Tag: Belfast Ginger Ale

Wheeler & Co., Belfast

The embossed insignia on the face of the subject bottle (or what’s left of it) consisting of a wagon wheel with the embossed letters “E R’ at the top and “& Co.” below, served as the clever trademark for a mineral water manufacturer and bottler that operated in Belfast, Northern Ireland under the  name of Wheeler & Co. from the early 1860’s up through 1947. This advertisement exhibiting their “wheel” trademark appeared in the advertising section of the “Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory” in 1884

In addition to bottling their own manufactured waters, the company also served as a bottler for other manufacturers, “Guiness Stout” and “Bass Ale” to name a few, all of which were bottled under what they called their “Wheel Brand.”

The company got its start, not as a mineral water manufacturer or bottler but as an apothecary business whose roots were established in April, 1852 with the opening of the Belfast Apothecaries’ Hall at 33 High Street. An item announcing the opening appeared in several editions of the “Belfast News-Letter.”

Five years later, in 1857, another advertisement for the Apothecaries’ Hall associated it with W. J. Wheeler & Company, short for Walter James Wheeler. The ad published in several October, 1857 editions of the “Belfast News-Letter” named the company as agents for a wide range of proprietary medicines and medical products.

The advertisement went on to say:

THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE COMPOUNDING of Physicians’ and Surgeons’ Prescriptions is under the charge of Mr. HENRY WHITAKER, Licentiate Apothecary, formerly of Butler’s Medical Hall, Dublin.

At this point while Wheeler and Whitaker were both involved in the business, they were apparently not in total control. That would change less than a year later when this announcement, dated May 1, 1858, appeared in several May editions of the “Belfast News-Letter”under the heading:

The announcement read:

WALTER J.WHEELER & HENRY WHITAKER respectfully intimate to the Medical Profession and the Public that they have assumed the entire control and management of the above Establishment, and that, it will be conducted by them. Their devoting themselves exclusively to the business of the Apothecary and Pharmaceutical Chemist, and living on the Premises (thereby insuring their constant superintendence), are the surest guarantees that the interests of the public will be properly attended to.

The announcement went on to describe the fledgling operation.

THE RETAIL DEPARTMENT will be always well supplied with the purest Drugs and Chemicals, Patent Medicines, Perfumery, Toilet Requisites, and all other articles usually kept in first-class Medical Establishments.

THE COMPOUNDING DEPARTMENT will be under the management of Henry Whitaker, Surgeon and Licentiate Apothecary, formerly of Dr. Butler’s Medical Hall, Dublin, who confines himself exclusively to the business of the Apothecary, abstaining altogether from Medical practice, in order that he may be enabled to devote his entire time to this Department, which will be constantly supplied, not only with all Medicines in general use, but also with all the new preparations, as they are brought under the notice of the Profession; so that Medical Gentlemen may rely upon having their prescriptions properly compounded and their views fully carried out.

1st May, 1858

Several years later, the partnership of Wheeler & Whitaker, trading under the Wheeler & Co. name, introduced their “Aerated Waters” to the public. This April 29, 1862 advertisement published in the “Belfast News-Letter” suggested they were first put on the market in the Fall of 1861.

As early as 1864, this June 30th advertisement published in the “Glasgow Herald” stated that the water used in the manufacture of their aerated waters was obtained from a series of wells located in the vicinity of Cromac Street in Belfast, later referred to as the Coromac Springs. The advertisement read, in part:

Wheeler & Co.’s Aerated Waters prepared with Water from the celebrated Cromac Springs at Belfast, the great purity of which peculiarly adapts it to this purpose, and are of uniform strength and peculiarly fine flavor. Every bottle of the genuine article bears the name “Wheeler & Co.” on the label.

In 1865, according to a summary of court proceedings, “Wheeler Co. v. James Johnston,” published in the November 13, 1877 edition of the “Belfast Evening Telegraph,” the company established a manufacturing facility at one of the Cromac well sites.

