Rothbury Aerated Water Co
 

I have an empty ginger beer bottle marked The Rothbury Aerated Water Co, Rothbury. Does anyone know whereabouts in Rothbury this company was? The bottle itself was dug up (by myself) at Longframlington, Lee Farm area.

The 1934 trade directory I have says:

"Rothbury Aerated Water Co. (see T. Thompson and Son), Well strand, Rothbury, Morpeth."


that's under "Mineral Water Mnfrs."


So "Well strand" in 1934, wherever that is.

Your bottle is likely older that this. Do you have a picture? Not a company/bottle I've heard of before. (we have a few old bottle aficionados on here!)

There is a Thomas Thompson in the 1911 census, (aged 49, born Eglingham) as a Mineral Water Carter, a worker, in a Mineral Water Manufactory. (so not the owner then ?) His address is '3 Strand Terrace'.

Strand Terrace doesn`t ring any bells, but I know Well Strand (Near Rothbury House). The very name `Well Strand` suggests there being a well, somewhere in the vicinity! Maybe the company sourced the water from the well, figures!

Will look further into this. Many thanks for the info Coquet, and I will put up a picture of said bottle, nothing on file at the mo` but I`ll take a picture and post it here in a day or two.

Here it is - sorry it`s the wrong way up. It`s 9" tall with the original stopper - shame about the chip!


© 04/02/2015 Vagabond
http://i59.tinypic.com/11vpgjo.jpg


May 1st 2015. NB. The copyright for this image belongs to me (Vagabond). I would appreciate it if in future any person or persons wishing to reproduce same, eg on the internet and/or in magazine (paper) format, please do me the courtesy of asking first. Failure to do so is an infringement of my copyright, and a criminal offence (theft), which could lead to prosecution.

It's a beauty. I want one! Same shape as some of the Alnwick swing stopper ones; I'll photograph some tomorrow.

Same style Anwick bottles
 

http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag...ck_bottles.jpg


http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag...nwick_tops.jpg

I googled 'well strand' and it produced this zoopla listing:

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/property-his...5-7tw/18980060

looks like that might be the old mineral water factory now converted?

you've got me started now. Here's their big brother:

G.W. Wilson Alnwick. I have normal size ginger beers for that company as well.
Not sure what this contained, bulk spirits?

http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag...ick_bottle.jpg

http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag...bottle_top.jpg

Might well be! if I was living there, I`d be digging holes in the garden, rummaging around in the loft etc. Well, in my younger days, I would! Not so sure now. lol

It`s interesting to see the bottle manufacturer`s stamp impressed into the bottles. Mine is stamped BUCHAN Portobella Edinburgh. There must have been hundreds of bottle manufacturers up and down the country, including that at Seaton Sluice, owned by the Delavals, slightly off topic, so I`ll leave that hanging, so to speak lol

The last entry on the 1911 census summary book is the 'Lemonade Factory' Well Strand. Unfortunately no individual is recoded with the property.

The only reference in the newspapers I can find is from the Morpeth Herald 18th May 1901:

"The Rothbury Aerated Water Company will thank the person
who took the HORSE SHEET from the Farmyard at Low Trewhitt
on Sale Day, May 1st, to return the same to Well Strand, Rothbury." :D

So existed at least 1901-1934?

The only reference in the newspapers I can find is from the Morpeth Herald 18th May 1901:

"The Rothbury Aerated Water Company will thank the person
who took the HORSE SHEET from the Farmyard at Low Trewhitt
on Sale Day, May 1st, to return the same to Well Strand, Rothbury." :D[/QUOTE]


Lol, Very droll, someone must`ve had a sense of humour at Rothbury Aerated Water Co lol.

Re Low Trewhitt, I went there today to have a look round. Was like going back in time (1901?). The place was dilapidated - rickety, worn out old buildings and out houses that hadn`t seen a coat of paint since I don`t know when, and god wot else! But I digress.

PS. Trewhitt Hall just up the road may have had some connection with the water co - just a thought. The Hall was used as a shooting lodge in Lord Armstrong`s time,

Trewhitt Hall Estate.

The newspapers record the aristocracy descending on this hall on numerous occasions for hunts and shoots. Armstrong eventually purchased the Hall in 1879, for the princely sum of £42,500; it having failed to sell at auction the previous year. The estate consisted of 800 acres. Looks like a fascinating array of characters occupied the place over the years reading references to it in the newspapers.

