I am seeking British sources about two glass factories that may have
exported glass to the United States during the ca. 1875-1900 period. Both
would have made amber, green, or aqua beer bottles of the 26-ounce "quart"
size with slightly "swelled" necks.

Several US sources claim these two plants produced and exported these beer
bottles, but most can be eventually traced to Toulouse (1971), the major
source for makers' marks found on bottles in the US. What I am seeking is
English sources.

The first company is Cannington, Shaw & Co., and I have two research
questions (one with several ramifications) about the company. First, marks
appear on US bottles in both C S & Co and C S & Co LD forms (with the "D"
in both full size and superscript). I assume the "LD" refers to a limited
partnership. This actually brings up several questions:

1) When did Cannington, Shaw & Co. reach a limited partnership and begin
using the abbreviation LD?

2) Who was the limited partner in the agreement?

3) Is there any temporal difference in the abbreviations Ld versus Ltd?

My second research question revolves around the bottle style. Do any
English sources indicate that Cannington, Shaw & Co. (with or without the
LD) exported any bottles to the US? Sources here show both beer bottles
and fruit jars with C S & Co or C S & Co LD marks on the bases. Were these
marks also used by the company on English bottles?

The second company is the Frederick Hampson Glass Works. US sources
suggest that the factory began making bottles in 1851 but suggest no
closing date. The mark F H G W appears on beer bottles from the 1875-1900
period as described above and groove ring wax sealer fruit jars. My
research questions about this company are:

1) Did such a company actually exist? At present, we have only Toulouse's
unsupported word for this.

2) What were the company's dates in operation?

3) Did the company make groove ring wax sealer fruit jars?

4) Is there any record that Frederick Hampson Glass Works exported beer
bottles and/or fruit jars to the US during the 1875-1900 period?

5) Did the plant emboss F H G W marks on its bottles in England?

If any British archaeologists or historians can help me, I would greatly
appreciate it.

Thanks,

Bill Lockhart


Bill Lockhart
New Mexico State University
Alamogordo, NM
(505) 439-3732