MAIDSTONE
W. Bodkin,
112 Week Street, Maidstone
William Bodkin, previously a baker and landlord of the Ten Bells public
house, opened a Mineral Water factory in Earl Street in 1878, before moving to
Week Street in 1882. The business closed
in 1910.
Label: W. BODKIN’S MAIDSTONE BREWED GINGER BEER
Height:
Closure:
Colour: Salt-glazed, black print
Maker’s mark: FULHAM POTTERY CO LONDON (printed below label)
Label: BODKIN’S MAIDSTONE CELEBRATED HOME BREWED
Height: 20.2 cm
Closure: Screw-top
Colour: Top (above shoulder) yellow-brown, bottom (below shoulder) plain, black
print
Maker’s mark: STIFF G LAMBETH
John Fairburn, 42 Dover Street, Maidstone
Label: HOME
BREWED J. FAIRBURN DOVER STREET MAIDSTONE GINGER BEER
Height:
Closure:
Colour: Plain, black print
Maker’s mark:
Label: HOME
BREWED J. FAIRBURN MAIDSTONE GINGER BEER
Height:
Closure:
Colour: Plain, black print
Maker’s mark:
Label: J.
FAIRBURN MAIDSTONE HOME
BREWED
GINGER BEER MADE
FROM THE FINEST JAMAICA GINGER AND BOILED WATER
Height: 16.7 cm
Closure: Screw-top
Colour: Top (above shoulder) yellow-brown, bottom (below shoulder) plain, black
print
Maker’s mark: BOURNE 5 DENBY
Label: FAIRBURN’S
HOME BREWED GINGER BEER MAIDSTONE MADE FROM THE FINEST JAMAICA GINGER AND
BOILED WATER
Height:
Closure:
Colour: Top (above shoulder) yellow-brown, bottom (below shoulder) plain, black
print
Maker’s mark:
W. Hayward, 43 Milton Road, Maidstone
Walter
Hayward began the manufacture of mineral waters at premises in Milton Road
circa 1899. The business was taken over
by his wife in 1927 and operated from the same site until 1960, when the firm
amalgamated with Pope & Son to form Pope &
Hayward and then moved to their premises in Staplehurst.
Label: W. HAYWARD MAIDSTONE HOME BREWED PURE GINGER BEER
Height:
Closure:
Colour: Plain; black print.
Maker’s mark:
Label: W. HAYWARD MAIDSTONE HOME BREWED PURE GINGER BEER
Height:
Closure:
Colour: Top (above shoulder) yellow-brown; bottom (below shoulder) plain; black
print.
Maker’s mark:
Label: W.
HAYWARD MAIDSTONE PURE HOME BREWED GINGER BEER (known with three different lettering styles, two of them with seriffed characters, one with sans-serif)
Height: 20.6 cm
Closure: Screw-top
Colour: Plain; black print.
Maker’s mark: (1) S.KEY 5 TAMWORTH (2) None
Label: HAYWARD’S MAIDSTONE PURE HOME BREWED GINGER
Height:
Closure:
Colour: Plain; black print.
Maker’s mark:
D.T.J. Lyle
& Sons, Ltd., 91 King Street, Maidstone
The
business was founded by Daniel Thomas James Lyle (1852-1924). The Lyle family in general owned other businesses
for the manufacture of drinks, including Ashford and Tunbridge Wells in Kent
and also at Redhill in Surrey. Kent.
Basically there are four
different layouts for the label, with different bottle shapes known for
each. They are shown below in what is
believed to be the approximate order in which they were used.
Label: Scroll with LYLE’S UNRIVALLED BREWED GINGER BEER Please Replace Stopper
and Return when Empty
Height:
Closure:
Colour: Top (above shoulder) yellow-brown; bottom (below shoulder) plain; black
print.
Maker’s mark:
NB. The above (not illustrated) is assumed to be
Maidstone but may belong to a Lyle company located elsewhere (possibly Ashford
or Tunbridge Wells).
Label: PLEASE REPLACE STOPPER AND RETURN WHEN EMPTY D.T.J.LYLE UNRIVALLED BREWED GINGER BEER MAIDSTONE
Height: 17.0 cm
Closure: Screw-topped
Colour: Top (above shoulder) yellow-brown; bottom (below shoulder) plain; black
print.
Maker’s mark: BOURNE & CO PATENTED DENBY POTTERY NEAR DERBY (some details
unclear)
Label: UNRIVALLED BREWED GINGER BEER D.T.J.LYLE MAIDSTONE REPLACE STOPPER
Height: 17.0 cm
Closure: Screw-topped
Colour: Top (above shoulder) yellow-brown; bottom (below shoulder) plain; black
print.
Maker’s mark: BOURNE DENBY
Label: LYLE (impressed on neck) UNRIVALLED BREWED GINGER BEER D.T.J.LYLE MAIDSTONE REPLACE STOPPER
Height: 17.2 cm
Closure: Screw -top
Colour: Top (above shoulder) yellow-brown; bottom (below shoulder) plain; black
print.
Maker’s mark: None
Label: LYLE (on neck – seriffed lettering) UNRIVALLED BREWED GINGER BEER D.T.J.LYLE MAIDSTONE REPLACE STOPPER
Height: 20.3 cm
Closure: Screw-topped (stopper marked LYLE)
Colour: Top (above shoulder) yellow-brown; bottom (below shoulder) plain; black
print.