… Messrs. Wheeler & Whitaker traded at Belfast under the style of Wheeler & Co., and had an extensive business as manufacturers of aerated and mineral waters. The affidavit of Messrs Wheeler & Whitaker stated that in May, 1865, they took a lease of certain premises in Murphy Street, Belfast. A valuable well existing on the premises afforded a large supply of water of a very pure quality, and formed one of a number of wells in the neighborhood of Cromac Street, used formerly for the water supply to Belfast for domestic purposes. Wheeler & Whitaker erected machinery and works and commenced their business operations, which they had since carried on using exclusively the water of the well in question. Soon afterwards Wheeler & Whitaker adopted for their works the name of “Cromac Springs…”

In addition to their Belfast facilities, by 1868 the company had also established a presence in Dublin and Glasgow. Both are mentioned in this advertisement that appeared in the March 3, 1869 edition of the “Belfast News-Letter.”

By 1870, in addition to bottling their own beverages, Wheeler & Co. was also bottling those of other manufacturers under their “Wheel” trademark. This brief item touting Guinness Porter began appearing in the “Belfast News-Letter” as early as March 3, 1870.

If you want Guinness’s XX Porter, in Bottle, unmixed, ask for it labeled with the “Wheel” Trade Mark.

The following year the trademark itself began appearing in their Guinness advertisements as evidenced by a series of  March, 1871 advertisements found in both the “Belfast Evening Telegraph” and “Belfast Evening News.”

Other brands were added over the next couple of years including HENLEY & SONS’ CIDER, touted in this April 26, 1871  “Belfast Evening Telegraph” advertisement…

… and Bass, Allsopp, Ind and Cooper’s mentioned in another “Belfast Evening Telegraph” advertisement, this one in their January 7, 1873 edition.

At the same time, the apothecary and chemist portion of the business continued to operate out of 33 High Street before moving to 37 High Street in 1881.

During this time they were associated with a number of patent medicines some of which they also manufactured  including “Wheeler & Whitaker’s Balm of Licorice.”

Things changed in 1882, when two separate dissolution notices effectively transitioned the business into separately owned entities. The first, executed on April 13, 1882, dissolved the partnership associated with the Apothecary/Chemist portion of the business, leaving it in Whittaker’s hands.

A little over a month later this advertisement published in the May 24, 1882 edition of the “Belfast News-Letter” named Henry Whitaker, proprietor of The Belfast Apothecaries’ Hall, “Late Wheeler & Whitaker.”

As far as I can tell, not long after he gained control, Whitaker turned the  Apothecary business over to William Hanbury who in 1890 declared bankruptcy. This notice dated January 24, 1890  announcing the bankruptcy sale appeared in the February 13, 1890 edition of the “Belfast News-Letter.

Three months later, a May 17, 1890 item in the “Belfast Evening Telegraph” announced that the

THE PRESCRIPTION BOOKS, PROPRIETARY RIGHTS and the VARIOUS FORMULAE of the SPECIAL PREPARATIONS of MESSRS. WHEELER & WHITAKER (Belfast Apothecaries’ Hall) HAVE BEEN PURCHASED by their late Senior Assistant, MR. T. N. MOFFIT…

Meanwhile, back  in 1882, a second dissolution notice, this one dated October 16, 1882, put the manufacturing of aerated waters and bottling operation solely in the hands of Walter J. Wheeler. That notice appeared in the October 20, 1882 edition of the “Belfast News-Letter.”

A year later, according to a May 16 1883 story in the “Belfast Evening Telegraph” some of their bottled porter and ale was making its way across the Atlantic.

LARGE SHIPMENT OF BOTTLED BEER TO AMERICA. – At present Messrs. Wheeler & Co. are delivering at Prince’s Dock, Belfast, 400 barrels of porter and ale in bottles, for transshipment into lighters for conveyance alongside the Dominion Line steamer Toronto, which vessel will arrive in Belfast Lough on Friday morning for Quebec and Montreal. By the steamer Montreal, on Friday last, Messrs. Wheeler & Co. shipped a similar quantity, and on following weeks like shipments will be made by this firm.

