EARLY BERKSHIRE GINGER BEER BOTTLES

S. Collier - Reading

See the central brown ginger beer bottle below.

 From Pigot & Co.'s Directory of Berks, Bucks ... , 1844:

From Kelly's Berkshire Directory, 1848:

I find S. Collier the most confusing ginger beer bottle.  There is no record of a "Collier" as anything significant in 1844 but in 1848 there is an entry relating to Samuel Collier of a china & glass warehouse in Minster Street, Reading.

From Slater's Directory of Berkshire, 1852:

But then in 1852, there is a William Collier who was Chemist at 20 Broad Street, Reading which is where the ginger beer is addressed from as per the picture above.

From Post Office Directory of Berks, Northants ... , 1854:

.....and then in 1854 Samuel Collier has a brick and tile works and William Collier still has the chemist.  After that point there is no record of William Collier at all.

What this suggests to me is one of two things.  Either S. Collier was the wife of William Collier the chemist or more likely that Samuel Collier was related to William Collier and produced the bottles for him.  This may be true because Samuel Collier had interests in clay works and, china and glassware.  Perhaps if we interpret the "SOLD BY S. COLLIER" on the ginger beer bottle in the above picture as a bottle he made and then sold to his relation William, who filled up the bottle with his own ginger beer, then it makes more sense.  Either way, the ginger beer bottle must pre-date 1874 .

From Webster's Reading Directory, 1874:

From Harrod & Co.'s Directory of Beds, Bucks ..., 1876: