Topic: York Glass Co. Patent Lidded Jar

[SNJ]

A bit of an oddity - a small glass jar with wooden screw-on lid, on top of which is written "York Glass Co. Patent". The underside of the jar has a moulded trefoil with a couple of (unreadable) letters inside. Were there really no screw-on lids before this?

Height roughly 2½".

[Paul S.]

interesting item.                    Whether there's a connection or not I'm unsure, but there is an entry under Grace's Guides for a Company by the name of York Flint Glass Co., at York  -  inception 1835 it seems  -  who specialized in 'accurate measures for medical and pharmaceutical companies'.           This might possibly be appropriate in view of the size and wooden lid, but it is early so not sure, and the Company was wound up in 1845 it seems.             I can't see anything in the period 1842 - 1845 in the Kew Archives Register - no Registered Design Nos. allocated to that Company.

[Lustrousstone]

This may help with your question about screw tops http://www.bottlebooks.com/Dating%20Old%20Bottles/dating_bottles_by_their_tops_and.htm

[SNJ]

The jar gives the impression of being somewhat older than the 1920s, but maybe that's just me. There is mention of screw-on / turn-off lids from the mid-19th century, by the looks of it, but I very much doubt that this is that early.

The York Museums Trust (https://www.yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk/collections/search/?CL[0]=Social%20History) have a number of items that they enthusiastically attribute to York Glass Company, which they seem to date from c.1850 to 1890. There does seem to be evidence that the company survived well into the 20th century when the vacant factory was taken over by the National Glass Company.

As an aside, the many items that are said to be by YGC on their website include a cranberry goblet, cobalt blue bottles, a witch ball and quite a range of other things. Does it seem likely that a factory that seems to have specialised in glassware really have produced a scope of items?

[Lustrousstone]

My point was that it was older than 1920s... because that's when screw tops were introduced

[SNJ]

Ahhhhh. Light bulb turns on!