John Betts
One of the oldest established
mineral water firms in Swansea, John Betts, born in about 1823, had started
working as a Currier, in the 1850s he became the landlord of The Masons
Arms, 34 High Street, during this time he established his mineral water
trade in 1851, in 1859 he is listed as having a Soda Water Business at
53 High Street, Swansea.
In the 1850s John Betts was a key member of the Masons in Swansea, hosting
many Masons events. In 1858 his wife Mary died and from that time Betts
seemed to get into various troubles, he left the Masons Arms in 1859,
he appeared in Court for Insolvency,
he married his second wife also called Mary and moved to Mansel Street,
Mansel Street was close to his factory which was now in Northampton Mews.
In 1872 his second wife died and Betts found himself again in Court, in
1873 he appeared in Court after destroying
24 ginger beer bottles and assaulting Samuel Osborne. In 1874 he again
found himself in Court as a witness in the White Hart case, where the
Defendant the landlord of the White Hart had been accused of serving drinks
after hours.
On 1st December 1876 Betts died at his house in Mansel Street, his home
and all its contents were subsequently auctioned.
The control of his firm then called "The Cambrian Mineral Water Works"
was taken over by Mr Hernes
as Manager, he had been the Supervisor at Betts for twenty years. I am
positive that this is Alfred Hurn who would start his own company in 1894.
Hurns started to use stoneware bottles, previously John Betts had used
glass bottles, in about 1894 the firm was renamed "Betts Aerated
Water Co". Hurns left the company in 1894 and the firm was taken
over by Charles Lloyd Watkins (born Swansea
1847). Watkins had prevoiusly been the landord of the Brynymor Hotel,
17 Brynmor Road, Betts about this time was renamed "Betts Mineral
Water Works" In 1897, Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, Betts' under
Watkins produced a champagne shaped blue top, blue transferred ginger
beer, and started calling his ginger beer "Royal Brand" at this
time there was concern about the purity of mineral waters and Betts's
found it necessary to have their products analyzed and the results
were advertised.
In 1918-1919 the company was taken over by Sidney Ernest Edwards, who
introduced the internal screw stopper to the ginger beer bottles, the
last change of ownership was in 1921-1924 to Thomas Roberts who replaced
the internal screw ginger beers with crown cap bottles.
Betts Mineral Water Works was finally sold in 1938 to Spooners of Landore
after 87 years of trading.
Dating Betts's bottles.
Betts & John Betts 1851-c1876
J. Betts, J. Betts & Co., Jon Betts & Co. & Betts Old Cambrian
Mineral Water Works. c1876-c1894. A.Hurn manager
Betts Aerated Water Co. c1894-1896/7
Betts Mineral Water Co. 1896/7 - c1938 C.Ll. Watkins, S.E. Edwards and
T. Roberts Proprietors.
Dating bett's bottles is simple
after 1894 as most bottles have the date at the bottom. Before 1894 Betts
and after his death, managers varied the design and
dating is more difficult.
Cambrian Mineral Water Works,
two transfer printed all white versions.
Betts Aerated Water Co. two transfer printed two tone brown top versions.
Pictorial of Prince of Wales Feathers.
Betts Mineral Water Co. eleven transfer printed variations. Ten standard
shape two tone brown tops.One champagne, all had a Pictorial of Prince
of Wales Feathers. One two tone, blue top and transfer, champagne shaped
ginger beer.
Whilst bottle 10 and 11 look the same the font in the transfer is different.
Shown are a cap found with the Betts ginger and the internal screw stopper for the Edwards ginger beer, below is an example of the date stamp found on most of the Betts ginger beer bottles.
___________
Most ginger beer was sold from carts in the street.This picture shows a cart selling his wares in the street, on the back of the cart you can just make out the Prince of Wales Feathers. Could he have been selling Betts Mineral Waters?
Also shown is the analysis for Betts waters, analysed in 1897.
Bottles 4 & 5 are from the SMcD collection
List of adverts placed in Trade Directories and the year placed.
Betts, John, ginger beer and
soda water manufacturer, 33 High St, (Slater's 1858)
Betts, John, Soda Water, Ginger Beer and Lemonade Manufacturer, Northampton
Mews, Private address 31 Mansel St, (Mercer & Crocker 1876)
Betts' John, Northampton Mews, (Slater's 1880)
Betts (John) Old Cambrian Mineral water works, Northampton Mews, (Wilson's
1885)
Betts, J. Northampton Mews, (Swansea Directory 1887)
Betts' Waterworks, Northampton Lane, Prop, C. Ll. Watkins, (Wrights, Swansea
Dir. 1899)
Betts Mineral Water Works, Charles, Ll. Watkins, Est. 1851 (Wales Dir
1901)
Betts Mineral Water Works, Northampton Lane, (Wales Dir. 1903)
Betts Mineral water Works, Northampton Lane, (South Wales Dir. 1907)
Betts' Northampton Lane, Proprietor C. Ll. Watkins, (Swansea Dir 1908-9)
Betts' Northampton Lane, proprietor, C.Ll. Watkins (1910-1911)
Betts Mineral Water Works, Northampton Lane, (Wales Dir. 1912)
Betts Mineral Water Works, Northampton Lane (Swansea and District Trades
Directory 1913-14)
Betts Mineral Water Works, Northampton Lane, Phone 36 Docks, (Wales Dir.
1918)
Betts Mineral Water Works (Thos. Roberts, proprietor) Old Cambrian Mineral
Water Works, Northampton Lane. (Kelly's Dir. 1926)
Betts Mineral Waters Ltd, Northampton Lane, (Kelly's Dir. 1938)
Because Betts produced such a large variety of bottles I am interested in most bottles from this firm, use the link below to contact me if you have something I may be interested in.
Betts Glass Bottles.
Betts's first bottles were very plain, simply embossed "Betts Gingerade Swansea" skittle shaped. In the 1870s probably after Betts death, under Hernes management, the famous Prince of Wales feathers was introduced. Also about this time various patents were introduced, early narrow neck codds, bullet stoppers, Dobson and Reliance patent codds. The only other firm in Swansea that experimented with various patent closures was Swansea Aerated Water Co.
Norwich and Brighton Ginger Beers