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Under Development
The manufacture and marketing of artificial mineral waters did not start until the late 18th century when in 1772, Joseph Priestly made the discovery of how to put the fizz into "pop". He called his new beverage soda water. Natural mineral waters had been drunk for centuries before this at the famous Spa towns of Britain & Europe & soon companies selling both natural and artificial waters began to spring up all over the country.Hamilton’s
One of these early manufactures, whose company is still in business today, was the Swiss, Jacob Schweppes who established a mineral water firm at Bristol in 1792. He was one of the first companies to use the egg shape shaped bottles know to collectors as "Hamilton’s" which are named after the William Francis Hamilton, an inventor of a machine for filling those bottles.
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| Joseph Priestly |
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The pointed base of the bottle was to prevent them from being stood upright so that they had to be stored on their sides. This meant that the cork stoppers would remain permanently wet and fully expanded, thus preventing them from shrinking. These bottles had an advantage over the traditional upright bottles for when they were left standing upright for any length of time, the corks would dry out and shrink, the effervescent drink would then force out the corks thus rendering the contents of the bottle flat.
The Codd Bottle
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Hiram Codd
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The Codd referrers to an enterprising inventor, Hiram Codd, who patented the idea of having an internal glass ball stopper. The ball was forced against a rubber washer in the neck of the bottle by the gas pressure of the fizzy pop. To unstopped the bottle a small wooden cap with a peg was used to push the marble downwards, thus releasing the gas pressure. The marble would drop and was retained by two small indents in the neck so that contents could be poured out. There had been several other internal stopped bottles invented but the Codd was the most popular.
The “B” Mineral Water Company
The “B” Mineral Water Company began trading at the Masonic Buildings in the high street in 1887 after the opening of the new great bridge under the proprietorship of John .S. Horsley & Co. An Abundance of different patent bottles can be found including the Niagra patent bottle reg. No 65433 patented by Barnet & Foster and made by Alfred Alexandra & Co London.
These can be found in various shades of amber – possibly used to commemorate Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee as clear aqua class codd bottles are more commonly found. All bottles from J.S Horsley & Co between 1887 & 1891 have the spelling of the town TUNBRIDGE on the Bottles with the rubber washer used to seal the bottle also stamped “Horsley Tunbridge”. Other bottles known from Horsley are the Tonbridge Mineral water company embossed with a picture of a fountain in a Glass dome and the Sykes Macvay, patented 22 Feb 1877 by W W Macvay &R Sykes.” Patent 1877 Sykes Macvay&Co makers Castleford".This bottle has 6 dimples in the base to hold the loose in bottle marble, whilst the drink was poured.
A selection of Tonridge Codd Bottles
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