Maker’s mark: BOURNE 06 DENBY
Label: LYLE (on neck – sans serif lettering) UNRIVALLED BREWED GINGER BEER D.T.J.LYLE MAIDSTONE REPLACE STOPPER
Height: 19.7 cm
Closure: Screw-topped (stopper marked LYLE)
Colour: Top (above shoulder) yellow-brown; bottom (below shoulder) plain; black
print.
Maker’s mark: (1) BOURNE 07 DENBY (2) BOURNE 11 DENBY
Label: LYLE (on neck and on bottom of bottle) UNRIVALLED BREWED GINGER BEER D.T.J.LYLE MAIDSTONE STROOD & CRAYFORD
Height: 20.3 cm
Closure: Screw-top
Colour: Top (above shoulder) yellow-brown; bottom (below shoulder) plain; black
print.
Maker’s mark: BOURNE 25 DENBY
Label: LYLE (on shoulder of neck and on bottom of bottle) UNRIVALLED BREWED GINGER BEER D.T.J.LYLE MAIDSTONE STROOD & CRAYFORD
Height: 21.1cm
Closure: Swing top
Colour: Top (above shoulder) yellow-brown; bottom (below shoulder) plain; black
print.
Maker’s mark: BOURNE 15 DENBY (=1915)
(also 16)
Maskell & Son, 5 St. Peter Street, Westborough, Maidstone (from 1903
at 3 St. Peter Street)
Label: MASKELL MAIDSTONE M & S REGISTERED TRADE MARK (shield with lion in the top section, above M&S between three
large black dots)
NB.
There are at least three variations in the size and thickness of the
lettering)
Height: 16.3 cm
Closure: Cork
Colour: Top (above shoulder) yellow-brown; bottom (below shoulder) plain; black
print.
Maker’s mark: None
Label: MASKELL MAIDSTONE M & S REGISTERED TRADE MARK (shield with lion above M&S between three large circles)(no
shading on the shield, no branches by the side ribbons)
Height:
Closure:
Colour: Top (above shoulder) yellow-brown; bottom (below shoulder) plain; black
print.
Maker’s mark:
The Priory Mineral Water Co. Ltd., 21 Knightrider
Street, Maidstone
Label: THE PRIORY MINERAL
WATER CO. LD. Maidstone
Height: 17.3 cm
Closure: Screw-top
Colour: Top (above shoulder) yellow-brown; bottom (below shoulder) plain; black
print
Maker’s mark: None
Samuel Roberts, 75 Upper Fant Road,
Maidstone
Label: S. ROBERTS 75 Upper Fant Rd MAIDSTONE
Height: 17.0 cm
Closure: Screw-top
Colour: Top (above shoulder) yellow-brown; bottom (below shoulder) plain; black
print.
Maker’s mark: [...........] Co 16 [..........]
A.E. Rowcroft, 66 Week Street, Maidstone
Albert Edward Rowcroft began as a chemist in
Week Street. He manufactured his special
Lemon Brewed Ginger Beer from 1903 to 1909.
Labels on bottles for the Temperance Beer Company (see below) are almost
identical in wording and layout except for the name.
Label: LEMON BREWED GINGER
BEER PREMIER QUALITY A. E. ROWCROFT MAIDSTONE
Height: 17.1 cm
Closure: Screw-top
Colour: Top (above shoulder) yellow-brown; bottom (below shoulder) plain; black
print.
Maker’s mark: BOURNE 0 DENBY
Style &
Winch Ltd. Medway Brewery, Maidstone
The Medway Brewery was acquired by A. Style in 1889 and ten years later
he formed a partnership with E. Winch, trading as Style & Winch. Although a brewery they also manufactured mineral
waters, including ginger beer. The
company had several branch stores and acquired several other small breweries
throughout Kent. It continued in
business until 1964 before being taken over by Courage. The brewery closed down in 1971.
Label: STYLE & WINCH LIMITED MAIDSTONE TRADE MARK (with glass and pitcher)
Height: 21.1 cm
Closure: Crown cap
Colour: Top (above shoulder) yellow-brown; bottom (below shoulder) plain; black
print.
Maker’s mark: SKEY 3 TAMWORTH
Label: STYLE & WINCH LIMITED MAIDSTONE TRADE MARK (with glass and pitcher)
Height: 18.3 cm
Closure: Crown cap
Colour: Neck dark brown; bottom (below neck) plain; black print.
Maker’s mark: DOULTON
& Co LTD 10 [LAMBETH?]
Label: STYLE & WINCH LIMITED MAIDSTONE
Height: 17.6 cm
Closure: Screw-top
Colour: Top (above shoulder) yellow-brown; bottom (below shoulder) plain; black
print.
Maker’s mark: PRICE 16 BRISTOL (=
1916)
Temperance Beer Company, Maidstone
Labels on bottles for the A. E. Rowcroft
(see above) are almost identical in wording and layout except for the name.
Label: LEMON BREWED GINGER
BEER PREMIER QUALITY FOR THE TEMPERANCE BEER COMPY LIMITED MAIDSTONE
Height: 17.4 cm
Closure: Screw-top
Colour: Top (above shoulder) yellow-brown; bottom (below shoulder) plain; black
print
Maker’s mark: BARNETT & FOSTER LONDON
Last updated 23 June
2016