In April, 1890 Walter James Wheeler passed away with the business continuing under the management of his son Frederick. After Walter’s death it appears that the company remained closely held by the Wheeler family until 1895 when they offered a portion of his stock for sale in an effort to realize his estate. The offer appeared in the May 3, 1895 edition of the “Belfast News-Letter.”

That said, during the late 1890’s, this item that appeared in the September 20, 1898 edition of the “Glasgow Herald” suggested that the company continued to be quite successful.

MESSRS WHEELER & CO., LTD., BELFAST have secured the honor of having their famed “WHEEL BRAND” AERATED MINERAL WATERS chosen as being most suitable for the use of the British Troops in Egypt; also the British expeditions from Lagos and Sierra Leone to Central Africa were supplied entirely with the Waters manufactured from the famous Cromac Springs of which WHEELER & CO., LTD., BELFAST are the Sole Proprietors.

In fact, in 1899 an August 28th advertisement in the “Belfast News-Letter” indicated they were planning an expansion of their Belfast facilities at the time.

As far as I can tell, the Wheeler family continued their involvement with the business until 1923 when a February 23rd notice announced the stockholders had decided to liquidate.

At this point it was acquired by a man named George A. Davidson who several years later was adjudged bankrupt on December  16, 1927.

Later, according to a July 19, 1947 item in the “Belfast Telegraph”

An offer of composition was made and accepted by his creditors and the money had been lodged with the official assignee for the payment of the composition.

As a result Davidson was apparently able to continue operations in Belfast. Though likely not a large operation and certainly not a heavy advertiser there are signs that the company remained active into the 1940’s. Both their Belfast Ginger Ale and “Anti Laria” Tonic Water were listed in the “Grocery and Provision Merchant Directory of Brands, Trademarks and Trade Names” in 1930 and, as late as 1939 the company was included on this list of Belfast and Ulster mineral water manufacturers published in the October 3, 1939 edition of the “Belfast Telegraph.”

Ultimately Davison, trading as Wheeler & Co., declared bankruptcy again, this time  in 1947 with the notice appearing in the May 14th edition of the “Belfast Telegraph.”

This time, according to the July 19, 1947 “Belfast Telegraph” story the bankruptcy was annulled by the Lord Chief Justice in the Ulster High Court due to the actions taken in the 1927 bankruptcy case. That said, as far as I can tell, this marked the end of Wheeler & Co. as a mineral water manufacturer and bottler.

The bottle I found was blown in a mold and likely had a blob finish at one time. In addition to the “Wheel” trademark embossed on the face of the bottle, embossing  on the shoulder includes the representation of  four gold medals (two on each side) and reads: ” Belfast 1895 Gold Medals.”

The base is embossed with a large capital “W’ which I assume stands for “Wheeler.”

Th bottle most closely resembles the Belfast Ginger Ale bottle pictured on the far left in the following January 1, 1890 advertisement published in the “British Trade Journal,” though it does have a flat bottom as opposed to the rounded one pictured.

While not heavily advertised in the United States, references to Wheeler’s Belfast Ginger Ale sporadically appear in U.S. newspaper advertisements between 1884 and the mid-teens. This likely dates the bottle between 1895 (the date embossed on the bottle) and the mid-teens.

Bolen & Byrne, New York

The initial proprietors of the business were John Bolen and John Byrne. The “History” section of corporate documents, prepared in 1929, stated that the original partnership of Bolen & Byrne was established in 1857 and that they were the first manufacturers of ginger ale in America.

The first listing I can find for the business is 10 years later, in the 1867-68 NYC Directory, listed as soda and located at 235 East 28th Street. Census records show that John Bolen was born in 1840 and would have only been 17 years old in 1857 so while it’s possible that he established the business at this young age, I’m leaning toward a start date closer to 1867 based on this initial listing.

The business remained at East 28th Street through 1877. Over this period they listed themselves in the directories as either chemists, soda or waters. This is confirmed by a company receipt from 1875 that was listed on e-bay.

The receipt listed their address as 220, 231 and 233 East 28th Street. It also names them as the proprietors of the American Mineral Water Co., located on President Street in Brooklyn. I can’t find any mention of the American Mineral Water Co., or Bolen & Byrne in the late 1870’s Brooklyn Directories. It’s possible that this may have been their factory location but who knows?