In 1870 one of the Trewhitt Hall gamekeepers was accidentally shot and killed, although not on the Trewhitt estate, but I believe nearby; Alnwick Mercury 19 November 1870 refers:

A gamekeeper accidentally shot at Plainfield.

On Monday last, an inquest was held at Plainfield, in the parish of Rothbury, before Mr John J. Hardy, on the body of George Dickinson, gamekeeper to Mr George F.McCabe Esq., Trewitt Hall, who was accidentally shot on the previous Saturday, under the following melancholy circumstances as detailed in evidence: — Robert Scott, gamekeeper to J.Welleans, Esq., Flotterton, said that a shooting party was made up at Flotterton, on Saturday, at which deceased, who was a careful steady young man, 19 years of age, was present. They were shooting partridge in a turnip field, when a bird was hit. Deceased and Mr Wealleans went forward to where the bird was expected to be.
When searching the wounded bird rose, Mr Wealleans and the deceased being together. The deceased squatted and Mr Wealleans discharged his gun, the contents entering the deceased’s head. — Mr McCabe said he was one of the shooting party on Saturday last, when he saw Mr Wellens and the deceased go forward to a wounded bird. The deceased would be about 5 or 6 yards from Mr Wealleans. When the bird wheeled, deceased threw himself down, and as the bird was wheeling he raised himself up to look, and at that moment Mr Wealleans' gun went off and the contents lodged in his head. Verdict — “Accidentally shot.”

I see from google that Low Trewhitt is about a mile south of Trewhitt Hall, possibly part of the same estate back in the 1870s?

If you have any photos of these areas it would be nice to see them Vagabond (our special agent in the west?), so this coaster knows what we are discussing! There was an old postcard of Trewitt Hall on ebay recently, but the auction pictures have gone now; looked a bit like Hauxley Hall in scale to me.

Here's an interesting Trewhitt hall occupant mentioned in the "Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer" 09 June 1936:

Wedding Postponed Through Illness
Naval Officer Son of Sir A.W. White

The marriage of Lieutenant Richard Taylor White, Royal Navy, and Miss Gabrielle Ursula Style, which was to have taken place at Malta yesterday, has been unavoidably postponed it is announced. It is understood (says a Reuter message) that illness is the cause of the postponement, and that the marriage will take place in the autumn.
Lieutenant White is the second son of Sir Archibald Wollaston White and Lady White, of Trewhitt Hall, Thropton, Morpeth. Miss Style is a daughter of Mr and Mrs R.H. Style, of Boxley House Maidstone. Mr and Mrs style and Sir Archibald White left England last Thursday and arrived in Malta yesterday. Lady White has been in Malta for the last three weeks. Sir Archibald White is the well-known cricketer who captained Yorkshire before the war.


That'll be a pre WW1 Yorkshire Cricket Captain, as the date here is 1936!
Let's hope Richard and Gabrielle got their nuptials in the end.


Edit:
Richard got the DSO and two bars in the war. Now that is rare. ["He married Gabrielle Ursula Style in 1936 September 3rd and had three sons and two daughters." so there you go]

Rothbury aerated water Co bottle
 

Vagabond thats a new stone bottle to me from that company and one hell of a find pity about the chip but those flip tops are prone to it but still great find.

Hi all, Yes, It was (is) the same estate, I took several pictures of Low Trewitt, most of which are reproduced here.

http://northumbrian-hills.freeforums...hitt-lost-time


PS. Thank you for the information Coquet, very interesting reading - a place steeped in history, would that we could go back in time, back through the ages!

Rothbury stone bottles
 

Swing-top Rothbury Aerated Water Co'y. Buchan, Portobello maker. 1906 and after.
Galtee More top Rothbury Aerated Water Co'y. Pric, Bristol maker. 1896-7.
Vulcanite internal screw top. T.Thompson. Buchan, Portobello maker.



http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag...ns_bottles.jpg

Hi Brian, you can always email me the photo and I'll add it if you like.

[removed]

There is a brief guide on adding photos here:

http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...ad.php?t=12568 (post number 4)

(it's a different forum but set up by yours truly, so identical behaviour.)

Can't miss out on local old bottle photos. I love 'em. :(

A few weeks ago I purchased for £1 at the Amble car boot a black glass Alnwick Brewery Co. beer bottle. I've got a few already, but I cannot help myself.:D

http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag...glass_beer.jpg