuine pieces of Rockingham are increasingly rare and highly sought after. All that remains of the Rockingham pottery today is the Waterloo Kiln (named after the battle) which is just off the B6092 near Swinton in South Yorkshire.  | | Brameld family graves, Swinton |
When the pottery closed, the Kiln was used as an isolation hospital for some time and then in 1951 it became a private dwelling. It is now maintained by Rotherham Borough Council. The area surrounding the kiln, including the ponds which formerly provided water for the works, is now a small nature reserve. :: St Margaret's Church, SwintonSt Margaret's is a large Early English parish church. The tower dates from 1817, although the rest of the church was rebuilt after a fire in 1897. Behind the church are the remains of the original Norman chapel. The Brameld family graves can be found by the side of the church in the graveyard.
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