Around 1879 Bolen & Byrne moved from East 28th Street to 415 East 54th Street where they remained listed through 1902. Both Bolen and Byrne were also listed individually at this location until 1893, when Byrne’s listing disappeared. Most likely, he either passed away or left the business around this time.

During this time the business also maintained a Philadelphia location. They were listed in the Philadelphia City Directories between 1888 and 1896 as bottlers located at 813 North 11th Street.

A brief description of the size of the business around this time was provided by John Bolen himself, as part of a statement he made to the Senate Committee of Finance in 1888 regarding tariffs:

My concern, Bolen & Byrne, is the most extensive in this country. We have over 200 hands employed in our two establishments in New York and Philadelphia.

The business formed a New York Corporation in June 1897 with capital stock of $ 175,000 (reduced to $30,000 the next year). John Bolen was named president and his son, John K. Bolen; secretary.

By the turn of the century the business was headed in the wrong direction and by 1903 the company was engaged in bankruptcy proceedings. A story in the February 1, 1903 edition of the New York Times announced the bankruptcy.

A petition of bankruptcy has been filed against the Bolen & Byrne Manufacturing Company, bottlers of mineral waters at 415 to 424 East Fifty-Fourth Street, by the Whitney Glass Works, a creditor for $854. It was alleged that the company is insolvent; that within the past four months it has made payments to certain creditors to prefer them, and that the creditors of the company do not exceed twelve in number.

The story went on to describe the reasons for their poor financial condition.

When the corporation was formed John Bolen, the surviving partner, transferred the factory property at 415 to 423 East Fifty-Fourth Street, extending through to Fifty-Fifth Street, to the company subject to mortgages of $144,000.

James Kearney, attorney for the company, said yesterday that the trouble was due to depression in business last year, which was the worst year the trade has had in a long time. The liabilities are $10,900, and there are no available assets, as the real estate and machinery are covered by mortgages…

It appears that the bankruptcy proceedings resulted in Bolen & Byrne’s acquisition by or at least their association with another bottling business, S. A. Ludin & Co who operated under the registered trade name of the New York Bottling Company. In 1904, Bolen & Byrne was listed at 514 West 36th, the address of S. A. Ludin/New York Bottling Company. That same year New York Bottling Company advertisements began including Bolen & Byrne.

S.A.Ludin, New York Bottling and Bolen & Byrne were all listed with the same 36th Street address through 1914. In late 1914, five New York bottling firms, including S.A. Ludin consolidated into a new corporation called the New York Bottling Co., Inc. Neither Bolen & Byrne or S.A. Ladin were listed in the 1916 directory.

Bolen & Byrne, if not the first, was certainly one of the first U.S. ginger ale manufacturers. An advertisement from 1882 is the earliest advertisement I can find for a ginger ale called “Belfast Ginger Ale”

Pronounced by connoisseurs superior to the imported. Our Ginger Ale is not fermented – it is as sparkling as champagne – It is refreshing and invigorating, and we candidly believe the most wholesome drink in existence.

Prize medal awarded at New York, Vienna, Centennial and Paris Expositions.

For sale at all leading Hotels, Drug Stores, Groceries and Wine establishments in the United States.

Around this time, Bolen & Byrne’s competition in the ginger ale market came from a firm called Cantrell and Cochran who had places of business in both Dublin and Belfast, Ireland. They did business in Great Britan and Ireland, as well as throughout the United States. In the late 1870’s and early 1880’s they brought suit against Bolen & Byrne on the grounds of infringement of their trademarks. According to an article in the 1882 issue of Bonfort’s Wine and Spirit Circular:

This infringement was not confined to a mere timid attempt or colorable imitation of Messrs. Cantrell & Cochrane’s packaging, but was as close and elaborate copy of the original bottles, labels, corks, etc., as could be executed.

Bolen and Byrne went so far as to have the words Dublin and Belfast stamped or blown on the rounded bottoms of their bottles, regardless of the fact that they had no facilities whatsoever overseas.

