BRICK-Layer, an artificer, whose business is to build with bricks, or make brick-work.
Brick-layers work, or business, in London, includes tiling, walling, chimney-work, and paving with bricks and tyles. In the country it also includes the mason's and plasterer's business.
The materials used by brick-layers are bricks, tyles, mortar, laths, nails, and tyle pins. Their tools are a brick trowel, wherewith to take up mortar; a brick-axe, to cut bricks to the determined shape; a saw, for sawing bricks; a rub-stone, on which to rub them; also a square, wherewith to lay the bed or bottom, and face or surface of the brick, to see whether they are at right angles; a bevel, by which to cut the under sides of bricks to the angles required; a small trannel of iron, wherewith to mark the bricks; a float-stone, with which to rub a moulding of brick to the pattern described; a banker, to cut the bricks on; line pins to lay their rows or courses by; plumb-rule, whereby to carry their work upright; level, to conduct it horizontal; square, to set off right angles; ten-foot rod, wherewith to take dimensions; jointer, wherewith to run the long joints; rammer, wherewith to beat the foundation; crow and pick-axe, wherewith to dig through walls.
The London brick-layers make a regular company, which was incorporated in 1568; and consists of a master, two wardens, 20 assistants, and 78 on the livery.