The court ruled in Cantrell & Cochran’s favor stating in part that Bolen & Byrne’s packaging was:

calculated to deceive and mislead purchasers and others into the belief that the article of liquor called ginger ale of the said defendants is the article of liquor known as ginger ale of the manufacture of the said plaintiffs…

A decade later, Bolen & Byrne found itself on the other side of the fence and brought suit against Rudolph Jonasch and others for adopting a trade mark so similar to their’s that it would be likely to deceive consumers. According to court records:

Prior to March last the defendants were all employed by the plaintiff (Bolen & Byrne) or its predecessors, in various capacities, for periods ranging from 13 to 30 years. Shortly before April last, the defendants apparently by common consent, all left employment of the plaintiff, and a few weeks afterwards united in the business of manufacturing goods of the same kind as those made by the plaintiff. In putting their goods upon the market, the defendants adopted labels for their goods which the plaintiff alleges are imitations of his labels.

In this instance, Bolen and Byrne prevailed.

One final note:

On January 14, 1929, a corporation called the Bolen & Byrne Beverage Corporation, incorporated under Delaware laws, was registered with New York State as a foreign business corporation. Documents associated with their stock offering published in the January 29, 1929 issue of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle stated that the new corporation was a successor to the original partnership of Bolen & Byrne, established in 1857. It went on to say that its president, Ehler Meyer, was a descendant of the founders (but they don’t say which one). The document also stated that the corporation will own all the stock of both the Orange Crush Bottling Company of New York and the Piping Rock Corporation of New Jersey.

Other than reviving the name “Bolen & Byrne” I don’t see much of a connection between this corporation and the original business.

As best I can tell, today, the Bolen & Byrne Beverage Corporation is still an active corporation registered with the NYS Department of State. However, their last listed address of 502-04 West 45th Street is currently a Hess Gas Station. So who knows?.

The bottle I found is mouth blown with an applied lip. It has a rounded bottom and is embossed Bolen & Byrne, New York. There’s no mention of Dublin and Belfast. It was probably manufactured in the 1880’s, after they moved to East 54th Street.

 

 

 

 

The City Bottling Works of New York, Henry Downes, 1873

city-downes

According to his obituary in the December 15, 1905 edition of “The American Bottler” Henry Downes was one of the first makers of ginger ale in the US.

Henry Downes, the veteran bottler, died at his home, 429 Henry Street, Brooklyn on the 23rd, at the age of 72 years.

He was a native of County Clare, Ireland, and came to this country when a young man, and as a pioneer in the soda water business was one of the first manufacturers of ginger ale in this country.

Henry Downes was first listed in the 1870/1871 Trow New York City Directory at 411 1st Avenue with the occupation minerals. A year later, he was listed as a bottler at the same address. In 1873-74 he changed his address to 404 E 25th St.

This advertisement that appeared in Goulding’s 1874-1875 Business Directory mentioned his “Belfast Ginger Ale,” as well as a menu of other products he was marketing at the time.

He remained listed at the 25th Street address through 1888. Then sometime around 1890 he moved to Brooklyn where he was listed as a bottler at 98 Wycoff Street. He was still listed at this address in 1897, however, by that time his listed occupation was “agent,” not “bottler.”

Downes held the rights to at least two patents. One (No. 145139), dated December 2, 1873, and held jointly with Frederick W. Wiesenbrock was for “a fountain for soda water.” The other (196437 A) was for improvements in vent faucets for bottles, Filing Date: May 31,1877, Publication Date: October 23,1877.

Another obituary, this one in the November 25, 1905 issue of the New York Sun, said that Downes was a writer and lecturer, and for many years was connected with the Bottlers Gazette.

Today this area of First Avenue in Manhattan is heavily occupied by NYU Hospital facilities. Their College of Dentistry occupies the former 411 First Avenue address. The 25th Street address was just east of First Avenue and is now occupied by a modern building.

The bottle I found is a pony style with an applied blob finish. Its embossed  with the date of 1873 which puts it on the bubble between the First Avenue and East 25th Street locations. I’ve seen bottles embossed with the Wycoff Avenue address on the Internet but have not found one.